Can I obtain Yosemite on a Disc

[pm-r]

Thanks for your suggestion.

So you are saying create a bootable clone of Snow Leopard in case something does wrong during the Yosemite install? Then assuming that the Yosemite install goes well, I would then make a bootable clone of Yosemite for recovery purposes?

If I create a Yosemite clone using either CCC or SD, can this clone be put on an 8GB USB flash drive and/or on a partition of my Time Machine external drive? Then would there be any need to create a bootable USB install drive using something like DiskMaker X?

Basically, I'm suggesting making a bootable clone of SL and test it. Then put it aside and don't touch it, especially after the Yosemite install.

Then if Yosemite doesn't work for you, clone back your SL backup, or just use it as a bootable drive until you decide what to do.

That might save you posting here for to how to get back to a previous OS X version when Yosemite doesn't work for you, as so many posters have done. ;P

 

[durango]

Basically, I'm suggesting making a bootable clone of SL and test it. Then put it aside and don't touch it, especially after the Yosemite install.

Then if Yosemite doesn't work for you, clone back your SL backup, or just use it as a bootable drive until you decide what to do.

That might save you posting here for to how to get back to a previous OS X version when Yosemite doesn't work for you, as so many posters have done. ;P

That makes sense, especially since I am undecided as to whether I want to actually install Yosemite.

An App Store window just popped up on my iMac screen inviting me to install the elegant Version 10.10.2. Out of curiosity, I read some of the user comments/ratings. I couldn't believe how many 1-star and 2-star ratings there were.....more 1-star ratings than 5-star ratings. Yosemite has obviously caused a lot of serious problems to a lot of users.

Are you pleased with Yosemite?

 

[Slydude]

Yosemite has created a wide range of comments positive and negative. Some of the initial problems were corrected in subsequent updates. For me it has been a solid update.

Have a look at this thread for some thoughts

 

[pigoo3]

I couldn't believe how many 1-star and 2-star ratings there were.....more 1-star ratings than 5-star ratings. Yosemite has obviously caused a lot of serious problems to a lot of users.

You may be misinterpreting this info. Whenever "some folks" have a problem with something. You almost always get lots & lots of folks motivated to communicate about their negative experiences…but most folks with positive experiences are happy…and don't have the time or motivation to post about their positive experience.

So for every negative experience you read about on the internet…there are probably 1000 folks that are happy. BELIEVE ME…we have lots of folks here on Mac-Forums that have had a positive experience with Yosemite. Of course there are folks who don't like Yosemite as well.

The bottom line. Must be very careful how this info is interpreted. Folks with negative experiences are like 1000% more motivated to post about an negative experience than folks with positive experiences.

It's human nature (more likely to complain than praise)!

- Nick

 

[durango]

I currently run Time Machine (TM) on an external drive, so I was just reading about all it can do. Here's what I read:
"If you use Time Machine to back up your Mac, you can recover your system if your system or startup disk is damaged."

So why do I need a bootable USB install drive and a clone of my hard drive? I'm not trying to be a smart-*** here, but I previously thought TM was only for data files and select configuration files, but it sounds like TM can do a full system restore. I do understand that a restore from a clone would probably be faster (just like using a System Image in Windows). And maybe using a bootable USB drive might allow me to repair the system rather than do a full restore.

But it sounds like I have full restore capability with TM. Am I missing something in my logic (I'm thick-skinned, so hit me hard)?

 

[Slydude]

Time Machine will backup all files (system and data) on a hard drive unless you've excluded something during setup. In the event of a problem you cannot boot from a Time Machine backup. In the even of a disaster you have to boot from a bootable drive or clone to restore things.

The advantage of a bootable clone is that you can use that drive then use Time Machine to get things back to normal.

Having a bootable disk is simply a good means of being able to restore the OS without having to download the installer.

My personal choice is to have a bootable clone and a Time machine backup. I don't bother making a bootable disk. On the event of a disaster I boot from the clone and either completely restore from the Time Machine backup or run from the clone and only restore needed files from the Time machine backup till I have more time.

 

[harryb2448]

Explore the 'net and everything hs a wide range of comments bad and good.

Personally have used Yosemite since Public Beta Release 1 back in June or July, and then full release and update to 10.10.2 and find it fast, rock steady and easy to use. Regarsding TM, I prefer to clone the hard drive to an external. Why? A clone is bootable whereas TM is not.

An external hard drive connected and with a cloned operating system can be used to reboot the computer, format the internal hard drive and clone back to that internal if necessary.

 

[durango]

OK, you guys are teaching me a lot of good stuff. On my Windows 7 computer, I do the backup to an external drive and I also create a Systems Image (i.e., a clone) that is stored on that drive (actually I do all of this on two external drives as an extra precaution).

