[MacTUG] Time Machine question

[Glenn Anderson]

On 27-Mar-08, at 12:12 PM, Steve Hellyer wrote:

> Hi Glen,
>
> I would not trust that time machine backup.  Clearly there is  
> something wrong with the source and time machine may have backupd  
> the problem.

Ok... that is sort of the answer I expected, although I would hope  
that I could trust the time machine backup with the users files. The  
OS, apps, etc will be done with a clean install.

>
> First I would run DiskWarrior to see if it just a filing system  
> error on the internal drive.  That might fix the problem.

Unfortunately, the user doesn't have DiskWarrior.

> If it does I would clear the time machine backup and start that new.
>
> If this doesn't fix the problem.
> I would perform a Carbon copy clone to an external firewire drive.   
> Clean install of 10.5 on internal and then when it asks if you want  
> to migrate plug in the external drive and have the install pick up  
> the setting from the external drive Will look like another MAc in  
> target disk mode).  Migration walks through the setting rather than  
> just coping them.

That approach would be my typical approach, although I hadn't thought  
of using the migration tool to bring things over. I usually just copy  
them via file copy.

>
> You will like need to enter any serial number for application the  
> person has when running them on the new system.

No problem.

>
> Other issues to watch for when moving from 10.4 to 10.5.  Check  
> Plugins are current.  Quicktime add ons, Safari add ons. Mail  
> Plugins etc..
>
> Good luck,
>
> Steve
>
> On 27-Mar-08, at 10:07 AM, Glenn Anderson wrote:
>> Here is the situation...
>>
>> I have a user that after upgrading (10.4 ->10.5) is having  
>> problems with their iMac not booting up correctly (most of the  
>> time). As I suspect it might be a case of something being carried  
>> over from 10.4 to 10.5 that is causing a problem, and that they  
>> maybe should do a clean install.
>>
>> The person does have a time machine backup of their system, and is  
>> willing to do a clean OS  install of 10.5 (i.e. erase their hard  
>> disk and such). After which they feel that they should be able to  
>> simply connect their time machine backup drive and restore their  
>> files.
>>
>> This sounds easy enough, but as I have not had a chance to try  
>> this sort of thing out with time machine, I am somewhat reluctant  
>> to tell them to go ahead. For example, when they plug in their  
>> backup drive, will time machine on the rebuilt system know that  
>> the drive is their time machine backup drive and allow them to  
>> restore from it? Or is there a chance that Time Machine will ask  
>> them if they want to use the drive as their time machine backup  
>> drive and when they say "yes" it will reformat it?
>>
>> Has anyone done this?
>>
>> If this fails, can I easily mount the backup drive as a "normal"  
>> drive and recover the files by hand?
>>
>> PS. I would prefer to have a CarbonCopy backup of their system,  
>> but they don't have a spare drive for this.
>>
>>
>>
>> Glenn Anderson
>> Client Services, IST
>> University of Waterloo
>> Waterloo, On
>> 519-888-4567 x33327
>> anderson at uwaterloo.ca
>>
>>
>>
>

Glenn Anderson
Client Services, IST
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, On
519-888-4567 x33327
anderson at uwaterloo.ca



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