Cloning AFPS hdd to smaller SSD?

Banzai_Joe · 2 Sep 2019 at 18:12

Hi all, need some urgent help please.
I’m upgrading a 2012 MBP’s 500gb hdd to a smaller 240gb SSD.
I’ve done similar before, but with MacOS Extended volumes not APFS.
There is only 100gb used, so cloning the data onto a 240gb SSD would still leave plenty of room. However with APFS, i get a little confused with containers and partitions.

Could do with some help ASAP as I can’t find a specific tutorial for my scenario.

Thanks

Edit: ideally I want to use HFS+ (macOS ext), so any advice on making the switcharoo in the upgrade process would be great.

ChrisD. · 2 Sep 2019 at 19:10

Just Time Machine backup and then restore onto the SSD.

Banzai_Joe · 2 Sep 2019 at 19:11

Don’t think time machine works with APFS to a smaller external drive dude.

ChrisD. · 2 Sep 2019 at 19:12

Then just install a fresh copy of macOS and then transfer docs and setting from Time Machine once done.

Banzai_Joe · 2 Sep 2019 at 19:15

Yeah, this is what I was thinking, but coming for a windows background, you obviously do that, you’d need to reinstall all your apps.
Can you just copy applications folder on the Mac and the apps will work?

ChrisD. · 3 Sep 2019 at 08:41

In short, no. There's a folder in your home folder called Library (Users/ChrisD/Library) - think of this like the Windows registry, especially Application Support. A lot of application settings are in here, the /Applications folder only contains the product binaries.

Banzai_Joe · 3 Sep 2019 at 09:47

Thanks for the input guys. I basically booted in recovery, installed Mojave onto the external SSD, then migrated the contents of the original HD onto it. Replaced the HDD with the SSD internally, booted and voila.
All done and much much faster now.

Cheers

ps.....pretty much what you said ChrisD