Create a bootable SSD from an external bootable drive

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Level 1

13 points

Create a bootable SSD from an external bootable drive

I found an old Intel Macbook pro which is totally empty.

I tried to clone on EL Capitan System using Carbon Copy Cloner so I could use it but after hours it didn't work.

Any ways at all to reinstal into the SSD drive from an old system up to Sierra?

I've attempted to To use all versions of the internet Recovery but after hours I always get various messages telling me either there was an error, or the Apple server didn't have the system software I needed.

I don't have an adapter to connect to this machine to use Ethernet so I used wifi.

The ElCaputan external disk work perfectly and the computer seems to be hardware perfect.

Thanks a lot

Mac Pro

Posted on Mar 23, 2025 5:14 AM

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Answer 1

HWTech

Level 9

63,764 points

Mar 23, 2025 11:29 AM in response to DanWan

There are lots of unknowns here such as the exact model of both Macs and how El Capitan was installed on the host Mac......that can all play a part in whether that drive installation can boot the computer currently with no OS. I've never had any trouble using CCC to clone an Intel Mac. Something else is wrong if CCC doesn't work.

If your other Mac is compatible with El Capitan or if the Mac with no OS is compatible with an OS your working host Mac can run, then you can easily create a bootable macOS USB installer on the working host Mac. Here is an Apple article with instructions for creating a bootable macOS USB installer:

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

You must read the instructions very carefully if you are creating a bootable El Capitan USB installer since there are multiple extra steps for downloading & extracting the real full installer into the Applications folder.

The only Macs with access to Internet Recovery Mode (Command + Option + R) are ones models from Late-2009+ which have had macOS 10.12.6+ installed at some point in the past.

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Answer 2

a brody

Level 10

84,683 points

Mar 23, 2025 7:58 AM in response to DanWan

Shirt Pocket Superduper offers cloning sometimes that Bombich Carbon Copy Cloner does not work.

Alternatively, you could find a place that offers a USB flash drive installer for the OS on eBay, as there are some reputable places that do.

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Create a bootable SSD from an external bootable drive