I used to have my own cloning script I used so I could just swap and boot if I had a disk failure. That's no longer an option due to changes in the last few OS versions. Is there a good reputable, non-malware app I can use now? We've been having weird issues in my area and I'm worried about what might happen if internet is down and my mac goes Tango Uniform.
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Reputable cloning software
- Thread starter iwtunx
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Things have changed, and you need not worry about operating system corruption. Your machine has three bootable operating systems on it–the normal everyday system, Recovery, and Fallback Recovery. The system is verified at every boot, is signed, and is read only so it cannot be corrupted. If the SSD fails, the machine won't boot, even from an external drive.
All you need to protect with backups is your personal data. For that, two good choices are Carbon Copy Cloner, or SuperDuper. Either of those will make full copies of your user data. Also, don't forget that Time Machine is built in to the system.
eclecticlight.co
All you need to protect with backups is your personal data. For that, two good choices are Carbon Copy Cloner, or SuperDuper. Either of those will make full copies of your user data. Also, don't forget that Time Machine is built in to the system.
An illustrated guide to Recovery on Apple silicon Macs
A step-by-step fully illustrated guide to how to use every feature in Recovery Mode on an M1 or M2 Mac running Big Sur, Monterey or Ventura.
eclecticlight.co
Two unlikely events happening together. If you are really worried about that level of risk, you likely need a second Mac with data synchronised. Not that that would save you from ransomware.
I would keep a second Mac updated to same macOS as the main one and, in the event of disaster, use Migration Assistant to recover from my TM backup. Use an SSD for the TM backup and you will back and running pretty quickly. CCC does a similar job to TM if you want to use that.
Be aware that booting from an external disk cloned on another Mac is tricky with Apple silicon Macs - needs careful testing.
OP:
You didn't tell us WHICH Mac you have (Intel or m-series).
With Intel, a cloned backup is THE BEST kind of backup. You can boot and run from it even if the internal drive fails.
HOWEVER...
With m-series things change.
You may still be able to create a bootable backup (I would recommend trying SuperDuper for this, as it makes it easier). But be advised that even after "going through the process", the cloned backup may not boot.
Possible fixes:
1. You could try using the OS installer to install a bootable OS "over" the cloned backup.
May or may not work.
or
2. Get an external drive. Install a fresh OS onto it, THEN "migrate" from your internal drive to the external bootable drive. This USUALLY will work.
After doing this, you can use either CCC or SD to "maintain" the clone (just "the data part", not the sealed system volume).
BUT... there still can be a problem.
That is... with the m-series... if the internal drive fails, you can't boot from ANY external drive, even a "known working" bootable clone. Just won't work.
You didn't tell us WHICH Mac you have (Intel or m-series).
With Intel, a cloned backup is THE BEST kind of backup. You can boot and run from it even if the internal drive fails.
HOWEVER...
With m-series things change.
You may still be able to create a bootable backup (I would recommend trying SuperDuper for this, as it makes it easier). But be advised that even after "going through the process", the cloned backup may not boot.
Possible fixes:
1. You could try using the OS installer to install a bootable OS "over" the cloned backup.
May or may not work.
or
2. Get an external drive. Install a fresh OS onto it, THEN "migrate" from your internal drive to the external bootable drive. This USUALLY will work.
After doing this, you can use either CCC or SD to "maintain" the clone (just "the data part", not the sealed system volume).
BUT... there still can be a problem.
That is... with the m-series... if the internal drive fails, you can't boot from ANY external drive, even a "known working" bootable clone. Just won't work.