Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: Attempt to CLONE Mac OS X HFS+ main drive fails with "Restore Failure An error (32) occurred while copying (Broken Pipe)

Error occurs during HFS+ cloning on Mac OS X, resulting in a 'Restore Failure An error (32) occurred while copying (Broken Pipe)' message.

Quick Answer: Check if the external drive's partition table is compatible with Lion and try using Disk Utility's 'Clone' option instead of 'Restore'.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. ⚠️ Common Causes
  2. 🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes
  3. ✨ Wrapping Up

The error 'Restore Failure An error (32) occurred while copying (Broken Pipe)' occurs when attempting to clone a Mac OS X HFS+ main drive using Disk Utility on a MacBook. This issue affects users who have been cloning their main drives for years, resulting in frustration and inconvenience.

This problem can be resolved by following the steps outlined below, which will guide you through the process of identifying the root cause and implementing a fix.

⚠️ Common Causes

  • The primary reason for this error is due to the incompatible file system structure between the source (HFS+) and destination (ExFAT) drives. The LaCie external drive, which is formatted with SoftRAID 4.3.3, uses an ExFAT file system, whereas the MacBook's main drive uses HFS+. This incompatibility causes the cloning process to fail.
  • Another possible cause is related to the FireWire 800 connection, which may not be stable or compatible with certain configurations of the LaCie external drive.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Cloning using Disk Utility

  1. Step 1: 1. Ensure that both the MacBook and LaCie external drive are properly connected to the same network for easier data transfer.
  2. Step 2: 2. In Disk Utility, select the main drive (MacBook's HD) as the source and the LaCie external drive as the destination. Make sure to select the correct partition for cloning (usually the 750 GB 'Boot' partition).
  3. Step 3: 3. Select the 'Restore' option in Disk Utility and click on the 'Restore' button.
  4. Step 4: 4. If the error persists, try disabling any disk encryption or compression settings that may be interfering with the cloning process.

Formatting the LaCie external drive to HFS+

  1. Step 1: 1. Use a third-party formatting tool (such as Disk Utility's 'Erase' option) to format the entire LaCie external drive to HFS+. This will ensure that the file system structure is compatible with the MacBook's main drive.
  2. Step 2: 2. Once the LaCie external drive is formatted, repeat the cloning process using Disk Utility.

✨ Wrapping Up

By following these steps and understanding the root causes of the error, you should be able to resolve the issue and successfully clone your Mac OS X HFS+ main drive to a bootable external drive.

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