I recently got a new 27" and wanted to test booting into my backupOS external.

It seemed to go ok, except that before I booted, I moved to some folders on the desktop to the right of the screen to show me visually that the backup would be up-- it's a visual que, that way I know I'm looking at yesterdays OS Desktop.

But after the boot, the desktop looked the same as the adjusted Mac HD pre boot from today.

I went back into Mac HD and the desktop folder is empty. Should it have the dozen or so items in there that I have on the desktop? Thanks.

Is the external a clone of the internal? If so, how did you make it (SuperDuper, Carbon Copy Cloner, something else)?

FWIW, I use a different desktop background when cloning for a visual confirmation that I'm booted from the clone.

Jon, clone made with SD

What does this mean:

"FWIW, I use a different desktop background when cloning for a visual confirmation that I'm booted from the clone."

How can I set that up? Super Duper clones are scheduled. Sounds like an interesting idea?

Actually turns out, the users, desktop is ok, it's Mac desktop folder empty. Why does Mac have two desktop folder?

Before cloning, I change the desktop picture via System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver. After the clone is finished, I change it back to my preferred picture. When booted from the clone, the desktop picture is therefore different.

I can't answer your question about the two desktop folders. Perhaps you could provide more details?

Where are you finding a Mac desktop folder?

kevs will have to answer this himself, but there is a desktop folder. The path is ~/Desktop. I assume that he does not mean that one, but a folder located on the desktop.

kevs?

Anyways, I solved this issue, in startup disc, you need to unlock the lock, which I did not do, so I rebooted to my Mac HD! Ok now..

Joe: Mac HD — applications, desktop, developer... etc. Right there. I don't know why, it's empty and can confuse people... You don't have it?

~/ is Unix shorthand for the currently logged on user's home folder. Therefore ~/Desktop is the logged on user's desktop folder.

Did not understand Joe, but why is there a empty user folder in Mac MD?

Apparently you posted this while I was typing a response to another post and I submitted without seeing this one and went on. Sorry for any understandable confusion that created.

I do not have a Desktop folder at the drive root (/Desktop) empty or otherwise. Neither do any of the other Macs around here, nor is there any reason for a /Desktop folder. Desktop folders, their content, arrangement, and picture are unique to a specific user account. I cannot come up with a reason for not deleting it.

Thanks Joe, just deleted it with no hassle, have no idea why or how it was there. It was not on the laptop.