Budget SSD For Time Machine

[Ben J.]

To be clear; if you don't want to roll back and change your system version, all you need to do is to restore the user data from your backup. You do not need to reinstall your macOS. It is there. It is locked.

It's different if you want to change the installed macOS version.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"I will be wiping the hard drive on my MacBook Air 2020 M1 and using a bootable installer to install Sequoia. I have a fresh backup on CCC. When it's time to restore, I don't want it to restore Tahoe. Do you know what the best method would be to restore everything else?"

Just before you "do the wipe", do a CCC backup.
Then set the backup aside for the moment.

Now use the bootable installer and install Sequoia.

When the install is complete, and setup assistant opens, connect your backup.

When SA asks for the drive from which to migrate, "point the way" to your just-created backup.

My prediction is that things will go fine.
The Tahoe OS will be "left behind".
Your personal data should migrate ok.
I believe 3rd party apps will "come over", as well.

The only thing you might have problems with are some preference settings (etc.) from "Tahoe to Sequoia". Sequoia may not recognize the Tahoe pref settings. In that case, you'll just have "re-set" things as required. One has to do, what one has to do.