Internal DVD optical drive-Will back up from newer machine destroy functionality

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Internal DVD optical drive-Will back up from newer machine destroy functionality

I have a MacBook Pro (mid-2012) with an internal DVD/cd optical drive (32 bit) using Mojave OS. I also have an iMac 2017 with an external Apple Superdrive (64 bit) using Mojave OS. Both computers work fine. I would like to use the Time Machine backup of the iMac to restore my MacBook Pro so that it has all of my photos and ITunes and files on it in the exact same setup as they are on the iMac. My question is this: Since the iMac has an external Superdrive (64 bit software) and the MacBook has an internal DVD drive, (32 bit software), would using the iMac backup to restore the MacBook Pro cause the MacBook Pro internal DVD drive to stop working because it would not have the correct software anymore? If that is the case, is there a way to download the original Apple Internal DVD drive software onto the MacBook Pro once I have restored it using the iMac? My goal here is to not destroy the functionality of my internal DVD drive on the MacBook Pro as the Superdrive will not work with Apple products that have a native internal DVD drive. Any advice would be much appreciated.

MacBook Pro 15", macOS 10.14

Posted on Feb 2, 2020 6:46 PM

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Answer 1

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D.I. Johnson

Level 7

23,891 points

Feb 3, 2020 7:33 PM in response to Lynnfromhere

Lynnfromhere wrote:

... My question is this: Since the iMac has an external Superdrive (64 bit software) and the MacBook has an internal DVD drive, (32 bit software), would using the iMac backup to restore the MacBook Pro cause the MacBook Pro internal DVD drive to stop working because it would not have the correct software anymore? ...

In answer to your original question: No, I don't believe your MacBook Pro would lose the functionality of the internal drive after being restored from the iMac backup.

I believe that macOS configures itself to the hardware (device) it is being run on at startup. Therefore if the device has an internal superdrive, then macOS loads the drivers it needs to run that superdrive. Likewise with the ability to use the external superdrive plugged in to the iMac.

MacOS Mojave can run equally well on the mid-2012 MacBook Pro as it does on the 2017 iMac.

MacOS Catalina can run equally well on both also – and as we know, Catalina is purely a 64-bit operating system.

Unless someone with more refined knowledge of the intricacies of macOS restoration from one machine to another has something to add, I suggest that you prepare a current backup of the MBP and then give the restoration a try.

At worst the restoration fails in some way and you'll have to restore the machine back to its original config.

At best, you've just answered your own question in a positive way. 👍🏽

Good luck!

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Answer 2

den.thed

Level 10

82,390 points

Feb 2, 2020 7:30 PM in response to Lynnfromhere

I always add new photos and music to my new Mac first, then I copy the Photos and Music from the new Mac to an external hard drive. Then I import the new photos and music files to my older Mac using that external drive. Not only does that give me matching photos and music on both Mac's, but it also gives me an extra copy of those items in addition to the normal backups of each Mac.

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Answer 3

rkaufmann87

Level 10

143,892 points

Feb 2, 2020 7:30 PM in response to Lynnfromhere

What is currently installed on the MBP, anything or just Mojave?

What version of Mac OS is on the iMac?

Does the iMac have a Time Machine backup?

Do Hulu have iCloud turned on?

Please answer all questions.

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Answer 4

Lynnfromhere Author

Level 1

13 points

Feb 3, 2020 6:11 PM in response to rkaufmann87

Hi rkaufmann87-

Here are the answers to your questions:

What is currently installed on the MBP, anything or just Mojave? MacBookPro is just Mojave 10.14.6. and I'm using the Apple software that came with it to run the apps and the internal optical drive that came installed on it.

What version of Mac OS is on the iMac? Mojave 10.14.6

Does the iMac have a Time Machine backup? Both the iMac and the MacBook Pro have their own Time Machine backup. I use separate Lacie external drives for the backups.

Do Hulu have iCloud turned on? iCloud is not turned on either computer. I don't use the cloud for anything. Uploading my 28,000 photos to the cloud from the iMac and transferring them to the MacBook Pro is problematic because our internet is not very fast and it would probably take a month for the photos to go into the cloud. Im also leery of the cloud and dont really want to use it.

As an added note, the main reason I dont simply transfer the photos over via a thumbdrive is that I want each photo to go into the more than 500 albums I set up on the iMac. I would hand transfer them folder by folder but there is an added issue: when I put the videos that are among my photos onto a thumbdrive the creation date changes from the original date that the video was made to the date I put it on the thumb drive. As a result the videos lose their place chronologically.

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Answer 5

Lynnfromhere Author

Level 1

13 points

Feb 3, 2020 6:15 PM in response to den.thed

Hi den.thed - Your method will be what I wind up doing if I cannot figure out a way to use the iMac backup to move my photos and videos without destroying my MacBook Pro internal DVD functionality. The main reason I dont simply transfer the photos over via a thumbdrive is that I want each photo to go into the more than 500 albums I set up on the iMac. It would take forever to hand transfer them folder by folder. But that also creates an added issue: when I put the videos that are among

my photos onto a thumbdrive the creation date changes from the original date that the video was made to the date I put it on the thumb drive. As a result the videos lose their correct chronological place in my collection of photos.

I also don't want to use iCloud as I dont want my photos there, and because I have 28,000 pictures and slow internet. It would proabably take a month for all those photos to go into the cloud and then download to my MacBook Pro.

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Answer 6

den.thed

Level 10

82,390 points

Feb 3, 2020 7:01 PM in response to Lynnfromhere

Hmm... moving the entire photo library or groups of photos from different dates can be problematic. However I find that if I move smaller batches of photos all from the same date, that they keep and maintain their original chronological order when imported into the other computer.

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