How do I duplicate a TM backup drive?

[hal]

I have one of those notorious Seagate 3TB drives that I've been using as a TM backup and SMART Utility says it has a pending bad block. It's time to replace it anyway.

How do I duplicate it so that my computer will just assume that it's the same old drive and function as if it was?

Should I just run CCC on it?

[John B.]

Why duplicate? Open Time Machine Preferences and click on Add or Remove Backup Disk.

[btfc]

https://www.macworld.com/article/609296/...ckups.html

https://apple.stackexchange.com/question...-a-new-one

https://dancarrphotography.com/blog/2020...e-backups/

[hal]

btfc wrote:
https://www.macworld.com/article/609296/...ckups.html

https://apple.stackexchange.com/question...-a-new-one

https://dancarrphotography.com/blog/2020...e-backups/

from that second link: "If you connect a larger disk and wish to preserve your existing backup history, you can copy the Backups.backupdb folder from the old disk to the new one. Use Finder, and not Terminal or any other app, to copy the Backups.backupdb folder. (The folder is large, and it may take a long time to copy.)"

I never would have guessed that the easiest way is also the proper way, but all those little files will take forever!

[hal]

btfc wrote:
https://www.macworld.com/article/609296/...ckups.html

https://apple.stackexchange.com/question...-a-new-one

https://dancarrphotography.com/blog/2020...e-backups/

Damn! That third link makes it sound like copying by finder takes many days and is prone to failure. Maybe I"ll just start a new TM backup... argh!

and CCC is absolutely not gonna do it - it won't touch a TM drive in any way.

[btfc]

I included multiple links because there are varying opinions.

Note that HFS+ vs AFPS matters!

Some say SuperDuper! will clone for AFPS but not CCC???

[hal]

btfc wrote:
Some say SuperDuper! will clone for AFPS but not CCC???

saw that and just assumed it's BS - not gonna buy it just to find out...

[btfc]

“ You can download SuperDuper! v3.6.1 right now and back up and clone your drives for free— forever! “

https://shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/Supe...ption.html

[decay]

Consider using Terminal and the ditto command to cut the Finder overhead.

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?st...8222745661

[bazookaman]

I hate TM.