Question on Time Machine for iMac.

[Turnpike]

I've been researching my options on these forums, and I have a question to be sure I understand this correctly;

If I would use an iMac Pro and condense all my work onto this one desktop, but use an external SSD for "Time Machine" can I just unplug the Time Machine SSD and put it into my 15" MBPro and keep using everything as it was on the iMac Pro should it go bad, need a repair, or something?

I realize I wouldn't have the computing power of the iMac Pro, but would I have all the info as it was layed out on the iMac Pro now accessible on my 15" MBPro?

Just want to be extra sure, since I'm about to set things up and buy a few things. Thank you!

 

[chscag]

A better way would be to clone your iMac Pro to an external SSD using Carbon Copy Cloner. The external SSD would be bootable and could be used to boot the iMac Pro if necessary should the internal SSD fail. A Time Machine or CCC backup of your iMac Pro is not going to work with the 15" MacBook Pro. Besides, your 15" MacBook Pro probably has a different type of SSD installed. How would you fit an external SSD into it?

 

[SanPellegrino]

If I would use an iMac Pro and condense all my work onto this one desktop, but use an external SSD for "Time Machine" can I just unplug the Time Machine SSD and put it into my 15" MBPro and keep using everything as it was on the iMac Pro should it go bad, need a repair, or something?

No, Time Machine Backups are not bootable devices and have a different folder structure than a standard MacOS installation. You could, however, connect the Backup to your 15" MBP and restore all files there (provided you have enough free space on your MBP).

The alternative - mentioned by chscag - is to clone the iMac Pro drive.

As far as installing an SSD into the MBP is concerned, be aware that, starting with the 3rd generation MBP, there's no traditional HDD bay anymore into which a standard-sized 2.5" SSD would fit into. You'd be forced to boot from the external drive.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP asked:
"If I would use an iMac Pro and condense all my work onto this one desktop, but use an external SSD for "Time Machine" can I just unplug the Time Machine SSD and put it into my 15" MBPro and keep using everything as it was on the iMac Pro should it go bad, need a repair, or something?"

NO.
It doesn't work this way.

There ARE backup apps that WILL permit just what you described above:
- CarbonCopyCloner
- SuperDuper

Either of these will create a BOOTABLE (to the finder) cloned backup that you can plug into another Mac, and then boot and run it just as you would the "source Mac".

YOU CAN'T DO THIS WITH TIME MACHINE -- unless you actually "restore" the entire drive.
But YOU CAN do it with a cloned backup created with CCC or SD.

 

[Turnpike]

Oh, I wouldn't need to use anything on the backup- the Time Machine backup disc that I'd be using would be just in case I lost access to the iMac for some reason, I could move EVERYTHING over to a new iMac of some sort (with the same amount of memory).... does that sound like it would work?

 

[mikehalloran]

NO.
It doesn't work this way.

Correct.

Cloning is a terrible substitute but that's ok — it won't accomplish what you want either.

It's time to stop telling us how you want to do things as you don't have a clue (just going by your posts—you really don't).

Tell us what you are trying to accomplish. What applications? What hardware is available? Let's focus on that. Network computing is the answer but that, by itself, is also meaningless without specifics.

 

[SanPellegrino]

... I'd be using would be just in case I lost access to the iMac for some reason, I could move EVERYTHING over to a new iMac of some sort (with the same amount of memory).... does that sound like it would work?

Stick to Time Machine. It will restore the last backed up version of your Mac on any replacement machine (provided you have enough space).

 

[Weaselboy]

Oh, I wouldn't need to use anything on the backup- the Time Machine backup disc that I'd be using would be just in case I lost access to the iMac for some reason, I could move EVERYTHING over to a new iMac of some sort (with the same amount of memory).... does that sound like it would work?

Yes that would work. That is exactly what Time Machine is for.