"How to instructions" to boot from an external SSD on my 2019 Intel iMac running Ventura 13.5.2

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Level 1

8 points

"How to instructions" to boot from an external SSD on my 2019 Intel iMac running Ventura 13.5.2

I have a late 2019 Intel iMac with a 5400 RPM 1.0TB HDD which is painfully slow and just 8 GB of RAM. I don't believe there are any other problems than the known incompatibility of this very slow drive HDD and APFS. Since buying and having a new SSD installed by Apple is not a financial option, I read that booting from an external SSD performs "almost" as well. I have a brand-new Samsung 2.0TB T7 SSD and would like a reasonably detailed procedure to accomplish this on my Intel iMac running Ventura 13.5.2.

Thanks for your support , Andy

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Oct 2, 2023 12:57 PM

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Answer 1

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tbirdvet

Level 6

13,821 points

Oct 2, 2023 1:56 PM in response to Erie Man

I also have a 2019 iMac. The easiest method is to use a program like Carbon Copy Cloner which will make an exact copy of your 5400 drive to any external (e.g. Samsung T7). When you make the clone you need to state that you want it bootable using the "legacy" feature. It works great on an Intel Mac. The fastest drive would be an NVME drive in a TB enclosure which is what I use.

https://bombich.com/kb/ccc6/cloning-macos-system-volumes-apple-software-restore

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Answer 2

ku4hx

Level 7

23,502 points

Oct 2, 2023 2:32 PM in response to tbirdvet

CCC is an excellent app; we used it for years to make clones. But ... I just got tired of all the caveats and explanations of what couldn't be done.

For the last two years I've used SuperDuper! to make bootable clones. I have it on five Macs, three with Sonoma and two with Monterey. The entire process is quick and easy and the GUI is extremely simple and all five clones boot perfectly ... tested just three days ago.

SD! also worked flawlessly with Ventura.

I do use CCC currently for making Time Machine-like data backups. I'm sold on the many features and its flexibility compared to TM. Additionally, CCC data backups are plain old files that can be opened directly by the creating app right inside the backup hierarchy.

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Answer 3

Erie Man Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 16, 2023 11:55 AM in response to Erie Man

Thank you tbirdvet! I used Super Duper and the process worked flawlessly and the end results were beyond my hopes. One minor problem emerged with my Microsoft suite (Excel, Word, Power point) where I cannot save an edited existing file because of a "subscription issue" (Click cancel and then activate your subscription). Not sure how to do that, but I'll find out.

Thanks again for your help. Erie Man, AKA Andy

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"How to instructions" to boot from an external SSD on my 2019 Intel iMac running Ventura 13.5.2

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