HDD cloning

When ever I see a thread about HDD cloning on here people always seem to recommend carbon copy or super duper. I have always just used the restore utility in disk utility.

Is there something that these programs do differently or better than just using disk utility? Basically just what makes you prefer these programs? Just wondering if there is a reason I should switch over.

One reason I use disk utility is that I can do it from the boot disk. This for some reason makes me feel more comfortable with the copy because I am not using the disk at all.

It's perfectly OK to use Disk Utility to create a clone. I don't remember all of the differences but SUperDuper can perform other types of backups. SuperDuper also has the capacityity to update a clone rather than repeat the entire process every time.

Some of us started using SuperDuper and Carbon Copy Cloner back in the day when there were few other tools that did the job. No matter which program you use test the clone to make sure it works.

Both SuperDuper and Carbon Copy Cloner can create a bootable clone on an external HDD. If your internal HDD ever fails and you need to press on with your work, the clone can be used instead. Slower for sure, but it works.

And both programs can do incremental backups which Disk Utility can not. SuperDuper is shareware and will not do incremental backups unless it's registered. Carbon Copy Cloner is "Donation Ware".

Thanks for the replies. So basically the ability to update the clone. I think I might replace time machine with CCC.

I use both Time Machine and CCC. I generally do a CCC clone every two days and a Time Machine backup twice a week. I know some folks like to keep their TM external drive attached 24/7 and allow it to make backups every hour or so, but I personally feel no need to do that. But that's just me.

Use registered SuperDuper on a weekly basis to update back up drive. Using Smart Update, takes less than 3 minutes on a Mac Pro.

chscag said:

I use both Time Machine and CCC. I generally do a CCC clone every two days and a Time Machine backup twice a week. I know some folks like to keep their TM external drive attached 24/7 and allow it to make backups every hour or so, but I personally feel no need to do that. But that's just me.

Click to expand...

How does using both methods affect your external drive space? I'm setting up a 2 TB external drive right now and have 5 partitions for different uses. My internal HD is 640 GB. I set aside 750 GB in the external to use for backing up the internal HD to allow for deleting files on my computer, but keeping them in the backup.

I'm definitely gonna use CCC because I like having a second bootable hard drive...but it seems Time Machine would be easier. If I chose to use both as you do would I need to set aside another partition for the Time Machine backup? If so, how much should I set aside?

*EDIT: Ah jeez...I saw the May dates on the recent posts and assumed they were from last week...I didn't notice that I was resurrecting a year old thread. Oh well...my question is still valid though.

*EDIT: Ah jeez...I saw the May dates on the recent posts and assumed they were from last week...I didn't notice that I was resurrecting a year old thread. Oh well...my question is still valid though.

Click to expand...

That's OK, it's still a good question that others can learn from.

I use two separate hard drives rather than one large drive divided into partitions. Why do it that way? Because it gives me redundancy in case one of those external hard drives fail. (Which does happen.) I can always fall back and recover.

I used CCC just several weeks ago to recover a botched defrag on an older MacBook running Lion. Without that, I would have had to start over on that machine and since I was getting ready to sell it, that would have meant much more work.

I keep four external hard drives on my desk which I use for various purposes, but not everyone likes to do things that way. You can certainly use one large hard drive divided into two partitions - one for CCC, the other for TM. But keep in mind, if that drive goes south, you will lose both your backup capabilities.

Thanks. Now that you mention it, I realize it doesn't make any sense to have two backups on the same disk. I'll see if I can find a cheap 500 GB external to use as the time machine backup.