Before you install a new version of OS X: important safety tips!
You may be excited about a new OS X update. But before you push that button …
- WAIT. Wait a week for news of any troubles. Let early adopters (like me) find the problems. Meanwhile…
- CLONE. Create a perfect bootable clone of your Mac. This a duplicate of your system that you can go back to if something goes wrong after installing Lion — and things do go wrong with big system upgrades like this. Make your clone using an external hard drive — go buy one right now if you need to — and a cloning app like SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner.
- CHECK. Test that clone! Make sure it boots. Use the Startup Disk preference pane to choose it to start your Mac from.
Now you’re ready for a major change to your Mac.