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TICKET ARCHIVE -> I Added a Second Hd to Power Mac G4
bkossy - Jun 24, 2005 - 8:52 pm
I added a second HD to my Power Mac G4 and all is going well.
However, I'm not sure how to organize my files to ensure smooth and complete back ups using back up software, in this case BounceBack Pro.
Right now I have all my Applications on the original HD.
I've moved my changind datat to the second drive.
My thought was, I'd BU the data and not the apps.
But, now I see that I have to carefully select what goes on each drive.
Is there some document that exists that explains how to do this?
This is a start anyhow.
I want to put files that don't change on the original HD, and files that do change on the new HD.
Will that work, and how do I do it?
Thanks.
However, I'm not sure how to organize my files to ensure smooth and complete back ups using back up software, in this case BounceBack Pro.
Right now I have all my Applications on the original HD.
I've moved my changind datat to the second drive.
My thought was, I'd BU the data and not the apps.
But, now I see that I have to carefully select what goes on each drive.
Is there some document that exists that explains how to do this?
This is a start anyhow.
I want to put files that don't change on the original HD, and files that do change on the new HD.
Will that work, and how do I do it?
Thanks.
Stuartpau - Jun 24, 2005 - 11:14 pm
What you have done there is an excellent idea and probably the best way to manage data on your drives.
The main back up issue you are going to see is probably in your Home Folder.
A lot of dat gets put there by applications, the system etc.
So when backing up, your primary goal would be as follows.
Inititally you will need a backup of both our startup drive and the second drive.
Generally speaking after that you neeed to be backing up your Home Document folder and then your secondary drive on a regular basis.
The software you are using I ma not familiar with, but if it allows you to do Incremental backups, then that would be the way to go, so you are not backing up any data that has already been backed up.
Now to the Home documents and other folders.
What I do, is I have a main documents folder that I create (Do not under any circumstances try to move the Documents folder in your Home folder to another location.) Then I make an alias of that folder and put it in my main documents folder (This is just for ease of access).
Then with the folders such as Music and Itunes, I put all my mp3 tunes in a big folder on my secondary drive and call it Itunes music, then I make an alias of this folder and have it replace the Itunes Music folder inside the Folder Home/Music/Itunes/ItunesMusic. The Itunes Music folder is then replaced by an alias leading to my main files which are on the secondary drive which is my main data drive.
This process works for Images almost everything, unfotunately there are some things that it does not work with like Garage band. Most of the stuff installed by Garage Band has to stay where you put it.
Als if you use Microsoft Office, there is an MS User folder that has to stay in the original documents folder.
This is basically why you will need to back up at least your Home folder whenever you wish to back up your data.
Your software if it is any good should allow you to select the sources you wish to back up regularly. This way select you home folder and your secondary HD and you should be covered.
Using this aproach you are not having ot back up your applications or any caches that you dont really need to save and a lot of odd temp files created by your applications and the system which is a great space saver.
I wrote this pretty quickly so if you have any questions drop me a note, and I will answer as soon as I can OK.
A quick PS here.
It is some timesa good idea to have a second copy of the OS onyour secondary drive as well, so you can do things like use Techtools pro or Diskwarrior to fix your mai startup drive in case of problems. It is just insurance. Of course you will need to keep the utility software in 2 places, one copy on your main startup drive for general repairs and monitoring, and one copy on your secondary drive so you can fix your main drive as you generally cannot fix a drive you have booted from.
--------
Stuart
The main back up issue you are going to see is probably in your Home Folder.
A lot of dat gets put there by applications, the system etc.
So when backing up, your primary goal would be as follows.
Inititally you will need a backup of both our startup drive and the second drive.
Generally speaking after that you neeed to be backing up your Home Document folder and then your secondary drive on a regular basis.
The software you are using I ma not familiar with, but if it allows you to do Incremental backups, then that would be the way to go, so you are not backing up any data that has already been backed up.
Now to the Home documents and other folders.
What I do, is I have a main documents folder that I create (Do not under any circumstances try to move the Documents folder in your Home folder to another location.) Then I make an alias of that folder and put it in my main documents folder (This is just for ease of access).
Then with the folders such as Music and Itunes, I put all my mp3 tunes in a big folder on my secondary drive and call it Itunes music, then I make an alias of this folder and have it replace the Itunes Music folder inside the Folder Home/Music/Itunes/ItunesMusic. The Itunes Music folder is then replaced by an alias leading to my main files which are on the secondary drive which is my main data drive.
This process works for Images almost everything, unfotunately there are some things that it does not work with like Garage band. Most of the stuff installed by Garage Band has to stay where you put it.
