a 32 GB card if you’re flashing a copy of a 32 GB image), and another microSD card that you will use for the duplicate (flashed) copy of your working SD card (need to buy a card? Here’s an example of the type of card I’ve used) – make sure your new SD card is big enough to hold the image you are copying (flashing) to it (e.g.You’ll use this card to create the copy (image) of software you’d like to quickly duplicate (flash) on a new microSD card. a microSD card with software installed that works on a Raspberry Pi.cdr file to an iso file, then use this file with balenaEtcher to duplicate (flash) the image onto a new SD card. If you’re not using Wi-Fi, you can skip those steps and simply image the disk with Disk Utility, rename the. I usually work with Wi-Fi connected Raspberry Pis, so these steps mention how to ssh (log into) an existing pi and change its hostname. Fortunately flashing a card of similar size should take less than 4 minutes, way faster than the time needed to use the Raspberry Pi imager, configure Wi-Fi, update and upgrade software, and more, so performing these steps can be a real time saver!

The steps aren’t complicated, but the initial imaging of a working SD card can take some time on older Macs (about 25 minutes for a 32GB card, but if you have a new Mac it may only take a few seconds). These instructions will demonstrate how to use a Mac to make a copy (image) of a microSD card with a working copy of Raspberry Pi software installed, and how to copy (flash) the image onto a new SD card, then install it in a Pi and (very important for wireless Pis) give the Pi a new hostname. Since it can take a while to install the Raspberry Pi OS, then perform configurations and installations for things like Wi-Fi networking, the update and upgrade of Pi software, installation of CircuitPython, and more, it can be useful to make a backup copy (called an image) of a working microSD card so that you can simply flash this backup copy onto a new SD card, then put this card into a new Pi and change its hostname. The better solution is to use ApplePiBaker, which you can find at For some reason Disk Utility now copies very fast, but the image created cannot restore into a working sd card. Updates for the latest macOS & Disk Utility seem to have rendered the procedures below unworkable.

How to copy a mac disk image