Then how can you move files faster? Is cloning a drive faster than copying? The answer is as follows. Wait! Since copying can also create an exact copy to the target disk, what is the difference between cloning and copying? Clone vs CopyĬlone: When you clone a hard drive, you're not only copying the files and data to the target disk but also the partition layout, operating system (if there had any), files, downloads, programs, and settings.Ĭopy: When you copy a hard drive, you just get a new hard drive with replicas of all the visible files.Īnother scene is when you only need to transfer or backup files from one drive to another, you definitely want to choose a faster method. Whatever the reason, the cloning hard drive action means making an exact copy of the source disk to the target disk. Ideas You Should Know Before Cloning A Hard DriveĬloning a hard drive often happens when users want to upgrade their hard disk or want to make a full backup of important data. Also, date it so you know when it was created.Ⅰ. Under Volume Information, give the drive a memorable name.

In the Disk Utility, highlight the external hard drive in the left panel. Then click Go on the Finder toolbar and select Utilities. On recognizing the new drive, OS X will prompt you to back up your current drive's data with Time Machine.

I'm using an external drive, so I just plug the external drive into the Mac and power on the drive.

This will reformat the drive with Apple's HFS+ file system for Intel Macs. So before going on with the CCC process, access the Disc Utility in OS X. If you have a new drive from the Apple Store or preformatted for Mac, you can skip this step. Microsoft Windows FAT32 or NTFS file system comes on most new drives and it isn't Mac-compatible. Regardless, if you've just bought a new internal or external drive, or are using one previously connected to a Windows machine, you're going to have to reformat it first. Do you know what drive you'll be using to create the clone? I recommend an external drive. The first time you launch CCC, it will prompt you to read the Quick Start Guide. Now, from the Applications folder, launch CCC. Select and drag the CCC icon into your Application folder. Just double click on the Carbon Copy Cloner mounted icon. Here's how to use CCC to clone a hard drive on your Mac.įirst, download and install Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC).Īfter downloading it, installation is a piece of cake. So when you swap out your old drive for the new one, you don't have to tweak or reset anything.įor cloning a hard drive on a Mac, I highly recommend a free utility called Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC). It's a perfect image of the original, including all OS files. Cloning a drive creates an exact sector-to-sector backup copy of your drive. If you're swapping out your hard drive for a new one, the best thing to do is clone the old one first.

Clone mac hard drive