But if you don’t want to create a USB drive, you may have access to two other types of emergency drives, depending on when you purchased your Mac. This device is self-contained and kept entirely separate from your computer - and any potential problems associated with it. For situations like this, you need an emergency drive on hand to start up your computer and troubleshoot the problem.Įmergency USB Drive: Creating a bootable USB drive is your safest bet. First your computer starts freezing infrequently, then crashing more often, and then it won’t start at all. It can happen to any of us, even those who own brand-new Macs. You’ll thank yourself for taking the time to complete this project. Carry it in your pocket or put it on your keychain so it’s available if the worst-case scenario occurs. What’s a maintenance-minded Mac user to do?Ĭreate your own bootable OS X USB drive, of course! It’s easy, and if you’ve already purchased OS X and have a USB drive that’s 1 GB or larger, it’s completely free. But OS X Mountain Lion is sold in the App Store as a digital download - no physical disk is provided. With previous versions of OS X, you could have used the installation DVD to fix problems. An emergency drive (also referred to as an OS X Recovery Disk) can help you repair the hard disk, reinstall the operating system, and restore from a Time Machine backup to get your computer back fast. It’s a good idea to have a bootable emergency drive on hand, just in case disaster strikes your Mac.
You can always revert back from your clone.īecause your clone is an exact copy of your Mac before the upgrade.AirPort Apple Apps Backups Developer Education Email Hardware Internet iPad iPhone Mac Music Network Photos Security TV Weekend Wonk
Or cause problems with your Mac or a piece of crucial software you’re using on your Mac.
You can create a copy of your Mac’s drive ahead of any major operating system update.īecause if the update fails. You can then replace an older slower Mac drive with a newer, faster hard drive or SSD. Then cloning your internal startup drive gives you an exact copy. If you plan to replace your internal Mac disk drive. A drive that you can boot from should the worst happens and your Mac’s internal drive fails.Ģ. A clone allows you to have a new drive that is a copy of your Mac’s drive. You can choose the drive you want to boot from there. Your Mac will then show you the start up manager screen. Start up your Mac and hold down the option key. When you don’t have access to your internal drive to boot normally. You’ll need to unlock and type in your main password first.
If you’ve a lock on your System Preferences to prevent changes. Have that ready so you plug in your drive. You may need a USB hub with the ports you need. As Mac’s can come with limited USB ports.
‘ How To Check Format Of External Hard Drive On Mac‘.ģ. If you don’t know how, then take a quick look at this post.
Older Mac’s with hard drives inside are Mac OS Extended (Journaled) formatted. The latest Macs have SSD’s inside that are APFS formatted. The drive you want to clone onto – your new, empty drive. So, if there are files on the drive you’re planning to use. And puts on the drive your Mac boot image. Or a SSD (solid state drive formatted for your Mac).Ĭloning erases everything on the new drive. Either a Mac hard drive (a drive formatted for Mac).
What You’re Going To Need To Create Your Clone Driveġ. Booting Your Mac Boot Clone When You Want. To Boot From Your New Mac Clone Boot Drive.Now Wait Till You See The MacOS Recovery Screen. To Create Your Mac Boot Clone On Your External Hard Drive The 11 Steps.What You're Going To Need To Create Your Clone Drive.Overview Of Cloning Your Mac Boot Drive.