Can't Select Source/Destination in Disk Utility

[ReddSmith]

Called Apple Support about this. I talked with "Jamie" for a half hour, mostly on hold while she researched this issue. Her answer was that I can't use DU Restore from the install disc to create a clone, and that third-party software like Carbon Copy Cloner (Blasphemy!) should be used. I wanted more details and she forwarded my call to a "specialist". The specialist wanted to know why I desired to run DU from the install disc, rather than from the running system. (I agree this can be done, I have done it successfully, as far as I can determine.) Then he, too, needed to research and consult about this issue, while I remained on hold for another half hour. His verdict was that, if the source and destination fields cannot be filled-in, effectively disabling the Restore function, then it is intentional, and not a bug. He had no explanation as to why this would be so, but suggested the software engineers must certainly have a reason. I said I believed this function worked in the past, but then he called me on this and asked for the install disc OS version (such as 10.3.x) which worked, and I couldn't tell him. He also posited that DU would be the same on all Tiger versions (10.4.x), so a newer disc set wouldn't make any difference.

Bottom line - I'm not getting updated discs because my old ones are apparently just fine...ha ha.