Data backed up...now need some GENIUS advice on moving forward

[dmag]

Background — Drive on MBP started clicking a couple of days ago. Got RMA on drive. Got SuperDuper (will never use ProSoft's Data Backup again) and tried to clone the drive to a new backup (USB 2.0, fastest thing I could get from Best Buy), not wanting to try to mess with the existing backup (FW 800) because SuperDuper erases the exisiting backup to make the new one. Would have been a disaster, as new backup failed because of too many bad sectors on the internal.

Current status — All data that I want is now on two backup drives. The most current OS files and content files are on the new backup. Neither will boot, though both show up in the startup disk window. The MBP was run through Drive Genius, which reported that it's just fine. Whatever it did in repair, it loads up so I have no complaints on that. I got my latest data off and that's what I needed.

What to do now? — I will send the bad disk off to Samsung and get a replacement. I could have the old backup (same model disk) installed until the new one gets here, or (hopefully), boot from it in the external case — though, as stated, that's not working now.

I'm hoping a GENIUS from this board can give me some direction on this. I'm running 10.5.8 ...

1. Is it a good idea to just load up the Leopard disk and then do upgrades until current?

2. Should I go for 10.6, or could that screw me up on apps that may not have updated their code?

3. What about all of the stuff from the existing system that I need, like fonts, application support files, and all the rest of the stuff I have no idea is necessary?

4. Is there a way to get the old backup in the FW 800 enclosure to boot up? The system on this was from a clone made by ProSoft's Data Backup. They said it would boot and backups were successful, or so I thought. Oh well.

Just want to get a clean start. hope you can help.

Thanks.

[ADent]

Typically you can do a fresh install of the OS - from the disks.

As part of the install it can migrate your data from another disk (I think it is called another Mac). It will look for the drive, so have it mounted and ready to go.

An install of the latest changes would be a good idea.

I just switched to 10.6, and there were a few things that needed updating - though not much in my case. If you just want to get going, stay with 10.5.8. If you want to build for the future jump to 10.6.4 now.