How to reformat Hackintosh and restore with TM backup?

[djcrunkmix]

Hello friends,

I've tried searching on the internet and there are a bunch of threads with respect to Hackintosh builds + TM backups. However, none of them address the following scenario which I currently stuck at:

I currently have a 10.13.2 HS system (see my profile for full specs).

Here is what I want to do:
- Backup my current hackintosh system using Time Machine.
- Backup my clover EFI on USB
- Completely erase the ssd and format as HFS+ disk
- Start over with a new build using Clover/Unibeast. Install the same exact 10.13.2 HS OS
- Use the backup clover EFI to boot
- Restore TM backup from step 1

Is this possible? What is the proper way to "reformat" hackintosh?

Thanks!

 

[itwas]

macOS Sierra: Delete Your APFS Partition the Right Way
https://www.macobserver.com/tips/deep-dive/macos-sierra-delete-apfs-partition-right-way/

 

[djcrunkmix]

@itwas I am sorry, did you mean to link somewhere else? Your click points back to this thread.

 

[itwas]

@itwas I am sorry, did you mean to link somewhere else? Your click points back to this thread.

updated the link

 

[JimmakoS]

Hello friends,

I've tried searching on the internet and there are a bunch of threads with respect to Hackintosh builds + TM backups. However, none of them address the following scenario which I currently stuck at:

I currently have a 10.13.2 HS system (see my profile for full specs). It is running well except for boot up times due to AFPS file format.

Here is what I want to do:
- Backup my current hackintosh system using Time Machine.
- Backup my clover EFI on USB
- Completely erase the ssd and format as HFS+ disk
- Start over with a new build using Clover/Unibeast. Install the same exact 10.13.2 HS OS
- Use the backup clover EFI to boot
- Restore TM backup from step 1

Is this possible? What is the proper way to "reformat" hackintosh?

Thanks!

If you have trim enable, try to disable and see the boot times. If you have it disable it, try to enable it.

 

[djcrunkmix]

@itwas That link deals with deleting a partition. I have no problem COMPLETELY formatting the drive.
@jimmakos01 I have already tried that. See below thread about AFPS issue.
I have a thread here addressing it: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/long-boot-times-in-high-sierra-2-min.241709/

Forget about the AFPS problem. Let's assume I have an HFS+ system. Now,

My question - if someone can please answer directly:
Is it possible to use a Time Machine backup to restore a Hackintosh?
What is the most preferred way to reformat the entire drive?
If it helps - I can ask - how do Hackintosh users typically transfer a machine from one Hackintosh to another (newer for example) while keeping all user settings/apps?

Please post AFPS related answers in its own thread linked above.

 

[pastrychef]

how do Hackintosh users typically transfer a machine from one Hackintosh to another (newer for example) while keeping all user settings/apps?

Here's what works for me:

1. Create a working EFI folder for new computer.
2. On old computer, replace the EFI folder with the newly created EFI folder.
3. Pull the drive from old computer and install it in to new computer.

 

[djcrunkmix]

@pastrychef Thanks!. What if I want to reformat the drive instead of moving it to a new system? I am wondering if TM can be used?

Also if **** hits the fan and I mess up my system, is it possible to completely reformat, load up EFI backup, and restore from TM backup? I’ve done this before on real macs - reformatting the drive. But I want to get hackintosh’s community’s experience in this matter since I’ve tried searching on the internet without success.

 

[ashman70]

I can't say how well TM works for hacks and I don't rely on it, what I do is this.

Have a second drive in my computer that is the same size or larger then my main High Sierra boot drive. Format it in HFS, mount the EFI folder using Clover Configurator, copy my existing EFI folder into the EFI folder of the new drive. Install Carbon Copy Cloner and clone the boot drive to the new drive. Reboot and test booting into the new drive, make sure everything works, reboot back into my main High Sierra drive, setup a Carbon Copy job to clone drive differences once a day. This way I have a working backup drive and I don't have to wonder or hope whether TM might work. You can still use TM if you want, but with my setup I don't have to rely on it.

 

[pastrychef]

@pastrychef Thanks!. What if I want to reformat the drive instead of moving it to a new system? I am wondering if TM can be used?

Also if **** hits the fan and I mess up my system, is it possible to completely reformat, load up EFI backup, and restore from TM backup? I’ve done this before on real macs - reformatting the drive. But I want to get hackintosh’s community’s experience in this matter since I’ve tried searching on the internet without success.

To be perfectly honest, I have never had to restore from Time Machine. But, theoretically, here's how it should work:

1. Boot from a macOS Installer USB flash drive with working EFI folder in its EFI partition.
2. Once it boots in to the installer, you will be presented with:
3. Select Disk Utility to reformat/reinitialize your HDD/SSD.
4. Quick Disk Utility.
5. Select Restore From Time Machine Backup.

I have absolutely no reason to believe this will not work on a hackintosh. I must note that I typically install all my hackintosh related kexts in to /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/. If you install your kexts in /Library/Extensions/, YMMV.

As ashman70 stated, an easier alternative would be to use Carbon Copy Cloner along with the cccEFIclone script.