I want to upgrade from Yosemite to Sierra. What should I use to back up my iMac beforehand.
What should I use to back up my iMac before upgrading to Sierra?
iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)
An external hard drive.
12 replies
For software, you can use Time Machine, Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper.
The advantage to the last two are is they are capable of making a bootable clone for you which will allow the fastest recovery of your Mac should anything go wrong.
An even better solution would be to use both Time Machine and one of the cloning apps so that you have two different backups made using different software.
Time Machine, a clone. or a Disk Utility/Restore copy. Please note that this will reformat the destination drive.
Clone - Carbon Copy Cloner (Often recommended as it has more features than some others)
Clone Software – 6 Applications Tested
Time Machine Versus Clones and Archives
My preferred app is Carbon Copy Cloner. Just clone your existing system to an external hard drive. You can then upgrade either your system drive or the clone to test Sierra. I would probably upgrade the clone on the external and leave my main system drive alone until I could be sure that there are no issues and no apps that are not compatible. You should also save a copy of the Sierra installer app, which will be downloaded to your Applications folder. Option-drag it to a safe location outside of the Application folder. The installer deletes itself after it finishes, which means that if you need it in the future, you have to download it again, unless you saved a copy.
Hi, just read your reply re 'upgrade the clone on the external) re moving from Yosemite to Sierra which I am thinking of doing.
I use Carbon Copy Cloner and have a clone of my system on there but how would I upgrade the clone please?
How would I then use that to 'test' Sierra?
Many thanks in anticipation!
I agree that kahjot's post is a good and easy approach.
The easiest way to upgrade the clone (on a separate disk) is using it as your startup drive:
Restart your mac while holding the Alt/option key and choose the clone.
Many thanks Lexiepex.
Not having done that before - eg Use the clone as startup drive - I am assuming/guessing that if there is then a hiccup....restarting the iMac without holding Alt and Option will defer it to the internal hard drive and start as 'normal' ?
Yes, every time you start with the Bootmenu (hold Alt/Option) you can choose the startdisk in in that bootmenu.
The clone is a complete copy of the startup disk, so you will not notice the difference, only a bit slower because the USB connection is slower than the inside Sata connection.
Wahtever you do on the clone: if you are satisfied that it is good, you have the choice a. of running the CCC app (on the clone) to clone to the inside disk, or b. start from the inside disk, and do what you did on the clone.
Yet again Lexiepex - Many Thanks. Both comprehensive and patient reply - much appreciated!
Final question (for now 🙂) - how would I run it from the CCC to clone it on the internal drive?
As said above - your patience is much appreciated !
As soon as you have the clone on the external it an exact copy of your internal disk. So also CCC itself is om that disk.
When you start while holding the Alt/Option key, you get the bootmenu and you can choose between all bootable disks.
When running from the external and doing what you intend to do, see above, you can at the end start CCC and then make a clone to the internal disk, so that then is an exact copy of your "worked on" disk.
When you then restart - again while holding the Alt/Option key - you can choose your internal disk.
Task completed.
Understood 🙂
Thanks once again Lexiepex - you have been more than helpful!
my pleasure
I want to upgrade from Yosemite to Sierra. What should I use to back up my iMac beforehand.