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Shirt Pocket (Super Duper!) today posted this warning, that macOS 15.2 breaks system copying.
So, may I ask: has anyone both updated to 15.2 AND successfully run Carbon Copy Cloner, please: or does CCC also fail?
TIA…!
iMac Pro, macOS 15.1
I originally had CCC 6.xx in Sequoia, but it acted odd. Mainly, it would randomly complain that I needed to give it full disk access, even thought that was already active. I would have to restart the computer before it would run.
Upgrading to version 7.xx fixed those problems.
As far as making a bootable clone, I asked the developer about that at least two major releases of macOS back. His reply was, "Don't do that. The new security of macOS makes it impossible to know if everything was copied, or copied correctly."
He very strongly suggested the only correct way to do it now is to create an APFS volume on an external drive and do a backup without trying to use the Legacy Bootable option. When the copy is complete, it looks something like this:
To make a working clone on an external drive (to a different APFS volume), or to rebuild your main internal drive from scratch, you use either a bootable USB drive of a macOS installer, or install the OS from Recovery mode. When it gets to the end and asks if you have data to restore, you point it to your CCC backup. All of that gets merged in and you have an exact replica of your backup, which is also bootable.
It takes a bit more time this way than attempting a full clone, but it's guaranteed to work.
Thank you, @tbirdvet - seems promising, doesn't it.
When you installed Sequoia, was that 15.2 from an earlier version of Sequoia, or from macOS 14 or earlier?
I still have an Intel iMac… waiting for M4's (next year, now, presumably).
From that post by Shirt Pocket, do you think I'd be unlikely to need or miss the partitions that are failing for SuperDuper! on 15.2?
Could I just run CCC per this page?
It's the fact that SuperDuper! seems to abort no matter what that worries me.
Mark Sealey wrote:
Thanks very much, @den.thed!
If an older version than the latest of CCC works, then there are surely very good chances that v.7 will.
Much appreciated… most encouraging :-)
You're welcome.
Exactly! In fact, I've been meaning to upgrade to CCC 7 for a few months now.
Old Toad wrote:
Thanks for the info. I didn't see the Smart Update option in Version 3.8. It asked me if I wanted to upgrade to 3.9. May have to. I'll see what happens with 3.8.
I think Smart Update is only available in SuperDuper in the paid up version. I don't think the free version does Smart Updates but I'm not sure because I use only paid up versions. By the way, my version is 3.9.1. It's inexpensive and I feel I should pay in order to enable small companies to continue to produce such helpful products.
I have the paid Intel version but don't have the latest Silicon version which is a paid upgrade - V 3.9. I'll see how the installer goes on the EHD. If it's unsuccessful or a real pain maybe I'll go for the upgrade.
Thanks very much, @PRP_53. That's re-assuring, isn't it.
Also that Mike seems to have added that paragraph in red at the top 11 days ago - presumably when he might have been testing 15.2 beta.
Since I want to 'follow the rules' and not try to create legacy boot clones, the more I read from posters here (thanks, everyone!) the safer I feel :-)
Great. Thanks, Steve!
I'm now 99% sure that I can safely upgrade from 15.1.1 to 15.2. Shall wait to hear from Mike, I hope tomorrow.
But as a by-product of all the information posters have kindly offered here, I obviously need to adjust my expectations for bootable clones (to not doing them).
I've obviously lived with CCC doing what it does so well for years now. But to read Dave's description of SuperDuper! aborting was disturbing.
Again, appreciated…
Thanks, Matti!
(Like many here, I'm sure, I'm fanatical about keeping my Macs tidy and - hopefully - every likely to be compromised.)
Hence my extra hesitation. Your re-assuring reply much appreciated.
@PRP_53,
The futility (if that's not too strong a word) of trying to make a bootable clone on either Intel (which I still have: am waiting for an M3/M4 desktop… in 2025 now) or Silicon machine (soon :-) ) is one of the things I have learnt here; thank you!
My real concern, I guess, was that CCC 7.0.4 would simply not complete under 15.2 (and so I'd have no usable non-bootable clone) - in the way that SuperDuper! seems not to complete under certain circumstances. Dave writes (emphasis (bold) mine):
Apple broke the replicator. Towards the end of replicating the Data volume, seemingly when it's about to copy either Preboot or Recovery, it fails with a Resource Busy error.
I have probably been being over-cautious!
[Edited by Moderator]
If it helps, I have spent the last couple weeks facing a similar situation. My timemachine backup was on a LaCie Big Deck (make sure you pronounce that correctly), and the La Cie failed. It's now across the country in their data recovery department hopefully rescuing everything in my archive. So I have been researching better options. For the cloud backup option (not just the new external drive option I've ordered) I've been reading everything ab out CCC and Chronosync. I wrote Chronosync to confirm I was thinking about it right, that I could have a bootable back up there. They replied this morning that they do not offer that anymore as an option since, direct quote, "Apple does not allow them. So the alternative is to do a Data Volume Backup.
Even though it is possible to attempt bootable backups they are completely unreliable on any modern macOS.
It is important to understand that no one software can overcome the new Apple restrictions."
So I guess we're forced to rely only on Time Machine on an external disk.
Though I'm a novice about all this so sorry if it's really basic and old info.
Matti Haveri wrote:
CCC can optionally make snapshots via its "Safety net" feature. I have a few times mounted such snapshot and grabbed an old version of some file.
That's good to know. I have no idea what they were. Thanks.
I have an inquiry in with Mike at Bombrich; Yes.
I've looked elsewhere - in all the usual places - including on their site… no mention of anything with CCC - yet :-) ?
Thanks.
I have an inquiry in with Mike at Bombrich; Yes - thanks @dialabrain.
I've looked elsewhere - in all the usual places - including on their site… no mention of anything with CCC - yet :-) ?
Thanks.
Thanks very much, @den.thed!
If an older version than the latest of CCC works, then there are surely very good chances that v.7 will.
Much appreciated… most encouraging :-)
Thanks, @Old Toad!
That's good news.
I have a funny feeling I can stop being concerned now and - perhaps subject to what Mike says on Monday - just upgrade and expect to be able to clone.
Thanks again, @tbirdvet!
I now think I shall have no problems. I agree: Legacy boot is not crucial (or always reliable). For CCC to complete the clone is parity with what I have now.
Appreciated… :-)
Sequoia 15.2 and Carbon copy cloner
