Is there a way to clone a hard drive using disk utility as opposed to carbon copy cloner? I have my original HD and want to add a second drive ( preferably an SSD ). The problem is that the current HD is partitioned and running snow leopard on one partition and El Capitan on the other. How would I go about copying both partitions onto an SSD. I understand that I need an SSD that is a little bigger than the HD I am copying. Worst case how would I clone just one of the OS. Is it gonna be a big headache copying the original as two partitions. I tried carbon copy cloner about two years ago and it didn’t work for some reason but maybe it was because I was trying to copy the original HD to a USB external ( yes it was extended journaled ). I can live with just so now leopard or El Capitan. I do like snow leopard as I have to extra loops that came with jam pack I purchased when I got the mini. I use this machine offline and only for recording my music. Thanks for any help !!!!
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Adding second drive and cloning
- Thread starter CompuDuh
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There are a bunch of ways to do what you want, but here is one:
Connect the SSD to your Mac, either installing it internally, or connecting it externally. I recommend connecting externally to making sure that everything is working right before installing it internally.
Partition the SSD, having the two partitions a little larger (at a minimum, 110% of the used partition space, or 5GB, what ever is bigger) than used space of the current HDD partitions. If you can do more, then do it.
Next, either clone or migrate the OS. You can use CCC or SuperDuper to clone. I use CCC and like it.
You can also use Apple's Migration Assistant, but installing a fresh copy of whatever OS you want to the partitions, and use Apple's Migration Assistant after the fresh OS is installed and it will copy everything over as it was on your old HDD.
Enable TRIM.
To connect externally, you can use this cheap USB/SATA adapter from Amazon. I bought a few of these, and they work great:
Also, it might be best to have the latest firmware available installed on your Mini. If you don't then you may need to install the newer supported OS available for your Mac on the OEM HDD. You might be able to do everything fine without having the latest firmware.
Maybe the current version of CCC might not work with Snow Leopard, but you might be able to either clone the Snow Leopard partition using CCC in El Capitan, or download an old version of CCC for Snow Leopard.
Connect the SSD to your Mac, either installing it internally, or connecting it externally. I recommend connecting externally to making sure that everything is working right before installing it internally.
Partition the SSD, having the two partitions a little larger (at a minimum, 110% of the used partition space, or 5GB, what ever is bigger) than used space of the current HDD partitions. If you can do more, then do it.
Next, either clone or migrate the OS. You can use CCC or SuperDuper to clone. I use CCC and like it.
You can also use Apple's Migration Assistant, but installing a fresh copy of whatever OS you want to the partitions, and use Apple's Migration Assistant after the fresh OS is installed and it will copy everything over as it was on your old HDD.
Enable TRIM.
To connect externally, you can use this cheap USB/SATA adapter from Amazon. I bought a few of these, and they work great:
SABRENT USB 3.0 to SSD / 2.5 Inch SATA I/II/III Hard Drive Adapter (EC-SSHD)
Product Description:Take advantage of the lightening speed of USB 3.0 to quickly transfer files up to 5 Gbps! Connect any 2.5'' Serial ATA (SATA) / SSD or SATA II Hard Drive to your computer through an available USB 3.0 port on your desktop or laptop. Reverse compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1, this...
www.amazon.com
Also, it might be best to have the latest firmware available installed on your Mini. If you don't then you may need to install the newer supported OS available for your Mac on the OEM HDD. You might be able to do everything fine without having the latest firmware.
Not sure what this would be a problem. I use CCC to clone an OS to an external USB drive everyday. Maybe it was something else. You should try CCC again.
Maybe the current version of CCC might not work with Snow Leopard, but you might be able to either clone the Snow Leopard partition using CCC in El Capitan, or download an old version of CCC for Snow Leopard.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
"The problem is that the current HD is partitioned and running snow leopard on one partition and El Capitan on the other. How would I go about copying both partitions onto an SSD"
What's the problem here?
