If you want to quickly image a Mac’s hard disk (create an exact copy saved as a compressed file) and later restore it, Clonezilla is a simple and reliable choice. This method is especially useful for older Intel-based Macs where internet recovery can be slow or unreliable. Here’s how to do it.
Preprequisites #
- An external SSD or hard drive to store the image
- A USB drive to boot Clonezilla (created with Ventoy) [Ventoy is awesome, keep a USB stick handy with all sorts of ISOs!]
Download links:
1. Build the Bootable USB with Ventoy and Clonezilla #
- Download and install Ventoy on a USB drive.
- Copy the Clonezilla ISO file (amd64) into the USB drive (Ventoy supports booting directly from ISOs).
- Safely eject the USB drive once it’s ready.
2. Boot the Mac from the Ventoy USB #
- Insert the Ventoy USB drive into the Mac.
- Power on the Mac and hold the Option (⌥) key during startup.
- Select EFI Boot from the startup menu.
- Ventoy will load, even if the Mac displays a “security violation” message — you can safely proceed.
- From Ventoy, choose the Clonezilla ISO, and when prompted:
- Use GRUB to boot Clonezilla.
- Choose Load into memory and select Large fonts (helpful on Retina displays).
3. Create an Image of the Disk #
- In Clonezilla, choose Beginner Mode for simplicity.
- Select device-image mode (save disk as an image).
- Choose your external SSD or hard drive as the destination.
- Use compression (zipped folder) to save space — this skips empty disk sectors.
- Proceed with the imaging process. The system drive will be saved as a compressed image file.
This will take time, take a break. :)
4. Restore the Image to a Disk #
To restore, follow the same initial steps:
- Boot the Mac again using Option → EFI Boot → Ventoy → Clonezilla ISO.
- This time, select Restore disk from image.
- Choose the correct image file you previously saved.
- Proceed through the restoration steps in Beginner Mode.
Since clonezilla is restoring using a disk image, you don’t have to worry about partition, etc.
5. Notes #
- Create the image when the machine’s just been set up.
- This process is valuable for older Intel Macs (e.g., 2015 models) that might have problems with Apple’s Internet Recovery.
- Although Time Machine is a built-in option, Clonezilla offers a faster, fully offline method and produces a single portable image you can archive. Works well when you use Clonezilla for all your disk imaging and restoration works.
Tested on MacBook Pro 2015 with macOS Monterey installed.
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