Cloning Disks

Explanations of Disk Cloner Messages

Messages in the disk cloning window instruct you or indicate the current state of the program. Below are given explanations of them.

Select source and destination
– Suggests you select the source and destination volumes.

Clone will not be bootable (Source is not bootable)
– The volume clone will not be bootable because the original volume was not bootable.

Clone will not be bootable (Destination is not bootable)
– The volume clone will not be bootable because the file system or partitioning of the destination volume does not comply with the requirements.

Clone may be bootable
– More likely the volume clone will be bootable.

Destination has insufficient space
– The volume of the destination disk must be equal to or greater than the volume of the source disk.

Source and destination must differ
– The same volume cannot be selected as the source and destination at the same time. Choose another volume for either the source or destination.

Destination is read only
– The selected destination volume has hardware or software write protection. Deactivate the protection or select another volume.

Source or destination is not accessible
– The program cannot access a previously selected volume. If you use an external or network volume, make sure that it is connected. To verify that a volume is accessible, try to preview its contents in Finder.

Mac OS Extended or APFS required for source and destination
– The file system of the source or destination volume does not comply with the requirements.

Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled) recommended for destination
– Since the source volume has a case-sensitive format, it is recommended that you format the destination volume with the "case-sensitive" option.

Clone will not be bootable (unable to create bootable volume on the destination)
– The destination volume is APFS formatted while the source has Mac OS Extended formatting. To make the destination volume bootable, its formatting should also be Mac OS Extended.

Clone may be bootable (source is a Volume Group)
– The clone will be bootable.

Clone will not be bootable (APFS format is required on destination)
– The system volume should have the APFS file system for macOS 10.15 and higher.

Cloning Data Volume only
– Only APFS Data Volume will be copied because you are cloning an inactive system volume with macOS Big Sur (version 11) or Monterey (version 12).