External APFS volumes not usable after switching to macOS 13.0.1 (Ventura)

[desertman]

I changed yesterday from macOS 12.6.1 (Monterey) to macOS 13.0.1 (Ventura). [I know Apple calls this an "upgrade." I don't.]

Before the switch I made two backups - one Time Machine backup and one Carbon Copy Cloner hard disk clone. Both backups are on an external hard drive with a total of 3 partitions. The CCC backup partition is APFS formatted, the other 2 partitions (one of which contains the Time Machine backup) are Mac OS Extended (Journaled) partitions.

Since the switch the CCC backup volume of the external hard drive with 3 partitions does not show up on the desktop or in the sidebar of Finder windows anymore - but it shows up as “mounted” in Disk Utility and it can also be opened in Finder from within Disk Utility. It can, however, not be chosen as a startup disk in System Settings.

I tried several things to fix this, but nothing helped: restarting, different cables, all possible First Aid runs in Disk Utility, unmounting and remounting in Disk Utility - and probably some more things that I now forgot.

I then remembered that I have another external hard drive with just one partition and connected it. It also does not show up on the Desktop, it also shows up as mounted in Disk Utility, it also is - like the CCC volume - APFS formatted. It also cannot be chosen as Startup Disk in System Settings.

I connected also an external microSD card - and it works. Guess, how it is formatted. Correct, it is Mac OS Extended (Journaled) formatted.

What works on external volumes? The old-fashioned Mac OS Extended (Journaled) formatted partitions.

What does not work? The advanced APFS formatted partitions. APFS works only with the internal SSD. Well done, Apple.

I’m attaching 2 screenshots that illustrate the problem.

Does anyone have any idea how I can get my two APFS formatted external volumes to work with macOS 13?

Thanks,
desertman

 

[Mike Boreham]

This article may have some answers:

https://bombich.com/kb/ccc6/macos-ventura-known-issues

A bit puzzled about your HFS+ Time Machine drive. Was it created some time ago? If you create a Time Machine backup now it is automatically formatted APFS case sensitive, but I believe pre-existing HFS+ Time Machine volumes continued to work after the change.

 

[gilby101]

I’m attaching 2 screenshots that illustrate the problem.
Does anyone have any idea how I can get my two APFS formatted external volumes to work with macOS 13?

To me, your screenshots show that external APFS volumes are working as is to be expected. You can see the data, etc.

Note that is NOT to be expected that a CCC so-called clone will be bootable except in specific circumstances. Bombich has discussed this on his web site. TM and CCC backups are, by default, very similar.

You can create bootable external disks by installing macOS to the disk. The details of how to do this vary between AS, Intel with T2 and older Intel Macs. I keep a small bootable external disk in case of issues.

 

[haralds]

I have you checked your Finder's settings to show the drives on the desktop and sidebar? For some reason that is often disabled by default.

 

[yellowhelicopter]

External APFS volumes not usable after switching to macOS 13.0.1 (Ventura)

For me they work exactly like they worked on Monterey. To make a bootable clone with CCC you have to choose legacy option or whatever it's called https://bombich.com/kb/ccc6/cloning-macos-system-volumes-apple-software-restore, or just install Ventura on external APFS drive by usual way on any volume, there can be as many volumes as you like. The only problem I encountered was that I couldn't fully install macOS when my drive was connected to USB-C port, I had yo use USB-A. However, CCC legacy worked fine with USB-C too.

 

[desertman]

This article may have some answers: https://bombich.com/kb/ccc6/macos-ventura-known-issues

For me they work exactly like they worked on Monterey. To make a bootable clone with CCC you have to choose legacy option ...

Thanks for your answers. Both affected volumes are indeed CCC clones. Too bad I didn't know about the legacy option. Too bad I now have no way to boot with all my stuff into macOS Monterey (although I don't know if I would ever really need that).

 

[haralds]

You could use a USB installer to install Monterey on the CCC Clone volume. It should do the right thing to "adopt" the data volume.
Alternatively, you can use the USB installer on a separate volume on your external drive and then use the Migration Wizard to import the CCC data. If you have enough space that is the safest and preferred way.
You cannot import data from Ventura to an older OS version.
For a while, I kept a Monterey boot on my Mac Studio but finally deleted it.

 

[Mike Boreham]

You cannot import data from Ventura to an older OS version.

This has long been the established position but I think some things have changed in Ventura.

Have a look at this post and the subsequent one.

I was surprised.