SuperDuper! V3.0 Testing and Findings

[honestone]

I made a post last week that SuperDuper! 3.0, with full High Sierra compatibility, had been released. I did download the new version to each of my Macs, and on Saturday I did my usual two backups for each of my Macs to my two external SSDs. As expected, the new version worked like a charm, even though I am still using the latest version of Sierra, OS 10.12.6.

But I thought I'd share what the folks at Shirt Pocket Software (they make SuperDuper!) went through in terms of coming up with a version fully compatible with High Sierra. This link makes for interesting reading:

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/blog/index.php/shadedgrey/comments/bad_craziness_good_release/

 

[Allen Davis]

I read in one of your other posts that you preferred SuperDuper! over Carbon Copy Cloner. I use the latter and like it quite a bit. What are your thoughts as how they stack up against one another?

 

[honestone]

I read in one of your other posts that you preferred SuperDuper! over Carbon Copy Cloner. I use the latter and like it quite a bit. What are your thoughts as how they stack up against one another?

Since I have never used Carbon Copy Cloner, I really can't offer any comments about one over the other. Both work fine, both have had excellent reviews, and both are solid products. There are, of course, two main differences:

1. Cost: SuperDuper! costs $27.95, and Carbon Copy Cloner $39.95.

2. Carbon Copy Cloner also backs up the (hidden) Recovery HD partition whereas SuperDuper! does not, But that has never been a detriment for me, because of the following:

a. When I do an "upgrade" to a new Mac OS (or sometimes "within" the same Mac OS), I first boot my Mac from the most recent SuperDuper! backup, use Disk Utility there to Erase and Format my internal drive (SSDs in both of my cases), and then do a fresh, clean, "virgin" installation of the Mac OS I am upgrading to. When that happens, the Recovery HD partition gets created.

b. There are a couple of other ways to recreate that partition. Where that would be applicable is if I were to do a complete recovery from my SuperDuper! backup. When that completed, there would be no Recovery HD partition. But again, there are other ways of recreating it.

c. Since we both have Tech Tool Pro, I assume you know about its eDrive feature. That, and along with having Disk Utility available on my bootable SuperDuper! backup (same is true, of course, with Carbon Copy Cloner), is secure enough for me.

Given that I started with using SuperDuper! (used in demo mode for quite a while), that is why I have stuck with it. But I would not hesitate to get Carbon Copy Cloner (if needed). Again either product is excellent!