How to create a bootable External Hard Drive?

[Reesche]

Hi you guys... I would like to know how to create a MAC bootable external hard drive to use as backing up my current MacPro laptop with High Sierra.

I have currently backed up my MacPro laptop using Carbon Copy Cloner. (it has everything High Sierra and all my apps)

But If I have something catastrophic happen to my MacPro I do NOT think my 1 GB WD Passport Ultra is actually bootable. Ideally, I would like to be able to boot from this 1GB external drive and clone my system and apps back to the laptop when needed.

Questions: How do I format the 1 GB WD Passport Ultra to be bootable? Also, is this a reformat situation, in that once it is bootable I will have to go back again, and run Carbon Copy Cloner and put everything back onto that external drive?

Thank You!
Reesche

 

[honestone]

Assuming that you do not need anything on the WD drive, first just use Disk Utility to Erase and Format (and if applicable, partition) the drive. Use Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and GUID as the format "parameters".

Next, when you use Carbon Copy Cloner to back up your MacPro laptop to the WD drive/partition, assuming CCC is like SuperDuper!, it will make that backup bootable.

 

[Lufbrarunner]

As above Carbon Copy Cloner does it quickly and effectively.

 

[Peter Aretin]

As above Carbon Copy Cloner does it quickly and effectively.

Yes. Be sure and use the version appropriate to your OS. I maintain a number of bootable clones on external drives for legacy applications, and in fact I haven't gone to High Sierra as my regular boot drive yet and run it from a clone for certain streaming services like Hulu and Eurosport player that work much better with it. CCC is also a good incremental backup application.

 

[honestone]

Either SuperDuper! (https://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html) or Carbon Copy Cloner (https://bombich.com/) work very well. I use SuperDuper!, and as Peter Averin so correctly states, I always keep it up to date. (Actually, one should keep all their software up to date). I have been using the latest version, V3.1.7, ever since it was released. For CCC, the latest version is V5.1.2.

 

[Peter Aretin]

Either SuperDuper! (https://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html) or Carbon Copy Cloner (https://bombich.com/) work very well. I use SuperDuper!, and as Peter Averin so correctly states, I always keep it up to date. (Actually, one should keep all their software up to date). I have been using the latest version, V3.1.7, ever since it was released. For CCC, the latest version is V5.1.2.

If you maintain bootable clones of earlier operating systems, use the version on that clone to copy it or back it up.

 

[honestone]

If you maintain bootable clones of earlier operating systems, use the version on that clone to copy it or back it up.

Typically, one would first boot from that "version" of the backup/clone, and then launch SuperDuper!/Carbon Copy Cloner from that clone. That should contain the applicable version of either SD or CCC. However, in most instances, the current version of either product is compatible with "some" earlier versions of the Mac OS.

 

[honestone]

Just to clarify, there are two main differences between SuperDuper! and Carbon Copy Cloner:

1. Cost: SD casts $27.95, while CCC costs $39.95.

2. CCC also backs up the (hidden) Recovery HD partition, whereas SD does not. That is not a detriment for me, as I have Tech Tool Pro, which has some features than the software on that partition. Also, I always keep a copy of the latest, full Mac OS installer on both of my Macs (backed up, of course, with SD), so I can do a complete recovery if necessary.