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Level 1

8 points

Backing Up Hardisk to External HD with Catalina?

My iMac 27" / 2017 with Catalina 10.15.1 I tried to make a backup to an external LaCie Thunderbolt HD. I used "Carbon Copy Cloner 5.1.14"with "CLONE" and "back up all files" options on.

LaCie HD was pre formatted to APFS as the iMac HD with Disk Utilities from the system.

After I re-start from the LaCie Back up it takes long time to finish opening all the apps and presents the Desktop, whatever program I try to open it takes a long time and the color ball rotating, no always open all, some programs it will not open.

I check the Backup LaCie HD before starting from it with Disk Utilities and shows all is OK and DONE.

I tried to do all again several times but the result is the same.

My computer is working perfect and fast with Catalina but I need to have a backup as always had for the last 3 years when I bought the LaCie HD. I usually backup monthly, I never wanted to use Time Machine and I will not start now. I will appreciate any help but not too technical. I am too old now.

iMac 27" 5K, macOS 10.15

Posted on Dec 9, 2019 10:58 PM

Best reply

Lurkums

Level 4

1,511 points

Posted on Dec 10, 2019 1:24 AM

You can close system preferences with impunity. The first backup with TM will take ages. A second backup will take a shorter time, but still lengthy. It always seems to need a second large bite! After that it will back up only the incremental changes.

All copy routines, and TM is no exception, get indigestion with myriads of tiny little files. The first TM backup contains more of those than you can shake a stick at. When it hits a batch of large files it will race ahead.

Continue to use your machine as normal. TM is designed to handle real life users. It will incorporate any edits, new files, etc, into subsequent TM backups.

TM also lets you return in time to earlier versions of your files. Obviously it has to have backed them up first!

It is pretty much a fire and forget solution.

I view the TM backup as important enough to have invested in RAID storage so that I have one copy protected even in the event of the rare but inevitable backup drive failure. I had one fail recently after 5 years continuous use

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arore Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 10, 2019 10:46 PM in response to Lurkums

Thanks Lurkums & Lanny for trying to help me. First I answer to Kanny and then in a separated answer to Lurkums to explain what had happens to my using of TIME MACHINE after I followed his advice Yesterday (That will be a longer answer)

Lanny, I have ir very clear that my Mechanical LaCie HD will be slower, specially when I boot my back from it, It had always been in the 3 years I have been using it, but given the time to finish booting, it has worked without any problem as clone, and It was working fine with Catalina 10.15. It was after the upgrade of Catalina 10.15.1 with my first Backup that everything start going wrong, It will not working as a Clone anymore. I have been using CCC all the time. The extern LaCie was formatted APFS before when I was backing Mojave and when Catalina 10.15 was backed up, still working perfect as clone.

Now the problem start after backing up Catalina 10.15.1and always using CCC this time the last version 5.1.14.

Lurkums

Level 4

1,511 points

Dec 11, 2019 1:45 AM in response to arore

To me everything looks correct. TM formatted the drive precisely the way it required. It can’t use APFS

You have multiple backups and your machine is properly protected

i bet you’re surprised how simple it was!

Every so often inspect the preferences pane to reassure yourself that it’s still doing its job. It will be, but reassurance is always a pleasant thing

arore Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 11, 2019 2:50 AM in response to Lurkums

You said it can't be APFS....So if I backup some files or the whole HD to my iMac....How is going to mixed APFS and Mac OS extended?

Also, you forgot to answer my questions about deleting this unused Containers in my Computer HD.

Sorry to bother you, I don't know where you are and what is your time, maybe is sleeping time (if you are in USA) I am in Thailand and local time now is 07.50 pm.

arore Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 11, 2019 2:57 AM in response to arore

Another question...

Can I restart my computer from TM backup?

I tried to find out but always I see only the Macintosh HD there. (the internal in the iMac.?

I think I am making you tired and boring you now.

Lurkums

Level 4

1,511 points

Dec 11, 2019 3:02 AM in response to arore

This is where you have to trust that TM knows what it is doing. The format of the disk makes no difference to the contents. TM chooses the disk format it needs. Catalina on your Mac likes APFS but these are just disk formats

TM simply records you system and data faithfully on the backup drive. It’s truly a fire and forget system

i missed your question about the unused container, probably because that is not where my expertise is

the little I know about APFS suggests that it doesn’t matter. I suggest you separate that question into a new question. That is more likely to attract a good answer

I am in England

Lurkums

Level 4

1,511 points

Dec 11, 2019 6:17 AM in response to arore

arore wrote:

Another question...

Can I restart my computer from TM backup?

I tried to find out but always I see only the Macintosh HD there. (the internal in the iMac.?

I think I am making you tired and boring you now.

I was elsewhere.

No. The TM backup is not a bootable system. It has one role only. It is a pure backup.

Even if your Mac fails catastrophically, or is stolen, its systems and data can be restored from your TM backup so that it is precisely as the machine was previously up to an including the last completed backup

Lurkums

Level 4

1,511 points

Dec 10, 2019 3:56 PM in response to Lurkums

I just discovered 15.2 is out. Please make sure your first TM backup runs to normal end of job before upgrading. Having the first backup is important before an upgrade

Lanny

Level 6

13,183 points

Dec 10, 2019 4:13 PM in response to arore

If your LaCie HD is mechanical, it will work noticeably slower with the APFS format. However, CCC requires the use of APFS if you want the clone to be bootable.

Lanny

Level 6

13,183 points

Dec 10, 2019 4:43 PM in response to Lurkums

See: https://bombich.com/blog/2019/09/12/analysis-apfs-enumeration-performance-on-rotational-hard-drives

Backing Up Hardisk to External HD with Catalina?