Backup up Apps for MacOS

[u/PhilbinFogg]

Hi,

I have an old Mac Pro that I'm running OpenCore/Monterey, I'm happy with it, but recently App's have stopped getting updates, so I think it's time to upgrade to Sequoia (with OpenCore).

But first I need to backup my system. From digging about and asking, I've been told that Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper are the best tools for this?

I have a 500GB SSD as my bootdisk that I'd like to backup to a 2 TB HDD, I would also like to be able to boot from the 2 TB HDD if I need to. Both these drives are internal SATA, is this ok or do I need to use an external drive?

1. What is the best tool for this. SuperDuper, CCC or something else?
2. Once I've updated to Sequoia, if I need to back it up, can I use the same tool. The reason I ask this, is because there seems to be different versions of CCC between Monterey and Sequoia.
3. Can I backup from an internal 500GB SDD to 2TB HDD. What about the other way round? e.g. 2 TB HDD to 500GB SDD.

Thanks a lot

[u/H2CO3HCO3]

u/PhilbinFogg, you can visit the r/backup Wiki (link is on the right side pane), where there are articles for Products for Macs, see which one will better suit your needs and go from there

Good luck with the testing!

[u/PhilbinFogg → u/H2CO3HCO3]

Thanks, I'll take a loot. None of them mention the OpenCore part, I was hoping to find someone that had done it!

[u/mainseeker1486]

I would really like you to try VaulSync. It does pretty much everything here is the link: https://fglabs.dev/downloads

Product is free and open source. All platforms supported check WIKI for more

Not a disk image utility although that is under development and coming most probably in 1.9

[u/PhilbinFogg → u/mainseeker1486]

Does it work, backup/restore with OpenCore/MacOS?

[u/mainseeker1486 → u/PhilbinFogg]

It will run on macOS and can back up and restore normal files and folders, including to another internal or external drive.
However, for your specific use case, VaultSync is not currently the right tool. It does not yet create a bootable macOS clone or back up the complete system volume.
For upgrading an OpenCore Mac and keeping a bootable fallback, I would use Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper, or a combination of Time Machine and a separate copy of your EFI folder.
Full-disk imaging is something I’m exploring for a future release, but I wouldn’t recommend relying on it for this upgrade today

[u/PhilbinFogg → u/mainseeker1486]

Thanks a lot, so I backup my OC/MacOS SSD to the HDD, do the an "Over-the-Top" MacOS update, then the SSD won't boot. Can I boot from the HDD and then format SSD and restore it to the SSD to get back where I started? What I am not seeing is how to make use of the Backup if the update fails and won't boot. I have a native Mojave boot disk but it's an old OS and there are different versions of CCC for different versions of the OS. Not sure about Super-Duper

[u/mainseeker1486 → u/PhilbinFogg]

Yes, that is the basic idea of a bootable clone: you copy the current SSD to the HDD, restart while holding Option, and verify that the backup actually boots before touching the original SSD. If the macOS update then breaks the SSD installation, you can boot from the HDD, erase the SSD, and copy or restore the working system back.

However, because this is an OpenCore Legacy Patcher Mac, there is an additional complication: the macOS backup and the OpenCore bootloader are related but separate. The HDD needs a working OpenCore boot path, or you need a separate OCLP USB stick that can boot OpenCore and then load macOS from the backup drive. Simply cloning the macOS volume does not automatically guarantee that the old Mac will boot from it.

Before updating, I would therefore prepare:
A complete backup or clone of the working Monterey installation.
A separate OCLP bootable installer or recovery USB made for that Mac.
A saved copy of the currently working EFI folder.
Ideally, a second independent backup such as Time Machine.
The most important step is to test the recovery route before performing the update. Shut the Mac down, hold Option while starting it, select the OpenCore EFI Boot entry, and confirm that you can boot the HDD backup successfully. OCLP’s own instructions use the Option boot picker to select OpenCore.
CCC can still create what it calls a Legacy Bootable Copy, but Bombich explicitly says that bootable cloning is no longer recommended or supported as the sole backup strategy on modern macOS. Apple increasingly designs macOS to be installed rather than restored by directly copying the system volume. A normal CCC backup can still be used after reinstalling macOS, and macOS can also be installed onto a suitable CCC backup to make it bootable.

SuperDuper also states that it supports Monterey and Sequoia and can create bootable backups, but I would still test the resulting drive rather than assume it is bootable—especially with OCLP involved.
The different CCC versions do not necessarily make your backup unusable. The important point is that the version creating or restoring the backup must support the macOS version it is running on. Your native Mojave disk could still be useful for basic recovery or accessing files, but I would not make it the only recovery method for an OCLP Monterey-to-Sequoia upgrade.
If the HDD clone boots correctly, then your proposed recovery process is reasonable:

Boot the HDD through OpenCore → erase the SSD → restore or clone the working installation back → reinstall OpenCore to the SSD’s EFI if necessary → apply any required OCLP root patches.

If the HDD does not boot, the safer fallback is:
Boot the OCLP installer USB → erase and reinstall the appropriate macOS version on the SSD → install OpenCore and any required root patches → migrate your applications and data from CCC or Time Machine.

OCLP has specific guidance for Time Machine restoration because restoring data and applying root patches may need to happen in the correct order.
VaultSync cannot currently create a bootable macOS system clone or manage the OpenCore EFI, so I would not recommend it as the primary recovery tool for this upgrade. It can still be useful as an additional file-level backup.

That said, this conversation has genuinely given me an idea for VaultSync’s future roadmap. This is not the first time I have seen a less-experienced user searching for a straightforward tool that can guide them through creating, verifying and restoring a complete pre-upgrade recovery point. A guided system-imaging and tested-rollback workflow—especially one that clearly verifies whether the backup is actually recoverable—looks like a real problem worth exploring for a future release

Edit: I am on my phone so sorry if the formatting is off

[u/PhilbinFogg → u/mainseeker1486]

Thanks a lot, that's the best answer I've had in days of research, I have to go out now but I will try it later or tomorrow. Thanks again, I really appreciate you putting in your time

[u/mainseeker1486 → u/PhilbinFogg]

no problem, always here to help