I just got a second external hard drive and would like to know the best way to format it so I can make a bootable backup of my system. I have an intel mac running the latest OS and I seem to remember when I got my other hard drive that I had to do something to make it GUID compatible. Help would be appreciated. I'm using Super Duper as my backup program. Thanks!

Preparing an external drive for use:

1. Open Disk Utility. (in Applications > Utilities)
2. Connect the drive.
3. Highlight (click on to select) the new drive in the left column window of Disk Utility.
-- With no other external drives connected, there should be three items - your main drive, the new drive, and the CD/DVD drive.
-- The indented entries are partitions (Volumes) which can be mounted and appear in the Finder.
4. Click on Partition at the top of the right side.
5. Under Volume Scheme:, select 1 Partition.
6. Entered the desired name. (Backup for MyDrive could be MyDriveBackup)
7. Click on Options.
8. Click on GUID Partition Table.
9. Click on OK.
10. Click on Apply.
11. Verify the correct drive has been specified and click Partition.
12. Wait patiently - go get lunch, for example.
13. Observe the new Volume indented below the new drive in the left window.
14. Quit Disk Utility.

You now have a disk ready to use for a SuperDuper! backup. The same procedure works for any drive for any use. Just pick the appropriate number and size of partitions and name them in some useful fashion.

Using SuperDuper! Smart Update is a good idea. It does require payment.

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There might be some other things you need to do if it's a PATA and not a SATA hard drive.

No, once you have the drive in a case that's irrelevant.

Thanks for the help. I was just unsure about the GUID partitioning. I do have the paid version of Super Duper and use it all the time with my other hard drive. Again, can't thank you enough for taking the time to respond to my inquiry. Love all the helpful MacGroup people.

What about before you put a PATA in the case?

The physical interface of the drive has absolutely nothing to do with formatting it. The only thing that matters before is if you have the right interface in the computer/case to match the drive.

My statement before was perhaps unclear. I meant that PATA vs SATA was relevant only before physically connecting a drive, not that it had anything to do with partitioning.

Chuck M asked, "What about before you put a PATA in the case?" Well, that is moot since it is somewhat difficult to partition any drive until it is installed in an enclosure. I've done it, but do not recommend the procedure for others.

The instructions for formatting (really, partitioning) a drive that I posted above are identical for any drive.

They are correct for internal SCSI, PATA, or SATA drives, USB flash drives, and any other external drive connected via USB, FireWire, SCSI, or eSATA.

Here's a question.

I knew for the longest time that you could not boot from an external drive connected via USB.

I've always had Firewire externals and now I have a couple eSata externals.

Can you boot from and external drive if connected via:
1. USB?
2. Firewire 400? or 800?
3. eSata?

You can boot from any of those on an Intel system. On a PPC system, you can boot from Firewire and, on a G5 tower, eSata. It might depend on the eSata card if you can boot from an eSata drive on a Powerbook or MBP.

Using an ExpressCard eSATA adapter in a MacBook Pro allows boot from some external drives if the adapter uses the JMicron chip which has native drivers.

See:
Page 6 - MacNews - January 2009
Adventures with eSATA –JMicron and Coolmax

Some PCI-X eSATA cards (for Dual 2.0GHz G5, for example) support booting, some don't. You have to check the specifications for the card. Some external enclosures, as noted in the article, do not support booting. Bare drives and NewerTech MiniStack V3 are among many bootable externals. Any eSATA drive enclosure with separate connectors for each drive is bootable when connected to a supporting adapter.

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Well great... I'll try it and see what happens.
I have a PPC G5 and an Intel MacBookPro.

Also two WiebeTech external Drives that I can pop SATA drives in and out of like floppies. They are hooked to the PPC-G5 via an eSata card but can also be hooked up with FW800... maybe more. Been a while since I've hooked 'em up. I'll make a bootable drive this weekend and see what happens.