Shirt Pocket Software, the maker of the excellent Mac system cloning tool Super Duper, reports that Apple has broken the software’s ability to create bootable backups.
Bootable backups of a system can be incredibly useful. If your Mac fails a bootable backup means to you can grab another Mac, boot from the backup drive and continue working with minimal interruption.
In a blog article, subtly called “you’re a mean one” in its URL, the company says that “Apple took away the ability for 3rd parties (eg, us) to copy the OS”. As a result, Apple’s system software can’t be included in system clones.
Dave Nanlan from Shirt Pocket says that before macOS 18.2, which was officially released a few days ago, Apple provided a way for software makers like Short Pocket to do this but that Apple has broken the mechanism for doing this. This means it’s not possible to create a bootable backup.
The company does offer a workaround of sorts. Until Apple fixes the bug (it’s officially listed as bug FB16090831 at Apple), the “Backup – all files” with “Smart Update” will copy everything except macOS’ system files.
All applications, data, settings, and other non-system bits and pieces will be copied.
I recently had occasion to test this and it does work. My Super Duper backup was not bootable but I was able to restore all my data to a new macOS installation.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.