/PowerMyMac /Guide on How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSD
UPDATED Video HERE ( no background musin + better audio ) How to clone Mac OS X El Capitan to other/new HDD. Until macOS 10.15 Catalina, Mac users knew: their startup volume was a single volume, just as it appeared! (Okay, for Fusion drive users, there are two physical drives managed by software to.
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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DoYourClone is a hard-drive-based clone software for Mac users. There are only a few Clone Software available on the market for Mac systems and most of them are not reliable. They are very expensive and lacks a lot of things.
DoYourClone for Mac is here to help you with copying your Mac’s hard drive and files with a single click. This is one of the best clone software available in the market which is designed to copy multiple files and drives of Mac systems with one click.
The purpose of this software is copying and creating a disk image of a hard drive. You can easily create a copy and can share it to other PC system or keep it as a copy of files. This software is designed to work with all the versions of Mac. It is also compatible with the latest macOS version I.e. macOS Catalina.
Cloning Modes
This disk clone software for Mac is designed for the new generation mac users to make the cloning process easier and hassle-free. The software comes with two different disk clone modes, Copy Hard Drive and Create Disk Image. Depending on your needs, you can select the suitable mode to copy the data of your Mac system.
Clone For Mac Os X
1. Copy Hard Drive
Copy Hard Drive is a simple File Clone Mode allowing users to copy the data and files of one hard drive to the other. You can copy the entire hard drive or can select files from the drive as per your needs. You can select the copy location for the files. There is an option to select the entire hard drive or selective files from the drive.
Once you select the option, you will be able to copy the files as per your needs. Make sure to select the desired location to store the copied files.
2. Create Disk Image
You can also create a disk image of the files to share it anywhere you want in.Zip or.DMG file. You can select the files and drives of your Mac system or any other external drive attached to your Mac system. You will be able to create a disk image quickly.
Once you select the Create Disk Image option from the software, you will see two different options to choose the output format with Make DMG and Make Zip. Depending on your needs, you can select the suitable option. Once done, click on to the Copy button to start the cloning process.
How does DoYourClone Software Work?
The software serves a decent interface where you can copy hard drive data and create a disk image with a few clicks.
Upon launching the software, you will be presented with two different modes of copying the data. You just need to select the suitable mode and required file format to take a backup of your Mac system’s hard drive. You can also create a quick disk image by selecting the Disk Image mode.
Cloning Mac Address For Router
Once done, you can visit the selected folder to view the cloned files of your system. It is a safe and powerful Mac Disk Clone Software which has over 200,000 happy users across the globe.
DoYourClone is an excellent software to take a backup of your entire Mac system at ease. To avoid data loss, it is essential for you to take regular backup and this software is there to help you with it. Let’s check out some useful features of this software.
Key Features:
Disk Clone
This software provides the safest way to copy and store your hard drive data from one location to another. You can simply select the hard drive and the location of copied files to keep the stored files to the desired location. All the files will be secured and there will be no data loss.
Backup Data
You can take a backup of your macOS’ drive such as documents, photos, files, videos and operating system. Everything will be backed up securely with its instant backup tool. Just copy the files and folders regularly and keep them at a safe place. You can even keep the copied files to an external hard drive.
Duplicate Hard Drive
Duplicate Hard Drive is nothing but a creating a disk image of your hard drive. You can easily create a disk image of your Mac’s hard drive which can be stored on any other PC system. You will be able to access all the files, folders and photos from the disk image from a different computer.
Prevent Data Loss
Most backup and cloning software are not secure enough and there’s always a chance of data loss while creating a disk image of your Mac’s hard drive. This software is designed with the advanced technology which prevents data loss while copying the data of a hard drive or creating an image.
Final Words:
DoYourClone for Mac is an excellent Mac Clone Software which is designed for all types of users. The software lets anyone create an instant disk image and copy hard drives and selected files to a different location on the same system. The software is free to use with its trial version. It’s the best clone software for Mac users, you must give it a try!