Question Can I Use My Carbon Copy Clone after I install Bootcamp/Windows?

[POPSYNIC]

Hello - anyone familiar with this scenario?

I created a Carbon Copy Clone on the very first day I had my iMac. So it was created almost immediately after the initial boot of a brand new iMac. I then stored the clone drive away, in case I ever needed to restore my Mac to that initial Day 1 state.

That day has come, but its now two years, and in that time I have installed BOOTCAMP, Parallels and Windows 7. That process creates another partition, and creates the required 'links' between my OSX and Windows via Parallels etc.

So my question is this - will my original clone still work, or will it be now totally confused because of the changes I have made to my system in that time.

I also used TIME MACHINE from Day 1 too. Am I better restoring it to my Day 1 state using that instead?

(My system is iMac late 2012 still running OSX Mountain Lion AND by the way - its a FUSION Drive - if that makes any difference)


Thanks in advance

 

[Someone Somewhere]

I can't say for certain, but I think it will work fine - but erase Windows.

 

[McHenryB]

Can you just clarify - you run Parallels and Boot Camp? These are separate technologies; one runs Windows in a VM, the other sets up a dual-boot scenario so that you can boot in a native Windows on a Mac.

Restoring your day 1 state - either via CCC or Time Machine - will destroy any Parallels environment but should preserve a Boot Camp setup.

 

[POPSYNIC]

Can you just clarify - you run Parallels and Boot Camp? These are separate technologies; one runs Windows in a VM, the other sets up a dual-boot scenario so that you can boot in a native Windows on a Mac.

Restoring your day 1 state - either via CCC or Time Machine - will destroy any Parallels environment but should preserve a Boot Camp setup.

So - to restore a complete Day 1 state and have my systeme like it was before I created a Bootcamp Prtition , I guess I first need to erase and re-partition my main hard drive as one main drive again , and then run Time Machine Restore or CCC ?

Regards Parallels and Bootcamp - Yep I run both - and this allows me to either run wndows whilst still booted into my iMac for quick and low intesity tasks, or alternatively - when I have a more meaty windows intensive task to do, and need maxiumum resources for it, - I can boot directly into Windows - so best of both worlds.

You can set Parallels Desktop to run Windows from the Boot Camp partition: A virtual machine is then created out of the already existing Boot Camp partition on my Mac. That way you can run Mac OS X and BootCamp Windows installation simultaneously. Here is the official guiance from Parallels - http://kb.parallels.com/en/112941

 

[McHenryB]

If you want to revert your Mac to its original state the easiest way is to just reinstall the OS, wiping and re-partitioning the disk; you can do this from the Internet without requiring any install media.