Als if you use Microsoft Office, there is an MS User folder that has to stay in the original documents folder.
This is basically why you will need to back up at least your Home folder whenever you wish to back up your data.
Your software if it is any good should allow you to select the sources you wish to back up regularly. This way select you home folder and your secondary HD and you should be covered.
Using this aproach you are not having ot back up your applications or any caches that you dont really need to save and a lot of odd temp files created by your applications and the system which is a great space saver.
I wrote this pretty quickly so if you have any questions drop me a note, and I will answer as soon as I can OK.
A quick PS here.
It is some timesa good idea to have a second copy of the OS onyour secondary drive as well, so you can do things like use Techtools pro or Diskwarrior to fix your mai startup drive in case of problems. It is just insurance. Of course you will need to keep the utility software in 2 places, one copy on your main startup drive for general repairs and monitoring, and one copy on your secondary drive so you can fix your main drive as you generally cannot fix a drive you have booted from.
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Stuart
bkossy - Jun 25, 2005 - 1:05 am
Thanks for the speedy reply.
I'll read this over tomorrow when I can give it some quality attention.
Have a good weekend.
B.
I'll read this over tomorrow when I can give it some quality attention.
Have a good weekend.
B.
Stuartpau - Jun 25, 2005 - 3:52 pm
No problem, one thing I foprgot to mention was that the backup program I use is Retrospect. I am pretty sure that most reasonable backup software does pretty much the same things, sometimes the functions just have slightly different names so if we get stuck on a process, just drop me a line and I will dop my best to explain it to you.
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Stuart
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Stuart
bkossy - Jun 27, 2005 - 4:28 pm
All seems to be OK right now. I erased my external HD and did a back up from the MacHD, and then a second from my new internal data disk.
It all fit just fine, and thanks to you I have a better understanding of how things are put together.
If/when I do add the OS to my secondary drive, what exactly do I copy to the secondary drive? I assume I can put the OS in one folder.
I just looked at my MacHD, and from looking, I couldn't tell where the OS might be. I think I'll read up on it.
Thanks again,
Barbara
It all fit just fine, and thanks to you I have a better understanding of how things are put together.
If/when I do add the OS to my secondary drive, what exactly do I copy to the secondary drive? I assume I can put the OS in one folder.
I just looked at my MacHD, and from looking, I couldn't tell where the OS might be. I think I'll read up on it.
Thanks again,
Barbara
Stuartpau - Jun 28, 2005 - 2:25 pm
HI Barbara, when you add a spare OS to your second drive, just go ahead and actually install it from the CD's or DVD's that you have. There are a few invisible files that have to be installed and unlike OS9 you cannot drag copy OS X.
You will end up with visibly that is, a folder called (system) (not System Folder that is for OS 9 and before).
It will also install and Applications folder and maybe an Applications for OS9 folder. I will have to check on this to see if you can delete these although you will probably want to keep the main applications Folder and the utilities folder, in case you ned to work on your start Up Drive (The main one that is).
You will also get a Library and a users folder which you cannot delete otherwise that Mac won't start up on this drive. I know it sounds like a lot but in fact for the amount of hassle it can save you it is worth it..
As for backing up that drive the second drive, if you backup software does incremental backups, then the first backup after installing the new OS will take a little more time, but after that as nothing much changes, nothing further will get backed up unless you start up on that drive for some reason, and even then it is only a few Cache and Log files that will get backed up.
If your backup software allows you to select what gets backed up and what does not, I would skip the (system) folder itself and the Applications folder unless you have installed some third party disk repair tools.
Glad I was able to help and I hope it helps you down the line.
--------
Stuart
You will end up with visibly that is, a folder called (system) (not System Folder that is for OS 9 and before).
It will also install and Applications folder and maybe an Applications for OS9 folder. I will have to check on this to see if you can delete these although you will probably want to keep the main applications Folder and the utilities folder, in case you ned to work on your start Up Drive (The main one that is).
You will also get a Library and a users folder which you cannot delete otherwise that Mac won't start up on this drive. I know it sounds like a lot but in fact for the amount of hassle it can save you it is worth it..
As for backing up that drive the second drive, if you backup software does incremental backups, then the first backup after installing the new OS will take a little more time, but after that as nothing much changes, nothing further will get backed up unless you start up on that drive for some reason, and even then it is only a few Cache and Log files that will get backed up.
If your backup software allows you to select what gets backed up and what does not, I would skip the (system) folder itself and the Applications folder unless you have installed some third party disk repair tools.
Glad I was able to help and I hope it helps you down the line.
--------
Stuart
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