Clone 27" iMac with i5 processor to 27" iMac with i7 processor

Hi Folks,

I have an iMac in my office (27" late 2012) with an i5 processor. I just got a nearly identical iMac (also 27" late 2012) that has an i7 processor. I have a SuperDuper clone file on an external hard drive. Would it be possible to move that external to the i7 iMac, boot to the SuperDuper image, and then clone it over to the internal HD without crashing the whole thing? My i5 machine is set up just the way I want it and I'd rather not start from scratch with the i7 machine if possible.

Thanks.

Since the two computers are so close in specs...it should work fine. Of course to verify...load that SuperDuper clone...and check it out.

- Nick

As Nick says, it should work, and you can just try booting from your backup clone to check first, then clone the backup clone to the i7 iMac and set it as the Startup Disk.




- Patrick
=======

Thanks, folks. It appears to be working. I was able to boot the i7 machine from the image on the external and caught no errors, so now I'm restoring the files to the local HDD. I'm pretty sure this is going to work fine. So much easier than starting from scratch.

I'm pretty sure this is going to work fine. So much easier than starting from scratch.

Click to expand...

And don't forget to keep up with keeping a current working backup!!!




- Patrick
=======

pm-r said:

And don't forget to keep up with keeping a current working backup!!!




- Patrick
=======

Click to expand...

Will do. I had it set up before, but the image wasn't bootable. I'll get it set up to keep this image up to date once I'm up and running.

Worked like a charm. Everything is as it should be. Thanks again, folks.

Great to hear.

- Nick

M_Six said:

Will do. I had it set up before, but the image wasn't bootable. I'll get it set up to keep this image up to date once I'm up and running.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure I'm understanding your comment about "the image wasn't bootable", but most users prefer to use such popular software apps like CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner) or SD! (SuperDuper) that can create and use a bootable cloned image.

I'm not sure if either of those or equivalent apps are what you are using for your cloning/backup.




- Patrick
=======

pm-r said:

I'm not sure I'm understanding your comment about "the image wasn't bootable", but most users prefer to use such popular software apps like CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner) or SD! (SuperDuper) that can create and use a bootable cloned image.

I'm not sure if either of those or equivalent apps are what you are using for your cloning/backup.




- Patrick
=======

Click to expand...

I am using SuperDuper and I thought I had it set to make a bootable backup, but when I tried to boot from it, even from the machine it originally was attached to, it showed as a boot option, but then the Apple icon just started blinking on and off and in its place was a circle with a line through it. After a few blinks, it booted off the internal drive. So for some reason the SuperDuper backup I had was not bootable. I erased/formatted the drive and had SuperDuper create a new backup, and that one booted fine. So my original obviously had some setting wrong or was somehow corrupted.

So my original obviously had some setting wrong or was somehow corrupted….

Click to expand...

Hmmm…??? And just maybe why I and others prefer to use CCC and the version that's fully compatible and supported for use with the MacOS version.

Just saying and just a stated opinion… and I've never encountered any problem using CCC.




- Patrick
=======

In fairness to Shirt Pocket software (makers of SuperDuper), any "cloning" software can produce a bad clone now and then. I've had it happen to me once or twice although I don't remember which program I was using at the time. It could have been either one.

Usually, when cloning software (CCC and SuperDuper) produce a non bootable clone, the fault is likely due to either file corruption or hard drive errors. CCC will generally warn you when that occurs so that you know it's time to run Disk Utility First Aid. I've never used SuperDuper but I imagine that it too will warn when the drive it's cloning has errors.

As many have stated here and on many other Mac forums regarding any clone backup, test it and make sure it works.

And do so before you might actually need it!!! At least in case any data is worth keeping or useable.

EDIT:
And what chscag mentioned above has also been my experience. But I also don't use SuperDuper to comment on how it works or does things.




- Patrick
=======