Carbon Copy Cloner/SuperDuper! Cloning Questions From A Novice!

[Bazzy]

Hi All,

I have a few questions regarding CCC/SD cloning software that I just do not understand - primarily when transferring from one Mac to another.

I understand that these Apps make a COMPLETE & EXACT bootable copy of your main HD inside your Mac to an external HD - that much I get!

Say your current computer has High Sierra OS & you wish to transfer all your stuff to another one with Mojave OS already on it & which you wish to KEEP.

Does this mean that if you use either a CCC/SD Cloned Drive, not only will it transfer all your Data, Files, Settings etc but it will also REMOVE/REPLACE the Mojave OS with High Sierra OS on the 2nd Computer?

I see that folks use these Apps all the time especially when buying new Macs with newer OS to transfer all their stuff so I just do not understand matters - if the CCC/SD Clone External HD has an older OS & it is an EXACT copy of your old system, will it not then just wipe the newer OS & replace it with the older one on that is on the Cloned External HD?

How does one ensure that when using CCC/SD & a Cloned External Drive to another Mac that everything is transferred EXCEPT the older OS (which is on the Clone!!)

Also if there are bugs & issues on the current system - say possibly corrupted files & folders, slow operations, spinning wheels & other crud/junk etc - will that not also get cloned & transferred to the new one? How does one stop this from happening - I ask as I fear all one would be then doing is compromising the new, issue free computer by installing on it all the bugs & problems that hindered the old one?

I am sorry if I sound thick but would really like to understand things & this has been bugging me for quite some time now!

Many Thanks!

 

[junkw]

did you read https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350

but to answer your questions yes CCC will replace the OS and clone the problems too

 

[Bazzy]

Hi,

Thanks for replying - I was aware about Migration Assistant but have also read on here that some have had issues with it as well as Time Machine & strongly prefer to use CCC/SD instead.

If CCC/SD does indeed replace a newer OS with an older one as you say, then is there a procedure/option within the Apps that allows one to install/restore everything on the new Mac except for the older version OS?

I am most intrigued as to how folks go about using these Apps in such situations as both are deemed to be must have & the go to Apps for Backing Up, Restoring & Transferring?

Any chance you can please explain to me the steps you would take in such a situation - a Mac with an older OS of which you have a CCC/SD Clone & you want to transfer all your Data on to a new Mac that has nothing on it except the newer version of the MacOS which you wish to keep?

Many Thanks!

 

[MSastre]

Boot from the drive with the new OS on it and while having the external cloned drive running, you can trasfer files and apps either using Migration Assistant or manually choosing which ones you want to transfer.
Easy to do. When I do a "clean install" of an OS, I reinstall fresh copies of my purcahsed apps from the App Store or the original source, and copy what groups of files I wish to keep. Migration Assitant is good if you wish to keep all your files. The main thing is having a fresh OS, that will get rid of the built up "crud". You trasfer what you want from the old drive to the new drive, rather than copying the complete cloned drive to the new one. Hope this helps your understanding. I never use Time Machine.