Carbon Copy Clone from G4 -> G5

Macaholic · Nov 8th, 2004, 10:47 AM

Is this a safe thing to do if a person has ten tons of stuff already installed on his G4?? Just wipe the drive on the G5 and copy the G4 install right over to it?

Thanks for any insights [img]smile.gif[/img]

nbr10 · Nov 8th, 2004, 11:28 AM

Personally I would use CCC to move over applications, the home folder ect...But I would leave the OS intact.

I have moved my entire system onto different platforms in the past without issues but I have never gone from G4 to G5.

of course YMMV

Macaholic · Nov 8th, 2004, 11:35 AM

Well, if you're moving apps over, the the root Library folder might need to go along as well. Perhaps this is okay, considering that THE SYSTEM's Library folder (which by rule is left "virgin" by any 3rd party installations) is still left intact with all of its (presumed) G5-specific components??

monokitty · Nov 8th, 2004, 11:40 AM

You can NOT do that.

When you install Mac OS X on a particular machine, it does an install specifically for THAT and ONLY that machine. If you transfer the system to a totally different machine and attempt to boot from the system which was originally installed on a different machine, the machine will freeze, crash, and possibly give you nasty Kernal Panics.

In short, you can only use the system you clone on the system you originally installed it on if you want to have a problem-free computing experience.

I've tried booting a Power Mac G4 with a System originally installed on an iMac DV 400 - never got passed the Apple logo without crashing with Kernal Panics.

If you're going to move to a new machine, move your applications and other user-made files ONLY - leave your System out of it. Even if it did boot up properly (unlikely), your System would be optimized for the previous machine and the G4 - not your new G5, therefore leaving some potential for better performance hanging out the window.

Macaholic · Nov 8th, 2004, 11:46 AM

I admit I was trepiditous about doing the complete replacement.

What about the Root library files? There's lots of user defined items in there, application templates, plugins, 3rd party prefs (some in the Home Library as well).

monokitty · Nov 8th, 2004, 12:12 PM

The 'System' folder and the 'Library' folders on root (HD > X) cannnot be transferred. The 'Library' folder in your home folder, however, can be transferred so I do believe.

Macaholic · Nov 8th, 2004, 12:53 PM

When you're booted from an OS X system, you can't replace any of those items. Nor can you restore from a clone while booted off the destination disk (I'm sure you know all this). BUT, I would think you would boot from the prevously cloned disk and CCC it over to the internal disk. If you're NOT wiping the disk but deleting identical directories before you clone (so, you're not replacing the G5 System folder and its contents but replacing the root Library), would that work?

nbr10 · Nov 8th, 2004, 01:46 PM

Actually I did this exact thing last night. I installed some software which made some changes to the system that I didn't like.

I simply booted from the "Cloned" backup formatted my PB's internal drive and cloned it back to the PB. It works like a charm

Also I have moved my entire system (using this same approach) from an iMac G4 800 to an iMac G4 1Ghz to a PB Ti to a PB Al...without issues.

I did not have one single error or panic as a result of this. But again this is not going from G4 to G5

atobywv · Nov 8th, 2004, 01:55 PM

the G5 now comes with an application that runs the first time it starts up that lets you tranfer all your apps, user home folders, and files using Firewire Disk Mode from the old system. the only problem is that Firewire Disk Mode only mounts the primary Hard drive. if you only have one HD this not a problem. by transfering your stuff this way you will be running on a clean system that has all your stuff already installed.

andreww · Nov 8th, 2004, 02:11 PM

I don't think most of the people here have actually used CCC extesnively enough to know what they're talking about.

Lars, tell me exactly how you know that an install of OSX is specific to the machine. This has been a question asked, theorized on, and debated for a long time and I am yet to see any conclusive evidence either way. In fact I have cloned from my G4 to my G5 without problem. I also regularly clone from one disk to another (yes, the entire bootable volume) as a back up, and never had a problem.

So, basicly everything these people are telling you not to do, I have done without problem.

Some hints for success with CCC are :

Dont do anything while the clone process is taking effect. This will only lead to problems. Start the clone process and leave it.

MAKE SURE THE CLONE WORKS before trashing your original system. I have never had a problem with this but have read plenty of letters from people who have cloned, then trashed stuff, only to find the clone wouldnt boot!