Space Clones Mac OS

Support for Macintosh clones was first exhibited in System 7.5.1, which was the first version to include the 'Mac OS' logo (a variation on the original Happy Mac startup icon), and Mac OS 7.6 was the first to be named 'Mac OS' instead of 'System'. These changes were made to disassociate the operating system from Apple's own Macintosh models. The classic Mac OS (System Software) is the series of operating systems developed for the Macintosh family of personal computers by Apple Inc. From 1984 to 2001, starting with System 1 and ending with Mac OS 9.The Macintosh operating system is credited with having popularized the graphical user interface concept. It was included with every Macintosh that was sold during the era in which it was.

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Space Clones Mac Os Catalina

/PowerMyMac /Guide on How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSD

When it comes to the cloning topic, what do you expect from the process? If you are planning to clone Mac hard drive to SSD, let us take a close look at what is the cloning process all about. Generally, it is recommended to clone the hard drive of your Mac in case you decide to upgrade the hard drive with a solid state drive (SSD), replace an old or corrupted drive with a new one or if you are going to create a bootable hard drive.

In most cases, all these demands can be achieved with the help of cloning. Essentially, when you clone the hard drive, you will no longer worry about reinstalling the operating system as well as transfer folders, files, applications and some configurations on the new hard disk. Another advantage with the cloning process is that if you have a duplicate hard drive with setup volume, it can aid in booting your Mac easily in case of unexpected disasters.

Article GuideWhat Are Solid State Drives (SSDs)?How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSDShould I Backup or Clone?Let's Wrap It up

What Are Solid State Drives (SSDs)?

Before you decide to clone Mac hard drive to SSD, let us take a close look at SSDs. Solid state drives or SSDs utilize flash memory to keep data. If built into a computer, they are usually seen as chips on the circuit board. You can also find them in 2.5” format that you can install in a laptop or an external enclosure.

Generally, SSDs are quiet, compact and fast, especially if you are starting up a computer or waking up the device. Remember that hard disks might go into sleep mode when not used for a certain span of time and takes a few seconds to spin up. SSDs also utilize less power, run cooler, lighter and do not have any movable parts which make them suitable for laptops.

When you accidentally drop your laptop when the hard drive is spinning, there is a likelihood for the drive to be damaged and lose data. SSDs are generally more dependable, and in case they fail, you can still read data whereas you cannot do this with a hard disk.

Nevertheless, SSDs are considered as a costly option if you are considering the cost to storage ratio. At present, you can purchase an 8TB external drive for less than $150 while that same amount of money will only provide you with a 500GB SSD.

People Also Read:How to Partition A Hard Drive on Mac?How to upgrade your MacBook Pro with an SSD?

How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSD

There are several reasons why it is best to boot from an external hard drive. In case you prefer to keep your files synchronized from a desktop and laptop, enlarge your storage or have an on-hand bootable backup duplicate of your system, there is an unseen feature in Disk Utility that makes the process an easy task.

Essentially, booting from an external hard drive is usually slower, even if you are using the latest Thunderbolt or the USB-C drives. They are relatively sluggish than the solid state drives (SSDs) that are found in most of the latest Macs. Although this is not suggested for daily use, it is a possible option.

Using Disk Utility

If you are going to clone Mac hard drive to SSD, it is recommended to use Disk Utility.Simply open Disk Utility from the Spotlight (Command+Space) or on the Utility folder in your applications. You will be presented with a list of all the volumes including the internal hard drive and the external hard drive.

It is important to note that the “Restore” option in Disk Utility will work by copying the files from the backup to your core drive. It is ideally intended to the utilized for Recovery mode to reinstate the hard drive in case a failure occurs.

Once you decide to set your external drive as the restore target, you can switch that action around and copy files from the main drive to the backup. Choose your external drive in the sidebar, tap on the “Restore” button in the menu and select your main drive as the “Restore From” option. You have the option to choose an ISO image, but it does not have much use.

Tap on the “Restore” button and Disk Utility will initiate the copying process. In most cases, the process is relatively a long one which is based on the speediness of your external drive as well as its link to your Mac. Due to this, it is recommended to have a rapid hard drive with USB-C, Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 connections.

Once Disk Utility completes the task, you can turn off your Mac and press on the Option when it starts to restart again. You will be presented with the boot switcher and you are allowed to boot from the external hard drive. You can utilize your Mac as usual but remember that it is separate from the installation on the main internal hard drive. Take note that any settings that you alter or files that are saved there will not be reflected on the primary installation.

You can perform the same process in a reverse manner if there is a need to copy the files back over or to restore the backup in case your computer malfunctions.

Should I Backup or Clone?

Generally, hard disks can be backed up or cloned. Remember that there are differences between the two with their own advantages and drawbacks.

