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Backing up your 2012 Mac Mini iOS
- Thread starter here2rock
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Get a few cheap external cases put in some small hdds and do an internet install to them.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-2-5-SAT...US_Drive_Enclosures_Docks&hash=item257926ebe3
2 of these with 2 spare hdds having just an internet install. it the fastest way to go back to square one.
First, since you will be getting a 2012 Mac mini, I'd recommend a USB3 external enclosure. OWC has one for 12.50 (http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/ENCL25USB3BK/)
Add your SSD drive to the Mac mini and the original drive to the external enclosure. Plug the external into a USB port and turn the Mac mini on and hold down the Command + R. This will go into recovery mode.
Do a fresh install on the SSD drive. Boot off the SSD drive and do Updates Via App Store. Then, I'd recommend getting Carbon Copy Cloner (http://www.bombich.com/). Purchase it (rumors that the older versions are free) and install it. Please read the up on using this, it can really mess stuff up.
Then you can clone your original drive to your SSD or another external drive or wherever you want.
Add your SSD drive to the Mac mini and the original drive to the external enclosure. Plug the external into a USB port and turn the Mac mini on and hold down the Command + R. This will go into recovery mode.
Do a fresh install on the SSD drive. Boot off the SSD drive and do Updates Via App Store. Then, I'd recommend getting Carbon Copy Cloner (http://www.bombich.com/). Purchase it (rumors that the older versions are free) and install it. Please read the up on using this, it can really mess stuff up.
Then you can clone your original drive to your SSD or another external drive or wherever you want.
"I am thinking of buying a Mac Mini. What is the best way to save the iOS offline in the factory state?"
I did almost exactly what you're thinking about here. I wanted an archive of the Mini's factory-installed software, before any updates, migrations, etc. Just to have around for safekeeping. It's about 15gb in size, too big for a dual-layer DVD, could be burned to a BluRay disc if you wanted to do that (I didn't have a BluRay drive at the time).
Here's what I did:
BEFORE THE MINI ARRIVED:
- I had a partition prepared on an external drive, large enough to hold all the software "as shipped" from Apple.
- Had CarbonCopyCloner waiting in the wings.
AFTER THE MINI ARRIVED, I did this:
- Booted the Mini, and created an administrative account (named "administrator", of course!). But I did no importing of files, "migrations", or anything else.
- Installed CarbonCopyCloner to the Mini's applications folder
- Connected the external drive, and cloned the contents of the Mini's hard drive to the "archive partition"
- With the factory configuration now archived, I used Migration Assistant to migrate over my account, apps, data, etc.
- Ran software update as needed.
NOTE: at this point, you could boot from your own account, and then delete the temporary "administrator" account if you wish...
Granted, the archived volume I ended up with was not "totally virgin", it had a small "administrator" account on it, and CCC had been added to the apps folder. But I can now take this partition if need be, and "clone it back" to the Mini (or even another Mac that is supported by 10.8.2) and be ready to go for a "fresh start"...
I realize others might not do it like this.
But this is what works for me.
I did almost exactly what you're thinking about here. I wanted an archive of the Mini's factory-installed software, before any updates, migrations, etc. Just to have around for safekeeping. It's about 15gb in size, too big for a dual-layer DVD, could be burned to a BluRay disc if you wanted to do that (I didn't have a BluRay drive at the time).
Here's what I did:
BEFORE THE MINI ARRIVED:
- I had a partition prepared on an external drive, large enough to hold all the software "as shipped" from Apple.
- Had CarbonCopyCloner waiting in the wings.
AFTER THE MINI ARRIVED, I did this:
- Booted the Mini, and created an administrative account (named "administrator", of course!). But I did no importing of files, "migrations", or anything else.
- Installed CarbonCopyCloner to the Mini's applications folder
- Connected the external drive, and cloned the contents of the Mini's hard drive to the "archive partition"
- With the factory configuration now archived, I used Migration Assistant to migrate over my account, apps, data, etc.
- Ran software update as needed.
NOTE: at this point, you could boot from your own account, and then delete the temporary "administrator" account if you wish...
Granted, the archived volume I ended up with was not "totally virgin", it had a small "administrator" account on it, and CCC had been added to the apps folder. But I can now take this partition if need be, and "clone it back" to the Mini (or even another Mac that is supported by 10.8.2) and be ready to go for a "fresh start"...
I realize others might not do it like this.
But this is what works for me.
Internet install? I have couple of drives lying around. Do the disks need to be formatted in a particular format? Please note I am currently a Windows user,
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I am little lost there. What is the source for the fresh install on SSD?
Just for the sake of clarity:
iOS is the iPhone/iPad operating system.
OS X is the Mac operating system.
You can of course just clone the disk as soon as you get it, as mentioned previously.
But if you're going to get an SSD at some point in the future, surely you will want to clone your disk with all your installed files and apps and settings, rather than the disk as it came out of the box? (Assuming that you are going to use it before you get an SSD.)
I used Disk Utility to clone my hard drive onto an SSD when I installed one in my MacBook, having booted to the Recovery Partition.
iOS is the iPhone/iPad operating system.
OS X is the Mac operating system.
You can of course just clone the disk as soon as you get it, as mentioned previously.
But if you're going to get an SSD at some point in the future, surely you will want to clone your disk with all your installed files and apps and settings, rather than the disk as it came out of the box? (Assuming that you are going to use it before you get an SSD.)
I used Disk Utility to clone my hard drive onto an SSD when I installed one in my MacBook, having booted to the Recovery Partition.
"Was this the free version? I find your method the simplest."
The "Free" version of CCC (3.4.7) won't run under Mountain Lion. If you try to run it, it throws up an alert saying you need the later version.
HOWEVER -- you can download the "pay for" version and run it in "demo mode" for 30 days. It still gives you full functionality. You can create the cloned backup without problems.
The "Free" version of CCC (3.4.7) won't run under Mountain Lion. If you try to run it, it throws up an alert saying you need the later version.
HOWEVER -- you can download the "pay for" version and run it in "demo mode" for 30 days. It still gives you full functionality. You can create the cloned backup without problems.