Since my iMac external drive is 1 TB, would it make sense to partition it and use one partition for Time Machine and one partition for the clone? And as an extra precaution, maybe create a bootable USB drive?

Any preference to Carbon Copy Clone vs Superduper for creating the clone?

 

[durango]

My personal choice is to have a bootable clone and a Time machine backup. I don't bother making a bootable disk. On the event of a disaster I boot from the clone and either completely restore from the Time Machine backup or run from the clone and only restore needed files from the Time machine backup till I have more time.

Slydude, this paragraph confuses me a little. If you boot from the clone, won't it do a full system restore? Isn't the clone an exact copy of the hard drive? Does the clone still need to use files from Time Machine?

I am leaning toward creating a clone in case I need a full restore, and using Time Machine primarily to restore data files that I screwed up, lost, or were new since the last clone was created.

Lay the truth on me if this is wrong. Like I said when I started this thread, I'm from the sticks and we don't get to town much.

 

[Slydude]

The clone, somewhat like a system image, is current as of the time it issued. I don't usually update the clone every day. Lets suppose I clone the drive now. Later tonight I work on the notes for the Sunday chat and a few other things. Those changes aren't in the clone. Tomorrow a disaster happens. If I needed any of the files created/modified since the clone I would have to restore from the Time Machine backup.

Edit: What you propose to do is essentially what I'm doing now.

 

[pm-r]

Just to butt in here briefly, I've used CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner) for years to keep an current bootable clone on an external drive, and don't even bother using TM. CCC has it's own scheduling and archiving if needed.

Just make sure CCC is doing a full backup, which is its default setting. It can be used to boot a similar Mac or to clone back to the internal drive. As you say, a full clone.

 

[Slydude]

Once the initial clone is completed I believe the paid version of CCC is capable of doing incremental backups (clones). This can take significantly less time than doing a full clone each time.

Both CCC and SuperDuper are good programs. One difference is that SuperDuper does not back up the Mac's recovery partition. Many don't consider this an issue because in a disaster you can boot from the clone. The only time you might need the recovery partition ia if you are away from the external drive that has your clone.

 

[durango]

Slydude, that's good to know how you are using clones and Time Machine. I know you didn't take me to raise, but I have a couple of related questions when you have the time:
(1) If I use, say Carbon Copy Cloner, to create my clone, can I set it up to do this weekly?
(2) My iMac has set idle most of the last 5 years (it belonged to my brother, who died). So I have TM backups that go back to 2009, then skip ahead to 2014. I certainly don't need all of these. What is the best way to get rid of them and start with a fresh full backup?
(3) Where do you keep your clone (i.e., flash drive, EHD with Time Machine)?

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[durango]

Just to butt in here briefly, I've used CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner) for years to keep an current bootable clone on an external drive, and don't even bother using TM. CCC has it's own scheduling and archiving if needed.

Just make sure CCC is doing a full backup, which is its default setting. It can be used to boot a similar Mac or to clone back to the internal drive. As you say, a full clone.

Yea, pm-r.......you are the one that got me started researching CCC, and you have answered my question about scheduling clones when using CCC.

Thanks.

 

[Slydude]

If I was sure I didn't need the earlier Time Machine backups I might just reformat the Time Machine drive and start over. Otherwise Time Machine will simply delete the oldest backups as it needs more space.

Right now I have Time Machine backups on one external hard drive and a clone on a different external drive. I thought about putting the Time Machine backup and "clone" on different partitions on the same drive but have pretty much decided against it. In that situation a mechanical drive failure could take out both the clone and Time Machine backup.

Edit: I just got the second sentence in your last post. ROTFL

 

[Slydude]

You may see if Ebay sells a copy for you.

A copy of what? If you mean Yosemite, why bother with that. Yosemite is free other than whatever data is used to download it if the user has a data cap.

 

[pm-r]

A copy of what? If you mean Yosemite, why bother with that. Yosemite is free other than whatever data is used to download it if the user has a data cap.

Smells like a non-senseable SPAM post to me.

And compound that with the fact that their sig URL doesn't even work.

 

[durango]

Thanks so much to all the members who helped me on this thread. I do have one question that never got answered, as follows:
Can a clone be created on a flash drive (8GB or larger), or does it have to go on an external drive?

 

[pigoo3]

Can a clone be created on a flash drive (8GB or larger), or does it have to go on an external drive?

Yes a clone can be created on a flash drive.

- Nick

 

[pm-r]

Yes a clone can be created on a flash drive.

- Nick

And best to check that the Flash drive has been formatted correctly first.