Backing up a hard drive

If you are going to back up a hard drive, the entire content of the chosen drive or partition is backed up into a file on the targeted location. All data is saved into a single file. When a complete backup of the hard drive is carried out, the whole operating system along with the installed applications and settings are also set aside. The file can be protected or encrypted with a password.

The advantage of this approach is no other than simple management since a single file contains the whole backup. You can also compress the backup file so that it utilizes less space.

As for a drawback, you need a backup software to be able to reinstate the system or data to a previous state or to access documents and files.

Cloning the hard drive

If you are going to duplicate or clone Mac hard drive to SSD, a copy of the drive is created directly on the target location. This simply means that you have an instant copy including the hard disk structure. A cloned disk or drive includes all the partitions from the source drive or disk.

An advantage with cloning is that the data is directly copied to the specified location and can be utilized and edited directly. The duplicated system drive which includes the operating system can be mounted as a fresh drive and booted right away.

As for the drawbacks, a clone requires more space since the partitions are created immediately on the targeted disk. Due to this, it is not likely to compress or add encryption to the data.

Let's Wrap It up

If there is a need for a backup to be created regularly, it is recommended to opt for the hard drive backup. This usually takes up less space and allows the creation of extra backups.

In case you require a bootable extra drive to be operational after an unforeseen crash and to lessen the downtime period, it is best to clone Mac hard drive to SSD.

Generally, both methods have been proven to be the ideal choice. A consistent drive backup for daily data along with a clone of the system drive is essential for easy accessibility in case of emergencies.

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Space Clones Mac Os Download

Problems with not enough space for a BootCamp partition and how cloning/reverse cloning can resolve that

Getting the right external drive

Get a external hard drive equal to or larger than the drive you intend to replace the internal one with. (if so) So later it will be bootable backup (clone) of that new drive.

If you like the idea of saving the differences between the clone updates, then get a much larger drive. If maintaining a pure clone, then the same size or slightly larger than your primary boot drive will do.

Get a self powered and not a Mac port powered drive! Why? Because Mac's can cut off external hardware drawing too much power which can cause issues trying to boot from the clone.

If you have Filevault enabled on your boot drive, then this User Tip has no further use for you, sorry. To de-Filevault your drive will likley require 50% or more free space available to write all the unencrypted bits. Once the drive is de-Filevaulted it can be cloned.

Formatting

Connect the new drive to the Mac and open Disk Utility in the Utilities folder. (say 'no' to TimeMachine, use another drive for that). Click on the external drive on the left and click Erase, (10. 6 users Secure erase Zero all Data) or move the slider for a 0x-3x secure erase (SSD's not needed), OS X Journaled/GUID as the format and a name like 'Mac10.6Clone' (different than the internal drive) and click apply. Go watch a movie. Warning: Formatting a drive or partition erases all data.

If the scrubbing of the drive fails, try again and if it fails, the drive is bad and needs to be exchanged. All new drives have bad sectors, this scrubbing will remove most of them and make for a much more reliable backup. Highly recommended for all hard drives if it hasn't been done before, SSD's no need.

Once the scrubbing is finished check under Partition that Option: GUID and Format: OS X Extended Journaled or make it that. Quit Disk Utility.

Scrubbing is only for hard drives and not needed if it was done once before as the bad bits were previously mapped off. However if shock to the drive occurred or the 0x erase wasn't good enough, or there is unwanted data, then of course repeat scrubbing again. I've found 0x for defeating software recovery techniques, 3x seems to be adequate for mapping off the bad bits. 7x for defeating magnetic recovery techniques. Physically destroying the drive for the utmost sensitive files.

SSD's cannot be securely erased, however it might be possible to overwrite one's preious deleted files with new data with a method I've outlined here.

Cloning software

Download Carbon Copy Cloner, it's the best cloning software and the only one that also clones the most vital RecoveryHD partition for restoring OS X fresh from Apple. Later you will use it to update your clone once your on the new internal drive. (Optionally is SuperDuper, but it doesn't do the RecoveryHD.)

Use CCC to clone your present internal drive to the external. Do not use the same name as the internal drive on the external, or change it before you boot from the clone using the Finder.

You don't need to mess with CCC preferences for the first clone as it has to to everything. Later when updating the clone it will save the changes between updates and take up much more drive space. If you want to maintain a pure clone, then set that in CCC preferences before doing a update, this is what I advise as it maintains space for later less you need to install additional software or move files for data recovery etc. while booted from the clone drive if the internal drive fails to boot up.

