EFIClone - automatic backup of the EFI partition

[trs96]

Maybe this has something to do with this issue:

GPT drives tend to include a “protective MBR.” This type of MBR says that the GPT drive has a single partition that extends across the entire drive. If you try to manage a GPT disk with an old tool that can only read MBRs, it will see a single partition that extends across the entire drive. This protective MBR ensures the old tools won’t mistake the GPT drive for an unpartitioned drive and overwrite its GPT data with a new MBR. In other words, the protective MBR protects the GPT data from being overwritten.

From the HowtoGeek website "What's the difference between GPT and MBR ?"

 

[IanH]

But I haven't changed anything on my system drive and Acronis clone was working perfectly all year... and then about 2 months ago just started giving this error. I only use it infrequently to back up my system to an external disk, so can't say exactly when it stopped working.

 

[trs96]

But I haven't changed anything on my system drive and Acronis clone was working perfectly all year... and then about 2 months ago just started giving this error. I only use it infrequently to back up my system to an external disk, so can't say exactly when it stopped working.

Are you cloning from the Acronis Rescue USB or is it installed to the system drive ?

I'd be interested to see whether Acronis 2017 from a bootable rescue USB has the same errors occur.

Easy Way to make a Bootable Clone of your macOS System Drive

Update for Monterey in 2022 Due to changes Apple has made in Monterey I'd recommend that you now use CaseySJ's guide involving CCC and a script that will also copy the EFI partition for you. I've not tried Acronis with Monterey as I've not upgraded that far yet. So if you are on macOS Monterey...

www.tonymacx86.com

Make one of these and give it a try. Would tell us whether the version of Acronis has anything to do with this.

 

[IanH]

No just installed to the system drive. That's how I've been running it all year since I bought it in January and it worked fine, and saved me once from an update crash when I was able to clone back from the backup.

Got to leave work now, but I'll try your link tomorrow and report back, thanks!

 

[trs96]

Got to leave work now, but I'll try your link tomorrow and report back, thanks!

Good. Post further questions in that thread as this one is supposed to be about EFI Clone script and CCC, not Acronis.

 

[LimpBizkit]

@wombat94 this does not work for me under Catalina and using APFS. It throws errors when running the script in either superduper or CCC.

I am trying to upgrade my current system from a 256gb SSD to a 1tb SSD. (both M.2 nvme)

The way I wanted to do it was to
1) clone old m.2 nvme to 500gb Sata drive
2) swap out the M.2 drives and put the fresh 1tb drive in there
3) boot from sata clone of old m.2
4) clone from sata to new m.2

but I can't get this procedure to work.

Advice anyone??

 

[elfcake]

@wombat94 this does not work for me under Catalina and using APFS. It throws errors when running the script in either superduper or CCC.

I am trying to upgrade my current system from a 256gb SSD to a 1tb SSD. (both M.2 nvme)

The way I wanted to do it was to
1) clone old m.2 nvme to 500gb Sata drive
2) swap out the M.2 drives and put the fresh 1tb drive in there
3) boot from sata clone of old m.2
4) clone from sata to new m.2

but I can't get this procedure to work.

Advice anyone??

CCC does not need to do anything but run the clone. Once that is done, there will be the EFI Partition on the destination drive. Copy the EFI folder that exists in the source EFI Partition and then paste it into the destination EFI partition. I am not sure why you are doing the extra step of copying to a SATA drive when you can just clone the new drive from the old drive. This is s simple process doing it this way. You do not need to run a script with CCC. I hope this helps.

 

[LimpBizkit]

@elfcake I have to do the extra step because my MOBO only has one onboard m.2 nvme port.
So I need to clone to a 2nd drive and then clone back to the new m.2

 

[elfcake]

@elfcake I have to do the extra step because my MOBO only has one onboard m.2 nvme port.
So I need to clone to a 2nd drive and then clone back to the new m.2

Do you have an open PCIe slot? You can use one of these...

 

[elfcake]

@elfcake I have to do the extra step because my MOBO only has one onboard m.2 nvme port.
So I need to clone to a 2nd drive and then clone back to the new m.2

This is the one I am using: