How to create a backup for partition?

Hello, i have a macbook pro, and i am trying to partition my hard drive. When i use boot camp to split the hard drive, it tells me that i need to reformat the HD to Mac OS Extended (Journaled), In disk utility, it says the HD IS Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

Anyways, i was wondering how to create a backup so when i go and restore the HD to try and format it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) i do not lose all my files and preferences.

I have a 500 GB external HD that i can use, i was just wondering how to properly restore the HD after. I use time machine, but i am not sure if that can restore preferences, or its only possible to restore files and not preferences, IE dock icons ect.

my plan is to find a way to restore the HD to how it is now, and then reformat it to Mac OS Extended, then be able to partition the HD.

so if anyone has a solid way of restoring the computer after the reformat using an external hard drive- please help me out

faylinks,

You need a good backup program to do what you're asking. My preference to do that is to use SuperDuper which maintains all the settings and preferences and also makes the backup bootable. You can get a free download here: http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html . Then if you want all the other features (like scheduling, etc.), you could buy the full featured version later on.

After you make a full backup on your external hard drive using SuperDuper, you can partition your Mac hard drive the way you want and format it in Mac journaled, knowing that you have a good backup to restore...

Then put your SuperDuper backup on your hard drive and you're back in business with a partitioned drive. To do that you just use your Mac install disk and start your machine, holding down the C key. Then select Disk Utility, choose your backup hard drive with SuperDuper and restore, that simple.

Good luck, Noel

As Noels wrote, you need a good backup that's bootable. SuperDuper is of course very good, and so is Carbon Copy Cloner. Both programs essentially do the same thing except that SuperDuper is shareware and Carbon Copy Cloner is donation ware.

Regards.