Repair permissions afterwards

Once the clone is finished, use Disk Utility to repair permissions on both drives. Reboot the Mac and hold the option/alt keys down on the built-in or wired keyboard for OS X's 'Startup Manager' there you can select the clone to boot from. Check it out and be careful with your navigation as everything is duplicated, including the pathnames/shortcuts to your internal drive. (Ignore Disk Utility warnings that repeat, those are just changes Apple made)

Internal drive switch

If you have a internal drive switch or install at this time, now is the time to do this. If you run into problems you can option/alt key boot off the clone drive, use the computer like before and get online. TimeMachine doesn't have boot to use ability only boot to restore, which mandates your internal drive be immediately fixed and that's not always very convenient for many.

More advice here:

Reverse cloning, etc

To reverse clone, follow the same procedure as above. First formatting the new or erasing (secure zero or 3x overwrite) the corrupted drive (if so) in Disk Utility first and then using CCC (all while option/alt key booted from the external clone of course), to reverse clone. CCC should ask to restore the RecoveryHD (for 10.7+) in this first clone process, so check that it will/does.

Bootable clones make ideal data recovery drives, just boot from it and grab the latest copy of files (or install Data Rescue for deleted files/corrupted drives) on the primary boot drive and secure erase and reverse clone perfection back on.

It's advised to maintain several time dated clones each on separate hardware, this way one can revert to a earlier OS X version or use older versions of software and to protect against accidents and other unseen acts. Provides maximum software and hardware protection.

Do NOT reverse clone onto a new or different model of Mac as there are hardware driver differences so OS X is ever so slightly different. (But in some cases it's possible, not going there). Instead to be sure, use Migration Assistant in the Utilities folder and target the clone drive as the source of User Accounts and programs you want to transfer to the other Mac.

Corrupted cache rebuilding (optional)

See and perform the #12 OnyX cache cleaning routine here, it's optional but if your reverse cloning it's best to also rebuild the cache files so they are free of corruption and maximize the full performance benefit of the reverse clone proceedure.

Remember 10.8+ users may have to right or option/alt click to 'open' software downloaded from the Internet.

SSD advice, TRIM

If you cloned to a third party SSD, you need to enable TRIM support on it and after each OS X update/upgrade using third party software. Check MacTracker.com for the two versions and update it. Apple doesn't reenable TRIM for third party SSD's only their own.

Remember 10.8+ users may have to right or option/alt click to 'open' software downloaded from the Internet.

TRIM is wear leveling software so that data is written to the least used areas of a SSD because they have limited write capability. Thus SSD's don't have scrubbing ability to securely delete data off of them. Software and forensic equipment is widely available to read all data on a SSD, included deleted data.

SSD's are on many portable tech electronic devices and becoming widespread on computers now. The NSA approved method for data destruction on non-magnetic media (including thumb drives) is to grind them into a fine powder. Since a lot of Apple hardware is coming sealed up, Fusion drives (hard drive + flash memory), and non-user accessible, the entire device will have to be destroyed in order to remove unwanted data from it.

For privacy when reselling without vital data, it might be possible to fill the SSD near completely two times with a LOT of tiny small files to overwrite all areas, but that's no guaranty nor a legal/military/government approved method.

Update your clone

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Update your clone occasionally and before a major internal boot drive change using CCC, it will take less time than a full clone each time like Disk Utility unfortunately does. CCC also has scheduling ability to perform the updates automatically.

Do not clone a TimeMachine drive.

Clone to another internal partition

Yes you can clone your boot partition to another partition on the same boot drive. Clone to a external drive first and test for backup as you NEED hardware protection also in case the internal drive or Mac dies or is lost/stolen.

Create another partition in Disk Utility equal to your MacintoshHD partition, format OS X Extended Journaled and use CCC to clone MacintoshHD to MacintoshHD 2. Then Disk Utility >Repair Permissions on both. (ignore warnings that repeat, those are just changes Apple made) Set CCC to maintain a pure clone for this partition as not to fill it up.

If you can't create another same sized partition, you likely need to reduce files and (if a hard drive, SSD's no need) perform a reverse clone while booted from the external clone to shift all OS X data up further on the drive to make room at the bottom for the new partition.

Usefulness in this clone on another partition thing is CCC can update it in the background on a schedule all by itself. You have a resource to recover accidentally deleted files and if your primary OS X MacintoshHD partition is not booting due to software reasons or other software issue, you can immediately option/alt key boot from the cloned partition. A excellent choice for laptop owners away from a fast/reliable Internet connection to fix OS X by redownloading it over itself or carrying a external clone or TM drive around with you. It only takes seconds to boot from the cloned partition.

It's obviously taking half your boot drive space, however it only takes Disk Utility a few seconds to rename/quick reformat (no secure erasing) to make it available for emergency storage needs and later one can use CCC to clone it again in the background. Also on hard drives the second 50% of the drive is slower than the first 50%, so you may realize this while booted from the second partition.

Enjoy peace and software stability. 🙂