Permissions issue on external SSD

[DaveWT]

I am considering doing a clean install on my iMac, but there are a few issues I am not entirely confident with. I have a 2 TB external SSD and thought I would use that as a practise device, so I could have a trial run without jeopardizing my iMac. I started by formatting the external SSD as apfs and guid partition map. At that point I could use the external SSD normally, copying files to it and deleting files from it. I then went to the App Store and downloaded the Monterey installer. After installing Monterey onto the external SSD, I selected that as the startup device and restarted. It booted just fine. So I thought then I would just copy a few key items from my internal drive to the SSD as a starting point. But I can not copy anything to the SSD. I went to Get Info to see what the permissions of the drive were set to and even to change permissions but it tells me I don't have permission to do that!! Here are some comparisons of my internal Fusion drive and the external SSD. Does anyone have a clue what I did wrong or how to get permission to change permissions?

 

[chas_m]

I'm not sure what the problem there is, but if you want to create a "clone" of your existing system and user data, I'd recommend using Carbon Copy Cloner to do that, then (after testing that the clone works as it should), erase the original drive and use CCC to clone everything back to it.

 

[DaveWT]

Hi Chas,
Thanks for the thoughts, but I am trying to prevent doing a clone of existing. Over the years my iMac has built up a lot of cruft that I want to free myself from. Hence my desire to start with a clean install and then just put back fresh copies of the stuff I really need. I have used Carbon Copy Cloner for years to make clone backups but lately they have said they can no longer make a true clone of the OS and the data and seem to have gone down another path. More recently I heard that Super Duper still does make a full clone, so perhaps CCC will come back to that also in time.

I have been trying to remember the path I took to end up with apfs and a bit of reading this morning suggested that this may have occurred automatically while upgrading the OS. So my present thought is to go back and format the SSD as extended journaled and then install Monterey and see if it switches to apfs during the installation. This may produce a "better installation" than what I achieved formatting to apfs initially before the installation of Monterey.

 

[chas_m]

It’s unclear to me if CCC have yet solved the issue of system cloning, but in any case that’s still the tool you want, since it can clone all your data without issue as a backup, allowing you to put only what you need back on the clean install.

EDIT: I should add that Chronosync (friends of mine I have worked with in the past) are now offering version 10, which does in fact create bootable backups of Big Sur and later systems.

 

[DaveWT]

I spent most of the day in various rabbit holes trying to resolve this issue of making the external SSD bootable and then allowing me to copy additional stuff to it. One web site suggested it was a Monterey issue and hoped it would be resolved in a future update. That sent me down additional rabbit holes trying to reformat and install an earlier version of macOS to test that theory. After several mis-steps I finally got Catalina installed on the SSD but it showed the same problem. The SSD would then no longer let me write additional stuff to it. So for the plan of using the external to test some thoughts I have on doing a clean install to a drive, I dug out an old spinning drive, installed Monterey on that and can then copy anything I want to it later. So that leaves me with the question of why can't I do that with the SSD?
1. The SSD is old and needs newer firmware? Bought from London Drugs recently but I see there is a newer version available. This one claims compatibility with "High Sierra, Sierra or El Capitan" for Pete's sake. No sign of any updated on Sandisk (now Western Digital's) website.
2. Monterey doesn't want me to make a bootable external SSD? Not sure why it would distinguish from a spinning drive that can do that.

Once I do my testing with the bootable external, for my clean install questions, I can get back to using the SSD for pure (non-bootable) storage uses which is why I originally bought it, but I may try returning it if London Drugs will take back such a drive.

In the process of trying to install older versions of macOS I somehow have ended up with a copy of "Install macOS Mojave.app" in my trash and no attempt can get the trash to empty. Another rabbit hole to explore on another day and starting up in safe mode, and other dabbling in Terminal have so far failed to shift it.

 

[DaveWT]

Just an update on this situation... I returned the Sandisk drive to London Drugs tonight. (Love how they support their customers by allowing a return of an item like this without fuss.) Talked to a tech there who had read of similar problems with some other SSD's. He suggested just buying another brand and return it also if it doesn't behave. Has anyone here made a bootable external SSD (with Monterey) and if so, what brand and model please?

Still also dealing with "Install macOS Mojave.app in my trash and there seem to be "books" written about this issue, mostly suggesting some really sketchy work in Terminal.

 

[DaveWT]

Still also dealing with "Install macOS Mojave.app in my trash and there seem to be "books" written about this issue, mostly suggesting some really sketchy work in Terminal.

Solved. Nice to not waste any more time on this one.