Recommendation for Using an External SSD to run iOS for a 2019 iMac

Hi, I'm Jack! 👋

I really like LaCie drives. I've always found them to be reliable, and I like they are sold through the Apple Store. For almost everyone, I recommend the LaCie Mobile SSD Secure (the cheaper one). The Rugged Thunderbolt is only for "extreme" professional users.

Jack

rkaufmann87 wrote:

Yup.

Have you done this successfully? According to both CCC and SuperDuper web sites and documentation, updating the MacOS when booted from the external drive no longer works due to restrictions imposed by App[le under Big Sur and Monterey.

Bingo.

Even on old Intel Mac computers, the way cloning now works with the SSV may not work correctly for updating an external disk once booted from it. I've run into this problem before. Even CCC by default doesn't clone the operating system anymore!

However, using my method (Use an external SSD as your startup disk … - Apple Community) of only using Apple's tools to install macOS and move data using Migration Assistant creates a new SSV for the external SSD, and in my experience, reduces potential issues. I've been using this method for my iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) since 2020, and I've never had issues updating macOS on the external SSD.

Jack

iOS does not run on Macs. I assume you mean macOS?

I see in an excellent post by user "Jack" (?) that recommends two LaCie external drives

Jack-19 is a highly respected and welcome member here. Some very qualified and knowledgeable ASC contributors may only recommend third-party products that are featured in the Apple online store. This is their prerogative and I respect that. But it is not a rule here.

All of our five external drive supporting three working Macs are OWC. They have never failed. I have one older OWC drive in storage that still has FireWire connectivity(!) that is easily 15+ years old. Every so often I drag it out and test it on an older Mac with FireWire. It still works flawlessly.

Yes, they work perfectly with Time Machine.

1. First thing to do after getting the new external SSD is to connect it to the Mac, open Disk Utility (Applications - Utilities - Disk Utility) and format the SSD as GUID partition and APFS format.
2. Next download either SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner and once you understand how they work, clone the internal HD to the new SSD.
3. Once the cloning is completed, set the new SSD as your startup drive (System Preferences) and then restart and enjoy.

Do not attempt to move old backups to a new Time Machine External Hard Disk. Just start over with Time Machine.

My recommendation for external SSDs is OWC (MacSales.com). You can contact their Customer Support and get their recommendation for an SSD that meets your Mac's requirements, your workload requirements and your budget.

OWC is considered by most to be the premier Mac 3rd party hardware supplier.

Just some food for thought.

I'm not a fan of Lacie drives, every one I got failed. I would buy either:

Option 1) OWC Mercury On The Go Pro and a OWC On the Pro Go Power Adapter or

Option 2) OWC 1.0TB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD and a SATA to USB adapter finally if you want the very best performance possible:

Option 3) OWC Envoy Pro EX Thunderbolt 3

OffLeash wrote:

I actually just read this information about issues with the most recent OSs and updating a clone (not super sure I understand all the vocabulary/steps). I think I’d like to listen in a bit more on this conversation between you and rkaufmann87 if it continues…I just want a faster computer!☺️

I can only speak from experience and what documents the developers publish.

I always recommend installing macOS using an installer. That way, you have a clean installation of macOS system files and can transfer your user data. And this is what I've been doing for about 2 years now and I've never had an issue.

It was the one time I cloned a disk I had problems. Updates failed, the startup process had issues, and it felt generally slow.

But again, I can only speak from experience.

Jack

Right now, it's working amazingly, making my only 3 year old iMac run as fast as my new 2022 iMac, so the story has ended well for now!

Glad to hear it! Make sure the new LaCie is indeed set as the startup disk in System Settings > General > Startup disk.

You may also need to configure Time Machine again.

Jack

When you re-download the macOS Ventura installer, it will initially download to the iMac. That's normal. Once the installer is downloaded, you can open it, and select the target as the LaCie SSD.

Jack

You'll need to go to System Settings > General > Startup Disk.

Have you installed Ventura to the SSD yet?

Jack

Offleash wrote:

And for OS updates, I just follow the update prompts as usual, correct?

rkaufmann87 wrote:

Yup.

Have you done this successfully? According to both CCC and SuperDuper web sites and documentation, updating the MacOS when booted from the external drive no longer works due to restrictions imposed by App[le under Big Sur and Monterey. They say the MacOS on an external drive can only be updated by first updating the internal drive and then erasing and recloning the updated MacOS to the external. Of course that must be done with care to avoid losing all the user files on the external.

Is this correct in your experience? I have many clones but have never attempted to update them while booted from the clone. Have you booted from an external drive and applied MacOS updates directly to it?