Use new HD for startup disk

[jcastillo81]

Hi. I recently installed a new 250g hd on my 400 mhz G4 running OS 10.3. From what I've heard, it seem like it would be a good idea to use the new drive as a startup disk so I would have more virtual memory. My concern is what will happen to my original hd that has lots of important files and programs on it? Will it be like running two versions of the OS? Would I have to reformat the original hd and reinstall all my programs on the new hd? The original hd is only like 10gig so with quark, photoshop, illustrator, etc, etc installed there is barely 2 gigs left to work with. Also, I've partitioned the new drive into 2, if i install osx on 1 of the partitions will the files on the other be safe?

Basically i am just trying to optimize my system, since it is really beginning to show its age. (a new computer isn't an option because its not actually "my" computer and i dont have the checkbook)

Thanks!

[bobw]

You can boot from either drive with no problems.

You can use either of these programs to clone your main drive to the new one;

SuperDuper
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDup...scription.html
Carbon Copy Cloner
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html

[simbalala]

Originally Posted by bobw

You can boot from either drive with no problems.

You can use either of these programs to clone your main drive to the new one;

SuperDuper
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDup...scription.html
Carbon Copy Cloner
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html

This is off topic (kinda) but I keep on seeing people mention Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper at the same time as if they are equally good.

This review is worth a read...

http://blog.plasticsfuture.org/2006/...tware-harmful/

I'd much rather spend some $$$ and be sure my backups are solid.

[bobw]

simbalala

the page you provided a link to is JUNK.

Both CCC and SuperDuper work well.

I see they also say Chronosync is not recommended. Other reviewers say this program is one of the best backup programs available. I've been using it for several years with no problems. Works great.

I haven't used SuperDuper, but use CCC and have no problems with that.

That page is just one person's view, and not very good.

[simbalala]

Originally Posted by bobw

simbalala

the page you provided a link to is JUNK.

The page lists facts. You offer an unsubstantiated opinion.

[bobw]

Facts from someone I've never heard of.

Here's a review of Chronosync from Macworld;

Whether you need to back up your Mac or synchronize files among multiple Macs, Econ Technologies’ ChronoSync 3.0 is a potent but friendly tool that will let you get the job done. On Jaguar, Panther, or Tiger, it duplicates and restores data with surgical precision.

ChronoSync’s drag-and-drop interface lets users easily designate source and target volumes, then match or duplicate individual files, folders, local drives, networked drives, and even files stored on iPods. ChronoSync lets you save and schedule multiple custom syncs - for example, one to back up your hard disk on the first of each month, and another to sync your Address Book and Office documents between your desktop and laptop Macs every Friday. You can simply copy files from one drive to another, or match files between two drives.


PICTURES

click to see larger image


ChronoSync’s Analyze pane lets you compare files on your source and target volumes, while a handy pop-up window lets you schedule upcoming synchronizations.


It takes just a few clicks to schedule a saved sync. The scheduler appears as an icon in your Mac’s menu bar, and runs one-time, daily or weekly syncs, even when ChronoSync is not running or the computer is asleep. The menu can list upcoming syncs and suspend or resume scheduling.

Synching files is reasonably fast and efficient; a first-time manual sync took 13 minutes and 30 seconds to compare more than 78,000 files and transfer a gigabyte of data. A subsequent scheduled sync ran on time, found no changes from the previous run, and took only seconds. ChronoSync’s help files are thorough and well written, offering clear solutions for any potential problems.

Version 3.0 offers impressive new capabilities for customizing syncs. “Blind” and “biased” syncs let you specify which duplicate files on each volume get deleted during a sync. The new data validation feature ensures that your information has transferred correctly. Version 3.0 also adds Rules, which let you easily match files by name, extension, file size, or last-modified date, among others; it’s a lot like creating a Smart Playlist in iTunes. You can even trigger a sync automatically every time a file size or modified date changes within your source or target.

The enhanced Analysis view now lets users compare the contents of their entire source and target volumes, down to last-modified dates and permissions for individual files. Want to sync an entire directory but leave out a handful of documents? The Analysis view makes it easy to include or exclude specific files with a few clicks. It was annoyingly sluggish in loading and scrolling when I first ran it on my 1GHz iBook G4, but it worked much better on subsequent runs.

ChronoSync 3.0 touts an upgraded graphical interface among its new features. While the program is logically organized and easy to use, it lacks the visual polish Mac fans have come to expect. Several icons look rough-edged and dull — a minor complaint given ChronoSync’s overall quality.

Macworld’s Buying Advice
For small offices or big households that need to keep far-flung data safe and organized, ChronoSync is an outstanding value. Its features equal or surpass more expensive programs such as Retrospect (, June 2004). Users with simpler needs can safely stick with free alternatives like Bombich Software’s Carbon Copy Cloner ().

[sinclair_tm]

i have used ccc over and over and have never had a problem of any kind. the price is right, and it does just what they say it will. and i have never heard of any of these other apps. even macaddict mag has talked about using ccc for backups.
btw, if you put that 250gig drive on the onboard ide controller, you will only be able to use about 132gig of it. to get the whole 250gig, you will need to buy a pci ide controller card to connect the drive to. thats wht i did. i got a new drive, put it on a pci card, used ccc to make an exsact copy of my drive, booted to it, and never could tell the difference. then after a week or so, i finially got around to erasing the other drive.