New external SSD.

[Rod]

Did you use the legacy method described in the article I sent you to make the clone bootable? If not then it would not be bootable, just a copy of Macintosh HD-Data.

 

[Rod]

If you didn’t create a bootable clone you can simply try again. Look at the instructions in the second article I linked in post # 12, you will see a picture of the drop down menu the paragraph, “Configuring a backup with the Legacy Bootable Backup Assistant”. Sorry about this big font, can’t seem to edit on my iPad.
Alternatively you can just settle for a data only backup. Remember a bootable clone of BS will not have its OS updated In the way we used to do it, by performing a scheduled backup.


Lets just imagine a scenario where for some reason your HD crashes or the OS becomes damaged. You can reinstall the OS from the recovery partition then as part of the install process you can restore all your data from your clone of Macintosh HD-Data.
If like me you also have a Time Machine backup you can boot from this, reinstall the OS and again restore your data from you clone.
Last but certainly not least you can create a USB macOS bootable installer on a thumb drive. This can be used to boot, erase and format a HD before installing a fresh copy of macOS.
The bad news is, in answer to your question about your CCC clone of Catalina, depending on the circumstances you may or may not be able to boot from it if, as you say, “BS goes belly up.”

 

[hoody]

Right, I'll stick with it, for now at least. When I backed up yesterday I just let CCC do it's thing so I must have the 'Data only backup.' I'll get a USB drive and create an installer of BS and get back to you. Help from all of you is much appreciated.

 

[Rod]

Fair enough. When you decide to create a Bootable USB Installer you will need two things; a 25-50GB USB stick that you are happy to erase and a third party application to create the bootable installer. I use Instal Disk Creator, tried and tested with BS free from this site; MacDaddy - Easy to use but powerful software. Made to high standards.
You will also need the BS installer from the App Store. Download it, quit it when it tries to rum and just keep it in your applications folder until you are ready to use it.

PS. I would think abput downloading BS some time soon as it should be in its last release version and macOS Monterey is in the pipes with beta versions already released. Apple has a tendency to remove old macOS versions from the App Store on release of the latest version.

 

[hoody]

OK, I'll hopefully be able to buy a 32 GB USB drive today. I've had a look at the Instal Disk Creator and will get on with it later today.

I have to admit that I don't really understand why I'm doing this, or why I need the Instal Disk Creator, but I'll do it anyway because it seems a sensible way to go.

 

[Rod]

Pete, i dont want to talk you into anything you dont need here just because thats what I do. There are many ways to achieve the same results on a Mac.

Because CCC no longer (without a lot of maintenance) provides a simple alternative to boot and repair an internal HD a USB installer provides that option with little or no chance of it becoming damaged/corrupted.

Over a year back I had an irreversible crash of my MBP it seemed that whatever caused it was passed onto my Time Machine backup and my CCC backup leaving me with nothing to boot my laptop from.
It was then I remembered that I had a bootable USB installer for macOS High Sierra. I was able to boot my MBP selecting the USB via Option at startup. A USB installer when it launches looks like the Recovery partition.
So I selected Disk Utility and used it to completely erase the Macintosh HD. Then I installed High Sierra, then updated it to Catalina.
I was able to access my CCC backup as an external drive and drag and drop all my files, photos, apps etc onto my MBP.

So even where the OS became damaged the CCC clone was still a reliable backup of my data. I could have used Time Machine as well but I wanted to be more selective about what i reinstalled.

For me a Bootable USB macOS installer is insurance and worth it for the cost of a USB stick. Like insurance you may never need it but it has saved my bacon twice now so I think it's worth it.

 

[hoody]

Thanks again Rod. No you're not talking me into anything. It's just that I often struggle when things get beyond the basis stage.

The download has just finished and it's now in my apps folder. Ill go to the shops now for a 32GB drive.

 

[Rod]

Great, the process is pretty simple, plug in the USB, launch Instal Disk Creator select the source (it should be on the display) macOS Big Sur and the target, your USB. It should erase and format the USB and takes a while to create the finished article.

 

[hoody]

I've all ready run into a problem! I bought two Lexar 32GB USB drives (only make on the shelf) and went to format one to APFS but I could only get mac os extended journaled. I've started the process but knowing that you said it takes a while, I'm wondering if it's stalled. The screen shot has been like this for about 20 min's now with no movement at all.

 

[hoody]

It looks as though I was panicking because a few moments ago, the bar shot over to the end and the installer was made. One more question if you don't mind: how do I test this is OK?

 

[Slydude]

When you are ready to make the installer use either the option key method or the System preferences method. Both methods are outlined below:

Option Key Method

1. Insert the 32 GB flash drive into your Mac.
2. Restart the computer and hold down the Option key. Immediately. Continue holding the option key down until you see a couple of icons appear on the screen. The gray ones are your internal drive. The other one is the installer that you just made.
3. If you are ready to run the installer, click on that disk. Follow any directions that appear.

Sometimes I find it difficult to time the Option keypress correctly, and the computer boots from the normal internal drive. If I get frustrated by that, I try the following:

System Preferences Method

1. Boot the computer as you normally would and insert the installer that you just created.
2. Open System Preferences and go to the Startup Preference Pane.
3. Click the startup preference pane and enter an administrator password.
4. Restart the computer and follow any on-screen directions.

 

[hoody]

I restarted the computer with the option key held down and got the internal drive, the Big Sur installation drive and, I don't know why, but I also saw a windows drive there.

Anyway, If I boot from the installer, is that a test for it, or would it be loading the whole thing on again?

 

[Slydude]

If you boot from the installer, it will load but doesn't actually start the installation until you choose the drive you want it to be installed onto. Remember when you downloaded the installer and could stop the installation before things really got started? IIRC that's what happens.

 

[hoody]

Thanks Slydude. I'll have a try of that tomorrow. I'm all putered out for today.

 

[Rod]

I think you have done what we set out to do successfully. Congratulation, well done.

 

[hoody]

Thanks but I'll probably be back if I have to actually have to use it.

 

[Rod]

Let's hope you don't, like I said it's really just insurance.

 

[hoody]

Well I don't like BS and want to go back to Catalina, but I don't have a bootable Catalina usb installer. If I manage to take this step back to Cataliana, will ccc go back to giving me a bootable drive? I've tried to understand what you're all saying about the HD Data being backed up, but the ccc bootable clone is so much simpler.

 

[Rod]

You do have a bootable clone of Catalina I believe. You could use Disk Utility on that to erase your internal HD then reverse clone the contents of your clone to your device. Try booting the device from the clone first. If that works then the above process should work.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I just want to point out, as an aside, that SuperDuper! :

Shirt Pocket

www.shirt-pocket.com

now claims to be able to make bootable clones from both M1 and Intel-based Macs running Big Sur:

Shirt Pocket Watch

There *are* two minor gotcha's. First is that you have to update to the 11.4 version of Big Sur. The second is that a bootable backup from an M1-based Mac won't boot an Intel-based Mac, and vice versa.