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-   -   Can't Boot from External Partition (https://www.shirt-pocket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=293)

Goldie 04-19-2005 11:22 AM

Can't Boot from External Partition
 
Hi, I'm using a 60GB Powerbook running OS 10.3.8.

I have just downloaded the trial of SuperDuper & backed up my hard drive to my external drive, which is a Lacie 250GB firewire drive.
Previously I had done this using CCC but I found it quite buggy & decided to give SD a try.
Before doing this I repaired permissions on my Powerbook drive.
I then erased & partitioned the external. Previously it wasn't partitioned. However I decided to make 2 partitions. One is 60GB & is just for cloning my Powerbook drive to. The other will be used for general storage of large files. I thought it was a good idea to keep them separate in case in future cloning I am erasing & then cloning the 60GB partition on the external, I don't want to risk erasing any of the other files I may have stored on the external.
The cloning process from SuperDuper to the external partition worked fine. Took about 45 minutes for 30GB of data.

However I can't boot from the external partition that I cloned to.
It does show as bootable in disk utilities info.
I have updated the Lacie firmware.
When I restart the computer holding down the option key, I should get a screen that gives me an option of which drive I want to boot from. I have tried a few times & I only get one option - the Powerbook drive.

I'd love some advice on what to do so I can boot from this external partition & make sure the clone is working OK.

thanks
off to bed now.

dnanian 04-19-2005 11:33 AM

Hm. I haven't heard of this happening with a LaCie drive, so that's quite unusual -- especially if it's not showing up in the Options screen.

I guess the first thing I would try, given that this drive should be bootable, is making sure the FireWire bus is as simple as possible -- plug only the LaCie drive in. Then, get to the Option screen at startup. If the drive doesn't show up, cycle its power and then press the refresh button in the Options screen. Does it show up then?

If it still fails, I'd try to see if it'll boot a simple OSX install. Take your Panther install disks, and use them to install the OS, clean, to a partition on the drive. Will that boot?

Goldie 04-19-2005 11:49 AM

Thanks for the ideas.
i'm in Sydney so I'm just about to go to bed.
I'll try again tomorrow.

The external is the only firewire device connected.

Will you please explain what you mean by "cycle its power" in your second paragraph. I guess by refresh in the option screen you mean the curved arrow on the left, but I'm not sure what you mean by cycling power.

dnanian 04-19-2005 12:09 PM

By cycling power, I mean unplug the power adapter (or FireWire cable, if it's bus powered), and then plug it in again.

Goldie 04-25-2005 07:53 AM

Took me a few days but I have now tried these suggestions.

Cycling the power & refreshing the option screen didn't make any difference. I was still only shown the internal hard drive as the only drive I could boot from.

I just installed OS X from my original install disk onto the other partition on the external drive. This boots fine. I can be be booted from my internal drive, restart holding the option key & I get the choice to boot from either the internal or the external large partition. Still no option to boot from the smaller external partition that has the SuperDuper! clone.

dnanian 04-25-2005 07:59 AM

Hm. Well, we haven't quite isolated the smaller partition, but if the larger partition worked (I assume it's also the most recent version of the OS), perhaps you could try Smart Updating it with SuperDuper! and see ifi that boots. This isn't something I've hit before, Goldie, so sorry if there's a bit of hunting in the dark!

If not, it would help if you'd send your SuperDuper!.log (which you'll find off your Home folder in Library/Logs -- attach the file, don't copy/paste) and a System Profiler report, with the drive attached (run System Profiler, choose File | Save, then save to the default XML format), to support. I'll take a look and see if I can find any explanation.

Goldie 04-25-2005 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnanian
Hm. Well, we haven't quite isolated the smaller partition, but if the larger partition worked (I assume it's also the most recent version of the OS), perhaps you could try Smart Updating it with SuperDuper! and see ifi that boots. This isn't something I've hit before, Goldie, so sorry if there's a bit of hunting in the dark!

Actually the version of the OS I installed off the disk is 10.3.3
The version on my internal drive is 10.3.8
Didn't occur to me to update the external partition OS.
I figured it was just a test to see if I could actually boot from either of the external partitions.
Is it worth my while to update that external OS & try again?

I don't think I can try the Smart Updating as I only downloaded the basic trial version of SuperDuper. I wanted to check that it all worked for me before paying for the full install.

dnanian 04-25-2005 09:05 AM

Understood. The version of the OS shouldn't matter, but I figured it was probably worth checking. But regardless, the partition should clearly show up in the Option list.

How did you create the partitions in the first place? Can we try recreating them under your current OS?

If you'll send the information to support, along with name/email, I'll send you out an evaluation key so you can try Smart Update, should you need to.

Goldie 04-25-2005 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnanian
Understood. The version of the OS shouldn't matter, but I figured it was probably worth checking. But regardless, the partition should clearly show up in the Option list.

How did you create the partitions in the first place? Can we try recreating them under your current OS?

If you'll send the information to support, along with name/email, I'll send you out an evaluation key so you can try Smart Update, should you need to.

I only created the partitions last week.
I'm still on 10.3.8
Actually I am trying to get my back up procedure sorted before I update to 10.3.9

Previously I had no partition, just the 250GB external that I was cloning my internal to using CCC.
When I made the switch to SuperDuper I had a rethink & decided to partition the external.
So it's pretty recent & done under my current OS.

I will get that info & send to you.
Many thanks for your assistance.

Goldie 04-25-2005 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnanian
If not, it would help if you'd send your SuperDuper!.log (which you'll find off your Home folder in Library/Logs -- attach the file, don't copy/paste) and a System Profiler report, with the drive attached (run System Profiler, choose File | Save, then save to the default XML format), to support. I'll take a look and see if I can find any explanation.

I have the SuperDuper log OK.

By System Profiler, do you mean that I open System Profiler & send you the system.log report? Or something else?

dnanian 04-25-2005 09:39 AM

I mean open System Profiler, then choose File | Save. It'll save a whole report to XML -- send me that.

Goldie 05-06-2005 08:50 AM

Just a quick update on this thread in case anyone was following it, or has the same problem.
We never worked out why that partition wasn't bootable.
I used a registered copy of SuperDuper, backed up again & the partition booted fine, so no more problem.

I must say that Dave was incredibly helpful & patient when working through this issue with me. I really appreciate all his assistance.
I have now purchased the full version of SuperDuper.
It is an excellent application, easy to use & works really well.
Thanks Dave, keep up the good work.

dnanian 05-06-2005 08:58 AM

Thanks, Goldie.

(Note, to those who are reading -- you do not have to register to get a bootable clone: the unregistered version will work fine. As Goldie said, we don't know why the drive didn't boot, as it should have and -- once we tried again -- did.)


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