macOS Sequoia 15.3 Fixes SuperDuper Bootable Backups Bug

Apple's latest macOS Sequoia 15.3 update appears to have resolved a bug that prevented popular backup utility SuperDuper from creating bootable backups, according to developer Dave Nanian.

superduper macos
The fix addresses an issue introduced in macOS 15.2 that caused SuperDuper to fail during the final stages of creating bootable backups due to a "Resource Busy" error when attempting to copy system preboot or recovery files.

Apple requires third-party apps to use Apple's own replication tools rather than directly copying the operating system. When these tools malfunctioned in macOS 15.2, it directly impacted SuperDuper's ability to create bootable backups.

"macOS 15.3 is now out, and with it, a fix for the broken replicator," Nanian wrote on his Shirt Pocket Watch blog. "As such, macOS copying will work again with 'Erase, then copy' backups."

However, Nanian cautions that while the specific replicator bug has been fixed, this doesn't guarantee that booting from backup copies will work in all situations. This is largely due to changes that Apple has made in macOS and recent Mac hardware in the name of enhanced security.

For example, Apple Silicon Macs require that the internal SSD remains functional for external booting to work, meaning a Mac with a failed internal drive won't boot from a SuperDuper backup, even if the backup itself is perfectly intact.

Popular Stories

top stories 2025 12 20

Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More

Saturday December 20, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates. This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories! Top Stories i...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
ios 18 security update

Don't Want to Upgrade to iOS 26? Here's How to Stay on iOS 18 [Update: Now Unavailable]

Friday December 19, 2025 10:37 am PST by
Since the beginning of December, Apple has been pushing iPhone users who opted to stay on iOS 18 to install iOS 26 instead. Apple started by making the iOS 18 upgrades less visible, and has now transitioned to making new iOS 18 updates unavailable on any device capable of running iOS 26. If you have an iPhone 11 or later, Apple is no longer offering new versions of iOS 18, even though there...
airpods pro 3 new blue

AirPods Pro 3's Static and Noise Issues Haven't Been Resolved

Thursday December 18, 2025 3:44 pm PST by
Since the AirPods Pro 3 launched, there have been complaints from users who have noticed a static-like sound or a crackling issue when using the earbuds, particularly when Active Noise Cancellation is on but no media is playing. Users have also run into strange high-pitched whistling sounds that happen intermittently. We shared the issues back in late October, and despite two subsequent...
apple music chatgpt

ChatGPT's Apple Music Integration Is Now Live

Wednesday December 17, 2025 3:50 pm PST by
There's now a dedicated Apple Music app for ChatGPT, which allows ChatGPT to make music recommendations and build playlists. Apple Music can be added to ChatGPT through the Settings section in the Mac app, website, or iOS app. Apple Music is listed under the apps option, and connecting to it requires signing in with your Apple Account for authorization purposes. ChatGPT can be used to...
samsung exynos 2600 2nm%402x

Samsung Announces World's First 2nm Mobile Chip Ahead of Apple

Friday December 19, 2025 3:59 am PST by
Samsung has officially unveiled the Exynos 2600, the world's first 2 nanometer mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC), built on the company's Gate-All-Around (GAA) process. The 10-core ARM-based design aims to deliver improved performance and efficiency for flagship devices like the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. The chip uses Arm's latest cores and supports new instructions for improved CPU speed and...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple's 2026 and 2027 Product Roadmap: Foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro, M5 Macs, and More

Tuesday December 16, 2025 4:42 pm PST by
There has been a whirlwind of rumors over the last few days, sourced from leaked internal software designed for the iPhone and the Mac, and news sites like The Information. Below, we have a quick recap of everything we've heard this week, which serves as a guide to Apple's product plans in 2026 and beyond. We've organized the info by likely release date, though there are some products that...
iOS 26 Maps Glass

Apple Quietly Discontinued Flyover City Tours in Apple Maps

Thursday December 18, 2025 1:31 pm PST by
Apple Maps no longer offers a Flyover feature that provides users with automated tours of notable landmarks in major cities. The Flyover option appears to have been nixed around when iOS 26 launched, but its removal went largely unnoticed. Flyover city tours were introduced in 2014 with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, using Flyover imagery to generate an aerial tour. Most cities with Flyover...

Top Rated Comments

Daalseth Avatar
12 months ago
“Apple Silicon Macs require that the internal SSD remains functional for external booting to work, meaning a Mac with a failed internal drive won't boot ('https://eclecticlight.co/2021/01/14/m1-macs-radically-change-boot-and-recovery/') from a SuperDuper backup, even if the backup itself is perfectly intact.”

[HEADING=3]WTF? Then what’s the point of a bootable backup? So the internal drive fails I need to get a new MB, or more likely a whole new Mac? That is ridiculous. [/HEADING]
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H2SO4 Avatar
12 months ago

Apple locking down macOS is the direct result of users not caring about security and privacy yet expecting to be made whole when their bank accounts and credit cards are compromised. It helps but you can’t fix stupid.
Please provide evidence for that ridiculous assertion.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Infinite Vortex Avatar
12 months ago
I love SuperDuper! as an app but I stopped using it quite a number of years ago given Apple making it difficult.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moka Akashiya Avatar
12 months ago
Yeah, prohibit booting from external SSD when internal one is dead is definitely about security, and nothing about buying new motherboard/mac from Apple. You know, there is so much data on your external SSD about internal one when you boot from another one, you can access everything just like that!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blackstick Avatar
12 months ago
This was a wildly useful app in the fun old days where one could boot Macs from external volumes by holding the option key alone with a firewire drive. There's a lot less need for it today, between Time Machine and Backblaze for offsite cloud, it has been sufficient.

Time moves along. Lots of ignorant users coming in... is why Apple continues to lockdown macOS. Early 2000s was a more fun time for OSX because effectively, nobody used it. Different era today.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
12 months ago

If it happens to me, instant lawsuit. I use 2 backups anyway, carbon copy cloner and superduper. TM is junk and always has been junk
I think your lawsuit would get thrown out pretty quick lol
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)