# SuperDuper!: How do I restore?



## ted939 (Jun 26, 2008)

I've seen some SuperDuper! posts here at ehmac, so, I'm hoping there might be some SuperDuper!-savvy person here.

If so....

Can somebody please tell me how to restore my hard drive?

COMPUTER: PowerBook G4
OS: Tiger 10.4.11
EXTERNAL DRIVE: LaCie Firewire


I used *SuperDuper!* to back everything up on my computer to an external drive (*w/Smart Update*, I'm pretty sure), then sent my computer off to Apple for some repairs (replace logic board & lower case).

Sure enough, when I got it back, Apple ("Apple_Care_", actually - ha, ha) had unnecessarily reformatted my hard drive, and everything is gone. My files/folders, apps (including SuperDuper), desktop, updates, settings - everything.

SO - now *what do I do, to get my hard drive back to exactly how it was when it left my hands?*

MAYBE THAT IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW, IN ORDER TO ANSWER MY QUESTION, BUT IF NOT - IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT I'VE DONE SO FAR IN MY EFFORTS, AND WHERE I'M GETTING HUNG UP, READ ON!!

I've spent > an hour reading through the SuperDuper! website's Discussions and the FAQ, but I don't see anything definitive or laid out on what to do. I searched the FAQ for "restor", "restore", "restoring", "super" and "duper" in the FAQ Search Word field, and only one entry comes up: something relating to "...if you think that the thread is superb."

I've looked through the User's Guide, and I see something about booting from the backup drive, but (a) I don't know how, (b) I don't want to TOUCH that backup drive and get them platters spinning (and risk it crashing) until I'm at the stage where my computer is being restored from it.
In the User's Guide, I see plenty of how-to on making backups, but NO step-by-step on how to restore from those backups.

Reading the User's Guide, more questions arise:

* I don't know if I've stored to a bootable backup. I'm not even sure just what that means.

* I don't know what "sparse image" is, so I don't know if I'm restoring from that or not.

* *Can I get my PowerBook hard drive back to exactly as it was at the moment I had made backup to external drive? As in exactly the same.
If not exactly, what will the differences be?* Will some apps need me to re-enter the registration codes? Will Users need to be re-setup? Will any files or folders not be replaced? Will any apps not be re-installed? Will there be any other difference(s)?!?!
Reading about Sandbox, I'm reminded (from last time I tried to understand that), that I don't know how Sandbox is any different than SuperDuper!
The User's Guide says about Sandbox:
"You can safely install any system updates, drivers or programs in the Sandbox, without worrying about what might happen to your system. If anything goes wrong, you can simply start up from the original system. SuperDuper has preserved it in its original, pre-disaster state – but all your new and changed personal documents are totally up to date. *Within minutes*, you’re up and running again – *without having to go through a difficult and time-consuming restore process*."
B-b-but, isn't that what SuperDuper! is for? Isn't that what I'm about to do with my SuperDuper!-made backup of my computer?
Reading that Sandbox excerpt makes me think that I'm about to NOT get my computer in its "original, pre-disaster state" w/"system updates, drivers or programs", because I don't think I did anything related to Sandbox!!

I don't get it.


So, if there is anyone that knows how to get my hard drive back to exactly how it was when it left my hands, I'd appreciate it!


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## jtmac (Apr 23, 2003)

Should be pretty easy.
This is what I'd do ...
boot from your firewire backup drive
run Disk Utility to format/erase your internal drive
run SuperDuper to clone your firewire to your internal
finally boot from your internal


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## ted939 (Jun 26, 2008)

jtmac said:


> Should be pretty easy.
> This is what I'd do ...
> boot from your firewire backup drive
> run Disk Utility to format/erase your internal drive
> ...



Thanks for your reply!

* _How_ do you boot from firewire backup drive?
* I can't run SuperDuper, as it was deleted with all my other apps/files/folders/etc when Apple_Care_ formatted my computer!!

What do I do?!

Thanks!

Ted


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## jtmac (Apr 23, 2003)

If your PB is running from the internal drive and the firewire drive is connected, reboot using system preferences / startup disk and select the firewire drive and restart button


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## ted939 (Jun 26, 2008)

jtmac,

I'm kindof afraid to plug in my external firewire backup drive (and get them platters spinning, risking _it_ crashing), until I'm definitely at the stage where my computer will be restored from that backup drive.

