Backing up up using carbon copy

[ferrarr]

Which macOS are you running?
I suspect I can't download Mojave because I'm on Mojave.
I was able to download High Sierra and ElCapitan, but I ended up with disk imaages of each one.

My Mini is on Catalina. To download the full Catalina installer, I search the App Store for it and "Get" it. Then it opens System Preferences > Software Update, and another window opens asking if I want to download the full install. The only reason I download it is because the full installer erases, every time there is an update.

You should still be able to download it as long as it is not on your system now. I would be concerned with the High Sierra being a dmg file, but not the El Capitan.

 

[krs]

You should still be able to download it as long as it is not on your system now.

I tried with my Mini booted into an older clone with ElCapitan - that definitely didn't have anything Mojave on it - still the same message

I would be concerned with the High Sierra being a dmg file, but not the El Capitan.

Why?
The download came direct from Apple - not some other site.
I just downloaded Sierra the same way asElCapitan and High Sierra - for that the Apple site actually says it will be a .dmg file - see circled part in the attachment

 

[ferrarr]

Because Apple maintains the last three versions of macOS. So, anything from before Sierra, isn't maintained, but are available as dmg files. The newer versions download from the macOS App Store, and will be install... apps.

 

[hoody]

From someone that is almost totally computer illiterate I use CCC. The mistake I made was putting TM and CCC on one external drive. On the imac I have two separate drives and when I get the macbook air back from the 'man wot fixes them', I'll take the advice from here to do the same.
In short, If I can happily use CCC you can too.

 

[pm-r]

The mistake I made was putting TM and CCC on one external drive.

There is nothing really drastically wrong with doing that, assuming you have separate partitions, but maybe not as fail-safe as a separate drive, but a heck of a lot better than so many users who still have neither. Assuming they have data they may want to have backed up,


- Patrick
=======

 

[hoody]

Yes they do have separate partitions, but I've now got another external drive for when my macbook comes back.

 

[Jim40]

Why don't you download and use the free version of SuperDuper! instead? It basically does the same thing that CCC does less some of the convenience things that CCC provides.

SuperDuper!

SuperDuper is no longer free in the UK. However, having used both I personally prefer Carbon Copy Cloner,
Unlike Time Machine, CCC gives you an exact clone, so if you clone the Mac you're working on now on an external drive, it gives you a bootable drive, so if you're busy and run against a problem on the Mac you're using, you can attach the external drive, preferably an SSD, and fix the problem later.

 

[Bill Gates Jr.]

I also use CCC because that's what I started with also. One recommendation I would make is, whichever you choose, have two SSD backup disks and use the first for day one and the second for the following month and alternate backups so you'll always be current and it is less likely that both disks will fail at the same time. Then you could buy three SSDs...you see where this is going? Pete

 

[Jim40]

But the US store detects that you are in Canada. I suspect that's why the store says it's not available. If Jake and I can access the downloads successfully and both of us are posting from the US and you are not, that may be the reason.

You could purchase a quality VPN like Malwarebytes Privacy, and virtually choose to be in most countries
I subscribe to Netflix in the UK, and it won't work in certain countries. The main reason I bought a VPN after trying several was being 79 and disabled I do all my banking online.

 

[krs]

You could purchase a quality VPN like Malwarebytes Privacy, and virtually choose to be in most countries
I subscribe to Netflix in the UK, and it won't work in certain countries. The main reason I bought a VPN after trying several was being 79 and disabled I do all my banking online.

I tried VPN (location in Chicago) - same problem.
I think my issue has something to do with what Apple detects on my Mac.
For now I have given up on that sinceI don't really need High Sierra or Sierra