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Will a Full HS Installer Convert HFS to APFS on Apple Flash Drive?

CoastalOR

CoastalOR

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jan 19, 2015
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Oregon, USA
BACKGROUND:
I would like to install High Sierra on my 2015 MBP, but I would prefer to stay with HFS+ for now until Disk Warrior is updated to support APFS. I will install HS on a clone of my internal drive to a external spinner HDD so it will remain HFS. I will then clone the installed HS from the external to my internal once I am satisfied of the successful install on the external. I will have a CCC clone and TM of my current Sierra BEFORE performing the first HS installation.

QUESTION:
Once Disk Warrior is updated to support APFS, Can I run the full HS installer on my internal MBP flash drive to get a fresh HS and automatically convert from HFS to APFS?
 
Yes, that will work. But with APFS utilities like Disk Warrior are not needed. APFS doesn't have B-Trees that can get corrupt like HFS+ does. It has a very robust metadata system that has been designed to never need repair utilities.
 
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Intell said:
Yes, that will work. But with APFS utilities like Disk Warrior are not needed. APFS doesn't have B-Trees that can get corrupt like HFS+ does. It has a very robust metadata system that has been designed to never need repair utilities.
Click to expand...
That is good to know. My normal process is to do a backup of the old system (clone & TM), run Disk Warrior to get a efficient Directory (10 of 10), download/install the new OS, and then run Disk Warrior on the new install. I have seen that the new directory can be a 5-7 out of 10 after a new install (of course that is for HFS).
 
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On a SSD it doesn't matter how efficient the directory is. And on APFS, there isn't a directory to keep efficient. Just note that APFS is not designed for HDDs and can result in slower performance over HFS+.
 
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Intell said:
On a SSD it doesn't matter how efficient the directory is. And on APFS, there isn't a directory to keep efficient. Just note that APFS is not designed for HDDs and can result in slower performance over HFS+.
Click to expand...
Good to know about the directory. Thanks for the information.

Was not planning on running HS APFS on a spinner HDD. Are you saying that HS will be slower using HFS+ on the internal flash?
 
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CoastalOR said:
Good to know about the directory. Thanks for the information.

Was not planning on running HS APFS on a spinner HDD. Are you saying that HS will be slower using HFS+ on the internal flash?
Click to expand...

It will be slower (theoretically at least) than the optimized APFS on the internal flash
How much would be noticed in real life usage is debatable
 
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I think "the original plan" (install HD on external HFS, then clone to internal SSD) is a good one.

Although there's been no distinct evidence "to prove" it yet, I sense that many of the problems folks are having with High Sierra is due to APFS.

I installed HS onto an EXTERNAL SSD connected via a USB3/SATA adapter/dongle. The drive is formatted to HFS+. HS actually runs fast and seems stable, even with the latest public beta. So far, I've just used it "lightly" for test purposes. Seems good enough.

I think I'll stick with HFS+ for the foreseeable future (I'm talking years).
No interest in moving to APFS, not even on a new Mac.
If I get a new Mac with APFS, I think I'll try creating an HFS clone on an external drive, then down-converting the new Mac back to HFS+ (if that will even be possible, remains to be seen at this point).

HFS forever! ;)
 
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