CONFOOSED about system files in "restore" and system DOWN-grade

[RobertL39]

I apologize. I have looked a zillion places and read a zillion articles. If there is one that addresses this head-on, I've not found it; hence this query.

• Backed-up entire internal drive, with Catalina OS installed, to external drive using CCC

• Will install larger SSD in place of current internal drive

• Then install Mojave on this new SSD internal

• Now need to restore my CCC back-up [including everything EXCEPT its newer Catalina OS] to the new internal SSD [that will have the older Mojave OS on it]

HOW do I restore my CCC back-up to the new, OLDER-system SSD, without overwriting or damaging the different, older system I've installed on it?
If I select files and uncheck the "system", will the CCC "restore" transfer all the MS Office licenses, permissions, and settings even though the system on the target drive is different? IOW, aren't some of those permissions and settings stored in the system component of my back-up and will therefore be lost if I don't include that in the restore?

Can Migration Assistant do this better? But it's an external drive, not another Mac and MA requires 2 Macs.

Would starting new SSD in Target Disk mode work better for some reason?

EEEEEKKK!!!

Thanks for any assistance you can offer. I'm stumped and would love to not spend 4 hours experimenting and still failing. Be Prepared!
Molto obrigado!

 

[Weaselboy]

In general, there is no good automated way to copy data from a newer OS version to an older OS version. You are going to need to move your data over manually.

Also, MS Office is going to see it is running on different hardware and require you to reenter the registration data no matter how you go about this.

 

[RobertL39]

A thousand thanks! Am I also going to have trouble with Photos, Safari, iTunes and such apps that have been upgraded in the newer OS? Perhaps they wouldn't work in the older one and probably no way to back-migrate them? If I leave the OS the same (Catalina) and just install a new SDD, won't CCC move the MS Office registration over just fine?

 

[Weaselboy]

I think you would have trouble with all those things since the data storage format often changes along with OS upgrades, so you might not be able to go backwards like that.

If you change the drive, MS Office will see that and think it is a different computer and require the registration info.