System: dual-boot G4, OS 9.2.2 and OS 10.3.5, HP 990cse deskjet, Adaptec 2930 SCSI card for legacy ZIP 100 external and UMAX 600S scanner, Asante AsanteTalk for legacy Apple Personal LaserWriter NTR and Yamaha PSR-79 MIDI keyboard, DSL, Finale 2000, the usual DTP software, etc., and Retrospect 6.0.204 back-up software. Two Firewire 400 ports available, no extra USB ports, available Ethernet port in switch box.
I'd like to know what back-up devices are being used *successfully* by Mac owners with similar setups. Prior to getting this Mac last November, I'd been using Retrospect to successfully back up to ZIP 100 disks. This G4's HD is so much larger than that of my previous PM 7600 w/Sonnet G4 card, however, I began backing up to CD's (takes 12 of them for 9GB) after seeing that 70 ZIP disks would be required. With the 7600, I would boot up from a CD, and "restore" my crashed hard drive by feeding in the ZIP disks.
On Daylight Savings Time Sunday (don't know what possessed me and made me do it), I tried to do a Software-Update DSL online installation of OS 10.3.5, upgrading from 10.3.2. After the fifth hour, the installation hung. I could not reboot, and the AppleCare folks told me to restore from my original 10.3 CD and then apply the 10.3.5 upgrade. That has worked.
I need a backup alternative because I could not restore from my Retrospect CD's since I had booted up with a CD. A FireWire hard drive has been recommended, rather than tape, and that has been the direction I've been leaning in. The LaCie Porche 160 FWHD has been recommended, but before I spend money (that I don't have) on two of them, I'm polling members of this list to see what you are using for back-up and whether it really works.
For one thing, I'm suddenly afraid of FireWire HDs after reading this at the Apple OS 10.3.5 site:
"Important Note:
Apple has identified an issue with external FireWire hard drives using the Oxford 922 bridge chip-set with firmware version 1.02 that can result in the loss of data stored on the disk drive. Even with the improvements available in this update, Apple recommends you update the firmware on your FireWire drive. Please contact your drive manufacturer for more information."
Frankly, I don't know what that means, so, fellow listers, please share with me any information about your backup devices. The Dantz Retrospect site lists "approved drives," but the number of FW drives seems to have dwindled all of a sudden.
Direct email to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] is appreciated, but please leave subject line the same so that my spam filters won't eat your reply. I'll also be checking this list. Thanks in advance.
Thurletta M. Brown-Gavins
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