/PowerMyMac /Guide on How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSD
When it comes to the cloning topic, what do you expect from the process? If you are planning to clone Mac hard drive to SSD, let us take a close look at what is the cloning process all about. Generally, it is recommended to clone the hard drive of your Mac in case you decide to upgrade the hard drive with a solid state drive (SSD), replace an old or corrupted drive with a new one or if you are going to create a bootable hard drive.
I’ve written quite a bit about the not-quite-so-new Apple File System (APFS) format that Apple adopted for both iOS and—with macOS 10.13 High Sierra—for SSDs that are a Mac's boot volume. Mac computers are capable of formatting any storage device (internal or external) such as HDD/SSD, USB flash drive, and external storage. Even if the Mac is unable to mount the storage, following this method will enable you to format the storage. Begin by connecting the storage device to your Mac, and then launch Disk Utility using Spotlight. Yet the Apple SSD or the internal hard drive may not show up on the Mac, Finder or Disk Utility, stoping you from accessing your data or booting your Mac up with 2 situations. The internal hard drive is not showing up but Mac boots up; Internal hard drive is not showing up and you can't boot up the Mac. This is how to format an SSD on Mac OS X.
In most cases, all these demands can be achieved with the help of cloning. Essentially, when you clone the hard drive, you will no longer worry about reinstalling the operating system as well as transfer folders, files, applications and some configurations on the new hard disk. Another advantage with the cloning process is that if you have a duplicate hard drive with setup volume, it can aid in booting your Mac easily in case of unexpected disasters.
Article GuideWhat Are Solid State Drives (SSDs)?How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSDShould I Backup or Clone?Let's Wrap It up
What Are Solid State Drives (SSDs)?
Before you decide to clone Mac hard drive to SSD, let us take a close look at SSDs. Solid state drives or SSDs utilize flash memory to keep data. If built into a computer, they are usually seen as chips on the circuit board. You can also find them in 2.5” format that you can install in a laptop or an external enclosure.
Generally, SSDs are quiet, compact and fast, especially if you are starting up a computer or waking up the device. Remember that hard disks might go into sleep mode when not used for a certain span of time and takes a few seconds to spin up. SSDs also utilize less power, run cooler, lighter and do not have any movable parts which make them suitable for laptops.
When you accidentally drop your laptop when the hard drive is spinning, there is a likelihood for the drive to be damaged and lose data. SSDs are generally more dependable, and in case they fail, you can still read data whereas you cannot do this with a hard disk.
Nevertheless, SSDs are considered as a costly option if you are considering the cost to storage ratio. At present, you can purchase an 8TB external drive for less than $150 while that same amount of money will only provide you with a 500GB SSD.
People Also Read:How to Partition A Hard Drive on Mac?How to upgrade your MacBook Pro with an SSD?
How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSD
There are several reasons why it is best to boot from an external hard drive. In case you prefer to keep your files synchronized from a desktop and laptop, enlarge your storage or have an on-hand bootable backup duplicate of your system, there is an unseen feature in Disk Utility that makes the process an easy task.
Essentially, booting from an external hard drive is usually slower, even if you are using the latest Thunderbolt or the USB-C drives. They are relatively sluggish than the solid state drives (SSDs) that are found in most of the latest Macs. Although this is not suggested for daily use, it is a possible option.
Using Disk Utility
If you are going to clone Mac hard drive to SSD, it is recommended to use Disk Utility.Simply open Disk Utility from the Spotlight (Command+Space) or on the Utility folder in your applications. You will be presented with a list of all the volumes including the internal hard drive and the external hard drive.
It is important to note that the “Restore” option in Disk Utility will work by copying the files from the backup to your core drive. It is ideally intended to the utilized for Recovery mode to reinstate the hard drive in case a failure occurs.
Once you decide to set your external drive as the restore target, you can switch that action around and copy files from the main drive to the backup. Choose your external drive in the sidebar, tap on the “Restore” button in the menu and select your main drive as the “Restore From” option. You have the option to choose an ISO image, but it does not have much use.
Tap on the “Restore” button and Disk Utility will initiate the copying process. In most cases, the process is relatively a long one which is based on the speediness of your external drive as well as its link to your Mac. Due to this, it is recommended to have a rapid hard drive with USB-C, Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 connections.
Once Disk Utility completes the task, you can turn off your Mac and press on the Option when it starts to restart again. You will be presented with the boot switcher and you are allowed to boot from the external hard drive. You can utilize your Mac as usual but remember that it is separate from the installation on the main internal hard drive. Take note that any settings that you alter or files that are saved there will not be reflected on the primary installation.
You can perform the same process in a reverse manner if there is a need to copy the files back over or to restore the backup in case your computer malfunctions.
Should I Backup or Clone?
Generally, hard disks can be backed up or cloned. Remember that there are differences between the two with their own advantages and drawbacks.
