How to clone MacBook Pro hard drive to external hard drives? This guide compares Disk Utility with EaseUS Partition Master for Mac to help you choose a fast, reliable, and safe method for creating a complete system clone.
Cloning creates an exact, bootable copy of your Mac's internal drive. It helps when you:
A successful clone ensures you keep all your apps, settings, and data intact—without needing to reinstall macOS.
Disk Utility is a built-in macOS disk management tool that allows you to create a full disk image and restore it to another drive. It's free and already available on all MacBook Pro models.
Step 1. Connect the SSD drive to your Mac > go to Finder > select Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
Step 2. Open Disk Utility again > set the view to Show All Devices to see all connected drives > choose your connected SSD from the sidebar.
Step 3. Select your original APFS disk in the Disk Utility window > click Restore > select the new SSD as the destination drive.
Step 4. Click the Restore button to begin copying the APFS volume to the new SSD.
If Disk Utility fails, is too slow, or cannot clone due to APFS restrictions or system errors, a third-party tool provides a smoother experience.
EaseUS Partition Master for Mac is a professional disk cloning and partitioning tool designed to handle complex disk tasks with higher success rates.
Key features of EaseUS Partition Master for Mac
Compatibility:
Storage Devices Supported:
Step 1. Connect your removable device to Mac and run EaseUS Partition Master.
Click "Clone" at the left pane under the Abilities section, click the "+" icon to select a source external device you want to clone.
Step 2. Select a new target disk as destination to clone the selected removable disk - external HDD/SSD, USB, or SD card.
When both source and target external storage devices are selected, click "Start" to begin.
Step 3. Click "Yes" when EaseUS Partition Master for Mac request you to confirm the operation.
Step 4. Wait patiently to let EaseUS Partition Master for Mac to complete the cloning process.
Cloning your MacBook Pro hard drive to an external drive is essential for data safety and system migration. Disk Utility is a good free option, but it can be limited and unreliable in some scenarios. For a faster, more secure, and more stable experience, EaseUS Partition Master for Mac provides a professional-level cloning solution.
Additionally, this section provides several relevant tips on this topic. If you're interested, please take a look at them below.
1. Is cloning the same as backing up?
No. A clone is a bootable, complete copy of your system. A backup is usually file-only or incremental.
2. Can I boot my Mac from the cloned external drive?
Yes—if the drive is properly formatted and macOS supports external booting.
3. Does Disk Utility always work for cloning?
Not always. Disk Utility may fail if:
In such cases, EaseUS Partition Master for Mac is a more reliable option.
4. Does cloning erase the external drive?
Yes. The cloning process overwrites the contents of the destination drive. Thus, back up any important data first.
5. Does EaseUS Partition Master for Mac work with M1/M2/M3 MacBooks?
Yes, it fully supports Intel and Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models.
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