Best solution to backup/clone clean Hackintosh install?

[flyingturtle]

What are some recommended solutions to backing up your hackintosh install?

I used Tony's bootcd to install Snow Leopard, and I've installed it on a partition on my hard drive and it's running great. In case something goes wrong in the future, I'd like to have a backup or clone of my install.

I have another partition that I can format for Mac so I could back up to that, or use my 2nd drive, or connect to an external USB drive. I'm just not too familiar with Mac backup programs. I guess I could use Time machine, although I've heard about Carbon Copy.

Any recommendations or procedures? Because I'm using a bootloader like Chameleon, does that make re-install of a backup harder?

How are you backing up your Hackintoshs?

i may decide to dual boot later with Windows Vista or 7, would that add some complexity to backup methods?

Thanks in advance.

 

[tonymacx86]

I made this a habit since I ended up reinstalling more often than a regular computer, also I like to test and kill my system often enough...

For Hackintosh backup purposes only, I have a folder called 10.6.2 100% working which contains my:
/System/Library/Extensions
/System/Library/Extensions.mkext
/Extra
boot

It's not too big, and easily done by dragging & dropping onto a different hd. That way I always have a working copy of what I've done. Hope this helps out!

 

[i7-860]

Use Carbon Copy Cloner! It works extremely well, matter of fact, better than anything I've seen in Windows. CCC copies everything but the boot file, so after you restore your backup, you have to install a boot file on the OS partition.

 

[dougm]

Use Carbon Copy Cloner! It works extremely well, matter of fact, better than anything I've seen in Windows. CCC copies everything but the boot file, so after you restore your backup, you have to install a boot file on the OS partition.

This sounds basic; but what is the process to reinstall a boot file on the OS partition? Sorry I am a total n00b, been Hackintoshing for 2 days now

 

[i7-860]

Run a bootloader installer package and select the newly restored drive as the destination. Now your probably wondering how to run the installer if you can't boot OS X the first place.

Keep a USB drive, CD or hard drive partition with the bootloader on it.

 

[tonymacx86]

Run a bootloader installer package and select the newly restored drive as the destination. Now your probably wondering how to run the installer if you can't boot OS X the first place.

Keep a USB drive, CD or hard drive partition with the bootloader on it.

If you used the tonymacx86 BootCD for the install, you already have a great rescue disk.

 

[starsbravo]

Brute force, I like that please Tony tell us more about that

 

[ibruno]

Here's what I do:

I use SuperDuper to clone the HD
I run Tony's Multibeast installer and install the Chameleon 2.0 RC4 by AsereBLN package

And that's it. I've successfully used this method a few times now without any problems. I cloned my original OSX install from an 80 GB HD to a 500 GB HD and have also cloned that 500 GB HD to another 500 GB HD for use as a backup.

Both 500 GB HD are bootable.

Bruno

 

[rbahri]

If i use CCC to clone my hackintosh and then move my /System/Library/Extensions
/System/Library/Extensions.mkext
/Extra

to the new backup drive,

will the system boot or do i still need to run multibeast?

 

[tonymacx86]

If i use CCC to clone my hackintosh and then move my /System/Library/Extensions
/System/Library/Extensions.mkext
/Extra

to the new backup drive,

will the system boot or do i still need to run multibeast?

CCC or SuperDuper will copy all of those files. If it's a fresh drive- you'll have to run Chameleon RC4- some files are written to the disk's Master Boot Record. But other than that- a straight copy of your boot drive.