Backing up a hard drive
If you are going to back up a hard drive, the entire content of the chosen drive or partition is backed up into a file on the targeted location. All data is saved into a single file. When a complete backup of the hard drive is carried out, the whole operating system along with the installed applications and settings are also set aside. The file can be protected or encrypted with a password.
The advantage of this approach is no other than simple management since a single file contains the whole backup. You can also compress the backup file so that it utilizes less space.
As for a drawback, you need a backup software to be able to reinstate the system or data to a previous state or to access documents and files.
Cloning the hard drive
If you are going to duplicate or clone Mac hard drive to SSD, a copy of the drive is created directly on the target location. This simply means that you have an instant copy including the hard disk structure. A cloned disk or drive includes all the partitions from the source drive or disk.
An advantage with cloning is that the data is directly copied to the specified location and can be utilized and edited directly. The duplicated system drive which includes the operating system can be mounted as a fresh drive and booted right away.
As for the drawbacks, a clone requires more space since the partitions are created immediately on the targeted disk. Due to this, it is not likely to compress or add encryption to the data.
Let's Wrap It up
If there is a need for a backup to be created regularly, it is recommended to opt for the hard drive backup. This usually takes up less space and allows the creation of extra backups.
In case you require a bootable extra drive to be operational after an unforeseen crash and to lessen the downtime period, it is best to clone Mac hard drive to SSD.
Generally, both methods have been proven to be the ideal choice. A consistent drive backup for daily data along with a clone of the system drive is essential for easy accessibility in case of emergencies.
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Summary: Internal hard drive not showing up on Mac can make your files inaccessible and make your Mac unbootable. This post will help you fix unrecognized internal hard drive without data loss.
The internal hard drive of your Mac, also known as Macintosh HD or startup disk, is used to store operating system directory and other data, supporting computer to work in a normal manner.
Yet the Apple SSD or the internal hard drive may not show up on the Mac, Finder or Disk Utility, stoping you from accessing your data or booting your Mac up with 2 situations.
The internal hard drive is not showing up but Mac boots up
Internal hard drive is not showing up and you can't boot up the Mac
Fortunately, there are some means to fix the internal hard drive not showing up issue. Basically, it depends on if you can boot the Mac when the hard drive is not showing up.
Case 1: The internal hard drive is not showing up but Mac boots up
If you can't see the internal hard drive but you can start and use your Mac normally, the good news is that your macOS volume (which usually is the Macintosh HD) is working fine. To access other files on the internal hard drive normally, you can try the following solutions.
Solution 1: Change the Mac's settings to show the internal hard drive
If your Mac computer works in a normal state but the internal hard drive is not showing up in Finder or on desktop. This is because the system is not set up to display hard drives in Finder or on desktop. Here are some simple fixes for this:
1. Go to Finder > Preferences > General tab and select 'Hard disks' to make internal hard drives show on the desktop.
2. Go to Finder > Preferences > Sidebar tab and select 'Hard disks'. Then your internal hard drive should be showing up in the Finder.
Instead, if the Mac doesn't display your external hard drive, you can check 'External disk' in this tab also to make it visible.
3. If the 'Hard disks' option is ticked but internal hard drive is not showing up in the Finder still, open the Finder, put your mouse at Locations in the left sidebar and see if it displays 'Show' or 'Hide'. Click and change and then identify if the hard drive is hidden by the Finder or not.
Solution 2: Check whether the internal hard drive is showing up in Disk Utility
The hard drive still not showing up on Mac? Well, you really need to check it in Disk Utility. You can make use of Disk Utility to perform any disk volume-related tasks. Normally, if the hard drive or SSD is listed in the left sidebar of Disk Utility, you can leave out the hardware problems.
If you find the internal hard drive showing up in Disk Utility but some partitions or APFS volumes of the hard drive are lost, the drive may have some file system corruptions. Hopefully, we can provide several clues to help you isolate and troubleshoot most logical disk errors.
1. Mount the internal hard drive on Mac
Sometimes, aninternal hard drive won't mount on Mac, it's time to force it to mount. Simply go to Disk Utility > choose the unmounted internal hard drive > Mount.
2. Run First Aid to repair the internal hard drive
If the internal hard drive is still not mounting on Mac, you can run First Aid to verify and repair various issues like partition table lost and file system corruption. You can go to Disk Utility > choose the greyed out partitions under internal hard drive > click First Aid > choose Run.
Data recovery from corrupted internal hard drive
If unfortunately,Disk Utility can't repair the disk, the corruptions on the internal hard drive are so serious. In this situation, all data on the drive is so fragile that any operation will overwrite it. To prevent further data loss, especially when you have no backup of the data, it's better to immediately recover lost data from the internal hard drive with reliable Mac data recovery software like iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac.
Case 2: Internal hard drive is not showing up and Mac can't boot up
When you can't access the internal hard drive because the Mac is not booting up, you can try these solutions.