1. Connect SSD externally
2. Erase/initialize with disk utility
3. Use disk utility to partition SSD
4. Use CCC to clone Snow Leopard partition from source to target, then...
5. Use CCC to clone El Cap partition from source to target.
Done.
Personal experience:
I regularly use CCC to clone the internal drive of my Mini (which has FOUR partitions, one APFS and three HFS+) to an external USB SSD.
No problems, goes fast.
I do the same with other backup drives as well.
What's the problem here?
1. Connect SSD externally
2. Erase/initialize with disk utility
3. Use disk utility to partition SSD
4. Use CCC to clone Snow Leopard partition from source to target, then...
5. Use CCC to clone El Cap partition from source to target.
Done.
Personal experience:
I regularly use CCC to clone the internal drive of my Mini (which has FOUR partitions, one APFS and three HFS+) to an external USB SSD.
No problems, goes fast.
I do the same with other backup drives as well.
I’m thinking it was due to the fact that CCC only seems to support snow leopard if you have the paid version. I was thinking since I have the original snow leopard disk I could just install snow leopard. I figured I could partition the new SSD beforehand and using the disk to install snow leopard and I could use CCC to copy El Capitan to the second partition on the new SSD. The original HD is as old as the machine and I know it will fail at some point. This was I can have both snow leopard and El Capitan on the new SSD like I have now on the old HD. The only reason I still want snow leopard and El Capitan is I use this machine only for recoding my music and I have some older songs that I use the loops and effects that came with the “jam pack” I purchased as well as “live 08”. My only concern will be how the machine reacts to installing the “live 08” which allows GarageBand and “jam pack” as it allows for extra loops and effects. I does some recoding in the El Capitan as well. I am disabled and money is tight and have not purchased a new Mac since the old G5 power macs. My current mini is getting the job done for recording so I want to keep it running as long as possible. I’m a musician and not a computer tech so sorry if I come off as ignorant. I appreciate all the input I have received so far !!!! I see that others have said that super duper does not clone the recovery partition and that important for the El Capitan side of things. I’m only trying to get around the paid version of CCC because I only see myself doing this once in the near future and money is tight. I did download and try to use it in this machine a few years back so hopefully they will still let me download the free trial version.There are a bunch of ways to do what you want, but here is one:
Connect the SSD to your Mac, either installing it internally, or connecting it externally. I recommend connecting externally to making sure that everything is working right before installing it internally.
Partition the SSD, having the two partitions a little larger (at a minimum, 110% of the used partition space, or 5GB, what ever is bigger) than used space of the current HDD partitions. If you can do more, then do it.
Next, either clone or migrate the OS. You can use CCC or SuperDuper to clone. I use CCC and like it.
You can also use Apple's Migration Assistant, but installing a fresh copy of whatever OS you want to the partitions, and use Apple's Migration Assistant after the fresh OS is installed and it will copy everything over as it was on your old HDD.
Enable TRIM.
To connect externally, you can use this cheap USB/SATA adapter from Amazon. I bought a few of these, and they work great:
SABRENT USB 3.0 to SSD / 2.5 Inch SATA I/II/III Hard Drive Adapter (EC-SSHD)
Product Description:Take advantage of the lightening speed of USB 3.0 to quickly transfer files up to 5 Gbps! Connect any 2.5'' Serial ATA (SATA) / SSD or SATA II Hard Drive to your computer through an available USB 3.0 port on your desktop or laptop. Reverse compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1, this...www.amazon.com
Also, it might be best to have the latest firmware available installed on your Mini. If you don't then you may need to install the newer supported OS available for your Mac on the OEM HDD. You might be able to do everything fine without having the latest firmware.
Not sure what this would be a problem. I use CCC to clone an OS to an external USB drive everyday. Maybe it was something else. You should try CCC again.
Maybe the current version of CCC might not work with Snow Leopard, but you might be able to either clone the Snow Leopard partition using CCC in El Capitan, or download an old version of CCC for Snow Leopard.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.