Hi all,
I've been lurking for a while, but I'm unable to find an answer to my convoluted problem. Hope this goes well, and sorry for the length. I have a feeling I'm in for some scolding.
I have a late 2007 24" imac (2.8 GHz 2 Duo, 2GB, 300 GB hd with 100GB available), and I'm using OSX 10.5.8.
I need help backing up my computer. Sounds simple, I know, but it's tricky because:
-Disk Utility is totally gone. (Did spotlight searches and a terminal search I learned here--forgot it now). Don't know how or why--I wouldn't have intentionally deleted it--water under the bridge.
-I don't have the original OS install DVDs to reinstall disk utility. They're hidden somewhere in an attic 2000 miles away.
-Without disk utility, I don't know how to make my external HDD cooperate with time machine.
-When I try to back up by copy-and-pasting huge amounts of stuff (itunes library, for example) to the external HDD, it freezes up after numerous "error 36" messages, and never works.
Also maybe relevant? : I've had freezing and crashing problems in the past year; grey screens at startup, safe-booting, trying disk repairs through the command line, etc. It was after a safe boot that I noticed disk utility was missing.
So here's my plan and questions: I ordered snow leopard from apple. Can I reinstall disk utility by upgrading to 10.6, without reinstalling 10.5, and still keep my stuff intact?
Is there a method to make copying to my external HDD work better?
(My ultimate goal is to back up all my stuff, and then trade this computer in, with a fresh snow leopard install, and get a macbook for school while preserving my files).
Thanks so much. I hope my poor planning is at least instructive to others.
I've been lurking for a while, but I'm unable to find an answer to my convoluted problem. Hope this goes well, and sorry for the length. I have a feeling I'm in for some scolding.
I have a late 2007 24" imac (2.8 GHz 2 Duo, 2GB, 300 GB hd with 100GB available), and I'm using OSX 10.5.8.
I need help backing up my computer. Sounds simple, I know, but it's tricky because:
-Disk Utility is totally gone. (Did spotlight searches and a terminal search I learned here--forgot it now). Don't know how or why--I wouldn't have intentionally deleted it--water under the bridge.
-I don't have the original OS install DVDs to reinstall disk utility. They're hidden somewhere in an attic 2000 miles away.
-Without disk utility, I don't know how to make my external HDD cooperate with time machine.
-When I try to back up by copy-and-pasting huge amounts of stuff (itunes library, for example) to the external HDD, it freezes up after numerous "error 36" messages, and never works.
Also maybe relevant? : I've had freezing and crashing problems in the past year; grey screens at startup, safe-booting, trying disk repairs through the command line, etc. It was after a safe boot that I noticed disk utility was missing.
So here's my plan and questions: I ordered snow leopard from apple. Can I reinstall disk utility by upgrading to 10.6, without reinstalling 10.5, and still keep my stuff intact?
Is there a method to make copying to my external HDD work better?
(My ultimate goal is to back up all my stuff, and then trade this computer in, with a fresh snow leopard install, and get a macbook for school while preserving my files).
Thanks so much. I hope my poor planning is at least instructive to others.