Solution 1: Repair the internal hard drive in macOS Recovery Mode
When your Mac won't boot as there is no statup disk, you can try to check if you can find the internal hard drive in macOS Recovery Mode by the following steps.
1. Boot your Mac into macOS Recovery mode. Start your Mac and hold down the Command +R + Option keys simultaneously until you see an Apple logo or spinning globe. Then release the keys.
2. Select Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities menu.
3. Select the corrupted internal hard drive from the left-hand panel if you can see it.
4. Click First Aid on the top and wait while it verifying and repairing errors.
How To Format A Ssd Drive
Solution 2: Check the internal hard drive that won't show up in Terminal
If the internal hard drive disappeared from your iMac or Mac mini, you can check the internal hard drive in Terminal, especially for a internal Fusion drive. The reason is that when an internal Fusion drive is split, you can't see it showing up on Mac normally. Instead, it would be split into an extra SSD and a hard drive, making the internal fusion hard drive invisible.
If you can see them with correct storage capacity by the command line 'diskutil list', you need to recover lost data from the internal hard drive with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac to avoid data loss and then fix a split fusion drive as soon as possible.
But if you can't see the fusion hard drive with right disk information, you'd better call 1-800-275-2273(US) or contact Apple for support.
Recover data from Mac internal hard drive that is not showing up
How To Format An Ssd Internal Drive For Macbook Pro
When your internal hard drive is not showing up in Terminal or in Disk Utility under Recovery Mode, then your hard drive should have some serious corruption. In this case, the data on the unbootable Mac is a great concern for you for sure. To prevent losing important files, you can get your data off the internal hard drive with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac.
iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac is free Mac hard drive data recovery software that helps you recover documents, pictures, audios, videos, emails from internal and external hard drives. It can recover lost data when the hard drive is not showing up, not recognized, not mounted, not readable.
What's more, this program can also recover lost data from formatted or corrupted Macintosh HD external hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, etc. Even when your Mac is not booting up, the program can regain access to your machine without taking out the internal hard drive.
It is compatible with macOS Big Sur 11/10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8/10.7.
How to recover lost data from internal hard drive when Mac can access the Internet?
If you have only one Mac computer, please directlyrun iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac in macOS Recovery mode and recover lost data from the unbootable Mac computer. This solution is highly recommended because it is easier and more effective.
Note: Before you follow the steps below, you have to make sure your Mac has Internet connection.
1. Reboot this Mac and press Command +Option +R keys.
2. Choose a network for your Mac. You need to make your Mac connected to the Internet all the time.
3. Click Utilities in the top menu and select Terminal from the drop-down menu.
4. Run the following command:
This will launch iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac through iBoysoft Server.
5. Select the internal hard drive and recover lost data with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac with its wizard.
How to recover lost data from internal hard drive when Mac can't access the Internet?
If the unbootable Mac is unable to be connected with the Internet or WiFi, additionally, you need to find another workable Mac to help you recover lost data.
Step 1: Download iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac on another Mac computer.
Step 2: Install and launch iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac on the healthy Mac computer.
Step 3: Click iBoysoft Data Recovery on the menu bar and then select 'Create Boot Drive'.
Step 4: Insert a USB drive into the healthy Mac computer.
Step 5: Follow the wizard to create a bootable recovery drive on the USB drive.
Step 6: When the creation process completes, you can insert the USB drive into the unbootable Mac computer, and then press the Power button and Option key (⌥) to start the Mac up.
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Step 7: Select iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac from the boot options.
Note: If you're running macOS Mojave or earlier, iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac will launch immediately when your Mac boots up. But, if your Mac is running macOS Catalina, you need two additional steps to launch this program.
Step 8: Wait for your Mac to boot up, open 'Terminal' application from 'Utilities' drop-down menu.
Step 9: Run the following command:
Now you can recover lost data from the corrupted internal hard drive.
Erase the internal hard drive and reinstall macOS
After retrieving data from the corrupted internal hard drive, you can reformat the internal hard disk to make it usable again.
1. Boot your Mac to macOS Recovery mode.
2. Select Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities menu.
3. Select the corrupted internal hard drive from the sidebar.
4. Click on Erase from the top.
5. Setup the required information to reformat the disk and click Done when finished.
<6. Go back to macOS Utilities screen and select Reinstall macOS.
But if your internal hard drive is not showing up in Disk Utility, the drive may have hardware problems. In this case, none of software is helpful. But you can try to boot up your Mac in Safe Boot or reset the PRAM / NVRAM, and then see if the internal hard drive is showing up on your Mac.
• Definite Guide to hard drives not showing up/mounting issues
If these solutions above fail to fix internal hard drive not showing up on Mac, Unfortunately, you have to send the internal hard drive to a local Apple service for technicial help or replace it with a new one.