With that said, I plugged in the drive (per your instructions), went to syspref > Startup Disk. I see the firewire drive. Now what is going to happen once I push "Restart"?!

Also, before I spend any more of your time, are we going down a path that will make my computer exactly as it was at the moment when I last backed up w/SuperDuper! ? If not, what will the differences be? For instance, will I be missing any system updates, drivers or programs? Or any other ways it'll be different? OR at the end of this journey, will I be able to turn my computer on, and it'll be just the same as it was at the moment I last used SuperDuper! to backup?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

YES!!!!!!!!!


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

What MacDoc *meant* to say was:

1. Boot from your Firewire external drive. You do this starting your machine and immediately holding down the option key. The bootable external drive (if it is bootable, and it should be) will show up. Let go the option key, press return and the computer will boot from your backup.

2. Your backup will be EXACTLY as it was when you made the backup, with all apps, settings, updates, email, pictures, pr0n ...  ... EVERYTHING. The first thing to do once it's booted is to see if your Powerbook's INTERNAL hard drive shows up as a blank drive. If it does, we're golden.

3. Locate SuperDuper (it will be wherever it was on your "old" drive) and run it.

4. READ THE HELP FILE, specifically page 27. Follow the directions.

You're welcome.


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## jamesB (Jan 28, 2007)

chas_m said:


> Let go the option key, press return and the computer will boot from your backup.


What chas_m neglected to mention was...
After letting go of the option key, you need to select your FW drive before you press return.

Hey' this guy needs all the hand holding he can get.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

jamesB said:


> What chas_m neglected to mention was...
> After letting go of the option key, you need to select your FW drive before you press return.
> 
> Hey' this guy needs all the hand holding he can get.


What James didn't remember is that if there is only one option (and there would be in this case, since the internal drive has no system on it), it's automatically selected.
 
:lmao:


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## jtmac (Apr 23, 2003)

ted939 said:


> Sure enough, when I got it back, Apple ("Apple_Care_", actually - ha, ha) had unnecessarily reformatted my hard drive, and everything is gone. My files/folders, apps (including SuperDuper), desktop, updates, settings - everything.
> So, if there is anyone that knows how to get my hard drive back to exactly how it was when it left my hands, I'd appreciate it!


chas and james, I think you've missed the point that AppleCare service wiped ted's internal drive and reinstalled the OE software
He can boot from his firewire clone, assuming it's bootable, by either using system prefs/startup disk or by holding the alt key while restarting, then choosing the firewire drive
He'll still need to erase his internal drive before using SuperDuper to clone his firewire drive to his internal drive.


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## jamesB (Jan 28, 2007)

jtmac said:


> He'll still need to erase his internal drive before using SuperDuper to clone his firewire drive to his internal drive.


Actually, using SuperDuper he would'nt need to erase the drive first, SuperDuper will erase and copy as neccessary to make the drive an exact clone of the source.
Do it all the time, so I know it works.

jb.


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## Jarooda (Jul 18, 2006)

Simple....


Step 1 - Turn off computer

Step 2 - ok your back, print this out BEFORE you turn it off

Step 3 - plug in firewire drive

Step 4 -ensure drive is powered on, and turn on power for your computer while holding the "option" key (in winbloze it is referred to as "alt")

Step 5- Select firewire drive as boot volume.

Step 6 - Use Disk utility to format "Internal Drive"

Step 7 - Launch Super Duper and do the same thing you did to get your first backup but make it go from 

"Firewire Drive" -> "Internal Drive"

Step 8 - Turn off computer when it is finished

Step 9 - unplug external drive and boot the computer 

Step 10 - if it asks for a startup volume select the only drive available

Voila.... hope this helps.


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## tommavh (Feb 5, 2014)

*Restoring Mac from SuperDuper not working?*

Hi, when I try to restore my computer from my SuperDuper back up, (after starting the computer and holding down the option key and picking the back up volume,) the process crashes after about two minutes and the screen goes black. What am I doing wrong?

(My computer had been upgraded by the previous owner, so I had to wipe the hard drive, reinstall lion, buy my own license for mountain lion, and upgrade to that)

- Apple care told me to just drag the entire content from the superduper file onto my computer, which left me with a bunch of folders on my desktop, and applications that didn't have their old content in them.
- I read up on super duper, erased all files, (except those applications I had already pulled into the applications folder) and tried to do a reboot as described above.

I would so very much appreciate help on this!


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