File Format For Cloning vs Time Machine?

[jparker402]

Thinking about getting an SSD to create a clone. Reading up on Youtube on SSDs, file formats, cloning, etc., believe I just heard someone way that to successfully create a clone, the new SSD should be formatted like the Mac HD that you are cloning which in my case would be APFS. Had to learn how to see what it was using disk utility. In the process, discovered that my WD My Passport hooked up to Time Machine is formatted OS extended (journaled). And apparently that is the only file format one can use for TM to work. Curious as to why a clone uses one thing and TM uses another, but most curious to know if the above is correct.

 

[Weaselboy]

TM did not support APFS until Big Sur. So you likely have a TM backup made prior to Big Sur.

 

[Fishrrman]

You didn't tell us WHICH VERSION of the OS you're using. That's important information.

For a cloned backup...
- Mojave and later, APFS
- High Sierra and earlier, HFS+ (also called "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format")

 

[jparker402]

Currently have updated to Monterey on my MacBook Air (early 2015). When I bought the MacBook and the WD My Passport for TM the operating system was Yosemite. Have made every update since then. Gather the updates do not change the file format of TM?

 

[Weaselboy]

Gather the updates do not change the file format of TM?

No they don't. You would need to reformat the drive and start over. It is worth doing since APFS seems to really speed up the TM backups.