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APFS formatting
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jretzner
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Jan 16, 2023, 01:53 AM
 
I very recently updated to macOS 12.6.1, When I try to backup using SuperDuper 3.7.4a pop-up box appears telling me I need to upgrade my external hard drive from HFS+ formatting to APFS formatting. It offers a method to do that telling you it will take a while. That has not been successful for me. I am then told I need to manually do so. How do I do that? Thanks!
     
reader50
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Jan 16, 2023, 06:19 AM
 
If you do not care about the contents of the external, you can reformat it to APFS using Disk Utility. (/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility)

Select the external in the left pane, and click the Erase button. In the following dialog, choose GUID (partition map) and APFS as the format.

If you wish to preserve the contents of the external, best bet is to copy off those contents, then reformat. Disk Utility does have a "convert to APFS" function, but I haven't tested how reliable it is. Should you wish to go the convert route ...

Select the external in the left pane, and go to the menu choice: Disk Utility -> Edit (menu) -> Convert to APFS...
     
jretzner  (op)
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Jan 17, 2023, 04:57 PM
 
Thanks. The conversion to APFS worked after I found Disk Utility. I had no idea it even existed! One question: Some of the folders on the external HD, after being copied from the internal SSD drive to the external HD now say I do not have permission to open them. My iMac is nearly ten years old (I know -- ancient). I'm wondering if purchasing a new iMac is in order.

Thanks again
     
reader50
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Jan 17, 2023, 05:58 PM
 
The owner got changed on those folders during the copy process, likely the files within those folders too. This can happen, and is unrelated to the age of your Mac. The Mac Pro I'm typing this on is 14 years old today.

Two ways to fix it:

1. In Finder, select the external. Hit command-i for the info pane. If the padlock at bottom right is locked, click it and authenticate. Then check the checkbox at bottom left "[x] Ignore ownership on this volume".
2. (more involved) In Finder, select the uncooperative folders. Hit option-command-i to get an info pane covering all of them. If the padlock at bottom right is locked, click it and authenticate.

Then click the gear icon on lower-left-ish. In the Sharing & Permissions pane, in the Privilege column, reset yourself to have Read and Write. Make sure the other user categories (usually "everyone" and "staff" have at least Read. Switch them to Read and Write if you don't care about access restrictions.

Optional step: click the gear icon on lower-left-ish, and copy changes to enclosed items. This will reflect these changes to everything within those folders. note: do not do this if an app is within those folders. Changing an apps internal permissions may prevent it from launching.
Option #1 is way easier, though it only works for local drives. The checkbox doesn't appear for me on network drives.
     
jretzner  (op)
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Jan 18, 2023, 07:55 PM
 
Thanks again. Your news about how old your iMac is is reassuring. Mine is about seven years old. the old hard drive began dying. I took the Mac to a certified repair facility where they removed the dying hard drive and inserted a SSD 1 Terabyte.

I'd been toying with a new purchase but will now put that on a back burner.

Thanks again
     
   
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