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georgethetech · Last edited by georgethetech on Tue May 12, 2009 9:49 pm; edited 1 time in total

Lately, every release that comes from Apple I find it necessary to send this warning...
If you let your Mac install the OS 10.5.7 update, BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER FIRST. Also, I highly recommend installing the "Combo Update" instead, or afterward if you accidentally install it from the Software updater in Mac OS. Get at this link.

So, what's the easiest way to make a duplicate of your hard drive that you can use should something go horribly wrong? I suggest Carbon Copy Cloner, a FREE utility which makes a bootable copy of you Mac HD. Just use an external drive (or a second internal disk) and tell it to back up everthing. CCC will tell you if the clone will be bootable or not. I set mine up to do an updated copy every weekend on a Firewire drive, which would allow me to keep working without hardly a hiccup.
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Deirdre · Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 9:37 pm Post subject:

I usually skip these OS updates until I get the OK from someone like you.

One o' those danged updates in Panther left me unable to record.
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Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

I usually skip the updates until at least 3 further updates come out or until I feel a strong reason to have what the newest OS offers. Hell, I'm still on 10.4.11 and will probably finally jump to Leopard when Snow Leopard comes out. Thanks for the warning, though.

David Swinehart · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 6:56 am Post subject:

Thanks for the heads-up, George!

BTW, and sorry to thread-jack, but what are your feelings on something like CCC vs. Time Machine. I'm currently using Time Machine to backup my recording-machine Mac daily, but you might have a better idea for me.
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todd ellis · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 7:06 am Post subject:

i say the only reason to update is if there is something IN the update that will really, really help the way you use your machine.
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georgethetech · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:06 am Post subject:

As long as TM doesn't interfere with recording, it's ok. Unlike TM, CCC makes a bootable backup and can be scheduled to run at add hours when you are not working.
I thi

Plus theBTW, and sorry to thread-jack, but what are your feelings on something like CCC vs. Time Machine. I'm currently using Time Machine to backup my recording-machine Mac daily, but you might have a better idea for me.[/quote]
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Bruce · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:49 am Post subject:

I'm using the backup.a Hobo Tounge

in my OSX 10.4.11 daily. I do a back up of just the main hard drive and then a separate backup of all of my external drives, all on to a big terabyte drive. Is this adequate, or would I be better off with this clone software?

Many Thanks,

B
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georgethetech · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:53 am Post subject:

The only thing I find annoying about the backup.a Hobo Tounge

is that the files it creates can only be read with that same a Hobo Tounge

, making it hard to find an individual file you need. You can't browse the backed data easily.
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TC · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 10:00 am Post subject:

What I like about utilities like Carbon Copy Cloner or (my favorite) SuperDuper is that they create a bootable clone of the hard drive. So if something goes screwy with my computer's hard drive, I can immediately boot up from the external drive that has the backup on it with little or no time lost.

That said, I do use Time Machine and Backup on my other computer (the one I don't use for recording).

I've always been an early adopter when it comes to system updates and have never had any problems, but I've learned to hold off on updates to my studio computer, because Pro Tools can be very finicky when it comes to changes in the OS.

georgethetech · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:42 pm Post subject:

1/3 of my Pro Tools workshop on May 30th at VoiceTrax West will be about how to make your computer Pro Tools safe. Not updating is a crucial part. It seems like every studio I go to these days that runs Pro Tools 24x7 has a 4-8 year old Mac with an old version of Pro Tools. Studios that rely on their Pro Tools system to be consistent have learned this valuable lesson. The clients I have who insist on using Pro Tools on the same computer with updated iTunes, Quicktime, and use the latest OS version, are the ones with the most problems.
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InYourEars · Guest

I didn't have any problems with the 10.5.7 update, but my partner's macbook pro did. It just kind of froze for a while, and had to be cold booted, and was acting all freaky after that, so I did some voodoo on it - repair permissions in disk utility, and downloaded the combo update for him to install on it.

As for Carbon Copy Cloner - LOVE IT - I always use it, when I'm switching to a bigger hard drive, or if I need to send my Mac off for warranty repair.

Also use Time Machine, but only for routine backups - usually every week or two. Have only ever used the backups for single folder or file restorations, never for a full scale restore.

CCC is the way to go if you want a fully bootable copy of your hard drive, and the easiest, and quickest way to restore in the event of a hard disk failure.

docx · Guest

georgethetech · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 10:20 am Post subject:

"Mission critical" is the key phrase there. In the highly time sensitive and competitive world of Promo VO, a down Pro Tools system can translate into loss of a regular gig, which we know how much money that can be!
That's why I encourage PT users to have a dedicated PT machine that is locked into a working, reliable configuration, and NEVER UPDATED. If that means taking it off the Internet for you, then that's what you gotta do.

By the way, to bring this thread back around, I did install 10.5.7 COMBO update on my Macbook Pro, and it went smoothly. It seems to be running better than before with 10.5.6. That said, I am not using Pro Tools on this computer, or any other production software, YMMV, check your audio hardware/software manufacturers before updating.
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If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
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georgethetech · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 6:02 pm Post subject:

Now running the 10.5.7 Combo update on my iMac, so far so good! Even Pro Tools 7.4.2 seems to run.
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If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

Deirdre · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 6:34 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the updates, Mate!
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