Copying from external hdd super slow. rsync or better command line option?

[Add-Delay]

I've got an external portable HDD that had my iTunes library (amongst other things). I was in the process of migrating it over to a newer external SSD when my Mac crashed. Since then, something has happened to the HDD that has made is suuuuuuuuuper slow. All the data appears to still be there, but trying to browse it in the Finder is useless.

I've been trying to rescue the data via the Terminal, using the rsync command. However, it's again super slow. 12-14kB/s average. When it's a 350gb library, that's... not ideal.

Is there a faster method? This is the command I'm using:

rsync -ahP --exclude='*.m4p'  /Volumes/Archive/Music/iTunes/iTunes\ Music  ~/Desktop/Move/ 2> ~/Desktop/rSyncErrors.txt

 

[Fishrrman]

My suggestion:

Mount both the old HDD and the new SSD in the finder.

Download CarbonCopyCloner from here:

Download Carbon Copy Cloner | Carbon Copy Cloner | Bombich Software

bombich.com

CCC is FREE to use for 30 days (trying things my way will cost you nothing)

Use CCC to attempt to "clone" the HDD to the new SSD.

WHY this might work for you when other methods don't:
With the finder (possibly with rsync?), if the finder encounters a bad file while copying a group of files, it will abort THE ENTIRE PROCESS, and will just "stop".

When CCC discovers a bad file (or files) when doing a clone, IT DOESN'T QUIT.
Instead, it "passes over" the bad files, and continues with the clone.
When the clone is done, CCC will give you a log of the "problem files" that were encountered.

So... I'm thinking that if the crash corrupted one or more files on the HDD, CCC may be able to "overcome" that in the process of cloning to the SSD.

Again, "trying things my way" will cost you nothing, and hurt nothing.

 

[bogdanw]

I've got an external portable HDD that had my iTunes library (amongst other things). I was in the process of migrating it over to a newer external SSD when my Mac crashed.

Your HDD needs to be repaired (First Aid from Disk Utility), but that might lead to data loss.
Ultracopier has a free version https://ultracopier.herman-brule.com/

 

[Add-Delay]

Thanks. I've been trying to give CCC a try, but hitting further road blocks. Seems more prone to stalling, and locking up than using the terminal. Doesn't seem to want to skip ahead even if stuck at 0kb/s for any amount of time. CCC does give me a damage disk warning before starting though, which is at odds with Disk Utility First Aid, which comes back fine.

For now I'm back to rsync, but hooked it up to an old iMac so it can just sit there copying without interfering with my primary Mac (and running Amphetamine so it doesn't go to sleep while running)