Bootable vs file backups, VMware and partitions

[dnanian]

Partitioning (yes, with Disk Utility, using the proper partition scheme for your Mac -- see the "options" button in the partition tab) is a good way to go. Another: a separate drive!

Just make sure your partition is large enough to hold the drive you're backing up, eh?

[dezinnia]

Thanks!

Roger that on the alloted space!

500GB external drive/2 partitions = 250GB each (233GB actual). MBP is 160GB, so I should be fine.

There are a few schemes on that options tab, including GUID Partition Table (to create a drive to start up Intel-Based Macs) and one Apple Partition Map (for PowerPC based macs)...

Apple Partition Map seems to be the default, and in fact, when I choose "current scheme," Apple Partition Map is highlighted...

I'm guessing SD! doesn't do anything to the drive with respect to the scheme. It just creates a bootable drive, regardless of whether it's an Intel or PPC mac.

But if I partition it, I'd want to go with the GUID Partition Table, I'm assuming. Would this create problems for the existing backup? Or does the partitioning erase everything that's already there, anyway, and I'll start from scratch (rather than Smart) with the next backup?

Thanks!

Chris

[dnanian]

We don't touch the scheme -- we operate at a higher level, copying to the volume. If you've got an Intel Mac, use GUID unless you have good reason not to...

[dezinnia]

Gotcha. And then, the other question from my previous post (sorry for my ignorance!), will doing this partition delete the existing backup? (So I'm starting from scratch?)

[dnanian]

It erases everything on the drive.

[dezinnia]

Thank you! I think I'm finally up to speed!

[dnanian]

Glad to hear it!

[earl]

Originally Posted by dnanian

We don't touch the scheme

I read this thread and got all information I needed, but I want to be really sure that I got it right...

have the following configuration:
external drive with 500GB

first partition 300GB NTFS -> encrypted partition with true crypt
second partition 200GB Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
cause of the ntfs partition I had to use "master boot record" as partition table.

What I need is a bootable backup. When I now use SuperDupe to do it, I won't lose my ntfs partition, is that correct, because SuperDupe will do nothing to any of the partition tables?

[dnanian]

Your Mac partition will not be directly bootable: MBR is not supported as a boot partition scheme (although we've had one user claim it worked, I've never been able to reproduce his result).

[earl]

but when I backup all with SuperDupe I won't lose the MBR sheme - so i can give it a try and i don't have to be afraid of losing any of my data on the ntfs partition?

[dnanian]

No, we won't touch the partition scheme.