New external HDD, replacing old external HDD. What's the easiest way?

[RollTide1017]

I have a new 2TB external drive that I want to use to replace my current 1TB external dive. We save all of our music photos and videos to the external drive. I'm trying to have to avoid logging in as each user and re-pointing iTunes to the new external drive, other programs as well.

I have a Time Machine backup that includes the current external drive. Is there away to restore everything to the new drive so that our iMac just thinks the new drive is the same old drive? Basically so that everything just continues to work without having to point programs to the new drive?

What's the easiest route, if there is one? I've never done this on a Mac before, I could do it in Windows with my eyes closed.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Brawdy14]

Hi

Have you considered using iCloud instead of your new 2TB drive?

Lots of information here: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204264

I use it and find it excellent - I take a photo with my iPhone and almost instantly the image is available on my iPad and iMac too. It's just like magic!

HTH
David

 

[Fishrrman]

I have no idea whether the TM backup will impact my advice below.
I DO NOT use TM and I tell others to avoid it, as well.

What you could do:
- Initialize the new drive to Mac OS extended with journaling enabled.
- Use CarbonCopyCloner to clone everything on the drive EXCEPT the TM backup to the new drive. CCC to my understanding will not clone a TM backup from one drive to another*
- Then, use TM to create a "new fresh" backup on the 2tb drive.

* I don't know whether CCC automatically "excludes" the TM backup from the clone, or not. You might have to "manually DEselect" it.

 

[RollTide1017]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll take a look at CCC.