Create image for setting up multiple macs - Carbon Copy Cloner not keeping extra partition

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Create image for setting up multiple macs - Carbon Copy Cloner not keeping extra partition

I am trying to do a poor-man's IT roleout and use one iMac as a 'clean install' with all apps installled / settings set - then image that iMac using Carbon Copy Cloner, then use Disk Utility (in Recovery Mode) to restore a large no of iMacs (with the same hardware) with that single image.

The problem seems to be that the image created by CCC does not respect the two volumes on the source iMac - it records the Macintosh HD - Data but not the Macintosh HD (both under Macintosh HD volumes)

After restoration, there is only the Macintosh HD volume and when I try to then restart, the mac comes up with a flashing question marker.

Am I missing something subtle, doing the impossible or need to change in my approach for this to work - if it can work?

Any help super gratefully received.

Thanks.

Ben

Posted on Jan 22, 2024 10:58 AM

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Answer 1

MartinR

Level 7

25,596 points

Jan 22, 2024 1:05 PM in response to imagelover

What version of macOS are you using? And what specific model iMac are you using?

In CCC, you should select the Macintosh HD volume to clone; CCC will automatically include the Macintosh HD-Data volume in the clone. Are you saying that isn't happening?

Third, you should be using CCC, not **, to restore the clone to the other Macs.

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Answer 2

Jan 31, 2024 5:53 PM in response to imagelover

Option A.

By performing a clean install to a 2nd SSD, you give yourself a bootable drive to use for using CCC. Plus, because it has nothing else on it, that bootable SSD gives you a good way to test the hardware of any Macs which develop issues so you can more easily confirm if the issue is due to bad hardware since you don't have any third party software installed which could be causing a problem.

I always keep a bootable external SSD to use for testing hardware and to be able to use CCC to clone a Mac.

FYI, making bootable clones of Apple Silicon Macs does not always work....some people are able to do it, but others are not successful. Michael Bombich, the developer of CCC, mentioned in a blog post a few years ago that bootable macOS clones probably won't be an option for much longer with all the changes Apple is making to the hardware, software, and the security features. Which is another reason I suggested looking into an MDM solution.

Also, any images you make will only work on the same CPU architecture. If your organization has a mix of Intel & Apple Silicon Macs, then you will need a separate boot drive and image....one for Intel Macs and another one for Apple Silicon Macs.

If you are cloning an Intel Mac with T2 security chip, then you must first modify the Mac's security settings using the Startup Security Utility to allow booting from USB (must be done from Recovery Mode).

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

217,340 points

Jan 23, 2024 11:50 AM in response to imagelover

I've never had to or tired making an image of a boot drive.

If all else fails you might be able to do this:

1 - clone the source Mac to the external SSD.

2 - plug in the SSD to your next Mac, boot from the SSD and clone the SSD to the Mac.

It's a hail Mary approach but might do the job if you don't find the solution to using the image.

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Answer 4

Jan 26, 2024 7:24 PM in response to imagelover

Follow @Old Toads' instructions, but as the destination you can select an image file (I would recommend it ends up as a .dmg image file....I forget which options in CCC will give you a .dmg file -- I know a compressed image will...I think it is possible to leave it uncompressed as well). You still need to select the "Legacy" option even when the destination is an image file.

To Restore the image file to your Fusion Drive, you need to make sure you select the Fusion Drive as the destination and remember to select the "Legacy" option again. Make sure to first erase the Fusion Drive with the APFS file system before using CCC to restore the image to it.

You really should be looking into setting up an MDM (JAMF is one option) so you can easily manage these systems. Once you have the MDM configured it is very easy to run a script from Recovery Mode to automatically configure these Macs....you just need to perform a few custom steps afterwards on each Mac if they need to be personalized to a user.

Intro to mobile device management profiles - Apple Support

Manage macOS updates with Mobile Device Management (MDM) - Apple Support

There are some other advantages to using an MDM with more recent Macs. One is that it makes it much easier to unlock them if they have an Activation Lock that cannot be unlocked or removed. Very important if the user can use their personal AppleID to lock an Apple device.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

217,340 points

Jan 22, 2024 2:06 PM in response to imagelover

Are you creating the clone this way with Carbon Copy Cloner?

