Preparing for Mac OS X updates: Keep an old version handy

On Monday we detailed a tip for instantly bringing formatted disks up to date with the latest version of Mac OS X and associated software.

One method involves installing Mac OS X 10.2 on a partition of an external USB or FireWire hard drive, applying all of the updates available via Software Update, then using a tool like Carbon Copy Cloner to duplicate the content of the backup partition to the boot drive.

As Apple's incremental Mac OS X 10.2.x updates have a tendency to make some users' external devices, third party applications, and other components go awry, several MacFixIt readers have suggested using the same technique to keep a the previous version of Mac OS X handy on a source external to the boot partition in case of problems. One reader writes:

"I use Disk Copy and Carbon Copy Cloner to back up OS X partitions to disk images. This way I can keep multiple copies on the same FireWire drive that can be used to restore any version of any Mac OS X that I happen to have saved for a rainy day. I do this before every major update."

Feedback on this issue? Drop us a line at late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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