How to get & use applications on external SSD

Question

Level 1

8 points

How to get & use applications on external SSD

Hello all:

I have a VisionTek, 1 TB, SSD external drive with Thunderbolt 3 port (APFS formatted).

-- I want to use it as both a bootable and backup drive for my 2017, 27-inch iMac with fusion drive.

-- In an emergency if my iMac hard drive isn't working, I want to be able to boot up from the SSD AND use my applications (e.g. Adobe Cloud apps like InDesign, Microsoft Office, Dropbox, etc) directly from the external SSD.

-- I already have MacOS Mojave installed on the external, but noting else.

How do I get my applications on to the external drive so that I can actually use them there?

1) Do I have to download them again and install them from scratch onto the external?

2) Do I use Time Machine?

3) Do I use Migration Assistant?

4) Do I use software like Carbon Copy Clone?

What are the implications of each of these since I already have Mojave installed on the external? Will I have to erase the external and stat over doing something, I'm not sure what?

What is the step-by-step procedure?

And what happens down the road when I need to backup my iMac to my external? Would I be backing up my applications OR reinstalling them if there are updates to the Apple and non-Apple apps? If there are updates, would I have to reinstall/update on both my iMac and external?

I don't understand the meaning of terms the terms: copying, cloning, migrating, moving, restoring or whatever term one uses to be able to use an application on my external. I've read numerous articles in the Apple knowledge base, but find them confusing.

I’m not understanding the distinctions and implications. I feel totally lost.

Thank you.

iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 10.14

Posted on Aug 24, 2020 11:18 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Kappy

Level 10

361,765 points

Aug 24, 2020 1:39 PM in response to GummoMarx

You understood it perfectly. If you continue to use CCC as your backup utility, then you can schedule regular incremental updates to the clone, thus turning it into a fully up-to-date bootable backup. That's exactly what I do. In fact, I make multiple backups because you can't have too many backups, just like you can never have too much RAM.

The difference between a CCC incremental backup is that any file in the backup will be replaced by a new version. This differs from Time Machine which keeps old files along with new versions.

Reply

Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

361,765 points

Aug 24, 2020 12:52 PM in response to GummoMarx

I think what you need is a bootable cloned backup. Your clone drive needs to be formatted the same as your internal drive. Because you are using Mojave, I will assume the internal drive has been formatted using APFS. You should format the external drive the same way: Partition Scheme will be GuID; Format Type will be APFS. With this out of the way you should get Carbon Copy Cloner with which to make your cloned backup.

Copy a file = transfer a file or folder from one location to another.

Cloning = create an identical copy of one drive onto another drive.

Migration = specialized method of backing up or making a copy of files and folders from one device to another.

Moving = this is the same as a copy with the exception that the source is first copied, then the source is deleted.

Backup = storing files of a computer on another device/drive on a regular schedule.

Restoring = the process of copying files or folders from the backup to the computer from which they originally came.

Get a copy of the macOS User Guide. Visit Amazon and get a copy of the macOS Catalina For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) and macOS Catalina: The Missing Manual: The Book That Should Have Been in the Box and/or macOS Mojave: The Missing Manual: The book that should have been in the box.

Reply

Answer 3

GummoMarx Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 24, 2020 1:28 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks Kappy. Are you suggesting that after I format the external and "clone" with CCC my entire MacOS from my iMac to the external, that I will be able to boot from the external AND use my applications and work and save my files while working in the external? Just want to clarify.

And later, if my apps are updated, cloning (not backing up) those newly updates apps will still be doable, as well as normal backing up of "changed" or "modified" (newly saved) files?

Reply