1 - make sure you have a full and current backup of your drive.

2 - erase the external SSD and format it to ASPF with Disk Utility.

3 - using Carbon Copy Cloner drag the internal drive into the Source bin and the external SSD into the Destination bin:

3 - Control (right) - click on the Destination bin and select Legacy Bootable Backup Assistant ⬆︎ from the contextual menu and click on the "allow" button⬇︎ :

4 - then click on Start.

When done select the external SSD as the startup drive in the System/General/Startup Disk settings pane and reboot.

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Answer 6

imagelover Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 22, 2024 1:25 PM in response to MartinR

Hi. Thanks for the reply.

They’re old 2019 iMacs, doing a fresh Ventura install, installing apps/making settings… then using CCC.

i’ve selected the Macintosh HD as you say for imaging - but it doesn’t grab (or perhaps restore) the other volume - as least when using Recovery mode.

if I’m supposed to be using CCC to restore the image, do I need to make a bootable CCC usb?

Thanks.

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Answer 7

imagelover Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 23, 2024 1:42 AM in response to Old Toad

Hi Old Toad!

Thanks for that walk through - but before trying - isn't the walkthrough you've given about creating a bootable clone of the system rather than an image i can restore from to put onto another computer?

Or is the walkthrough you've described the way to do that, by then allowing you to then restore from the bootable SSD onto the target machines (using the CCC on the SSD?)

Thanks.

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Answer 8

imagelover Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 23, 2024 11:44 AM in response to Old Toad

Hi Old Toad - thanks for trying to help but I think you’re misunderstanding.

I know how to make a bootable OS drive.

I need to clone one Mac’s Fusion Drive by making a disk image of it and then be able to use that image on other same-spec Mac’s so that I quickly have 30+ Macs all set up the same way without be having to manually install OSs, apps, and configure system settings. I will of course then Tweak licenses and network names and sharing preferences after.

I’ve used CCC to make an image of the “template iMac” but then I need to be able to restore it onto the other iMacs. This is where it’s not working. Maybe because disk utility (in recovery mode) is the wrong tool. I wondered if I needed a boot usb with CCC on it (not necessarily a whole OS) so that it could then read the image and write it to the iMac it was plugged into. But not sure if that’s something that can be created.

any ideas?

thanks.

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Answer 9

imagelover Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 31, 2024 5:08 AM in response to HWTech

Hi HWTech

Thanks for your reply.

Well I followed what you said - which gives me an SSD with a disk image of a bootable copy of the iMac - that I can't boot from. Am i wrong in assuming that I need to boot from an external source to run CCC from that source so I can use it to restore an image to the internal drive of the iMac I want a clean setup on?

Again, if I'm missing something from your instructions, please say.

The options that I can see maybe working out are:

A.

I create a second SSD which has a non-imaged boot copy of the iMac on it.
I copy the already created disk image onto that second SSD
I boot from the second SSD
I open CCC from the second SSD and select the previous image on the second SSD to restore it to the internal fusion drive of the new iMac.

OR B

Install Ventura fresh on an iMac
Restore from a non-legacy boot isk image during the set up process.

Or C

I use target disk mode to be able to connect two iMacs together runing CCC from one iMac to write the image to the other!

As you say, what I'm trying to do is not the best approach. But I'm not an IT person - I run post-production and have been having to do IT to make my department work. I don't have the desire / bandwith to go into proper IT deployment solutions. I am hoping to get an IT service contract soon...

If you can maybe clarify your instuctions or say if any of the above A,B,C are viable, that would be great.

Thanks.

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Answer 10

Old Toad

Level 10

217,340 points

Jan 23, 2024 9:09 AM in response to imagelover

Opps, my mistake. Yes it is how to clone your existing drive.

I've created bootable installers according to this Apple document: How to create a bootable USB macOS installer.

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Create image for setting up multiple macs - Carbon Copy Cloner not keeping extra partition

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