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Help: What is the best way to backup my MBPr?
- Thread starter Hieveryone
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Time Capsule is a good option that includes a hard disk, router, & wi-fi. Do you need a router & wi-fi also?
Time Machine to back up or restore information from Apple. Using other solutions (such as NAS or MyCloud) that are not recommended by Apple may not be reliable.
Other possible solutions for external drives when connected to your MBP:
Carbon Copy Cloner (my preferred)
SuperDuper
Pick your favorite external drive, or an Apple Time Capsule, or plug a NAS into your router and just use Time Machine.
https://www.apple.com/support/backup/
Western Digital will work fine. Just format it for mac.
I use Carbon Copy Cloner, $40.00 from Bombich. https://bombich.com
It will make a complete bootable backup. If you drive were to crash, the Carbon Copy Cloner backup is bootable.
Super Duper is also good. A time machine backup is not as easy to recover from a hard drive failure.
Kim
Add solutions based on your level of protection.
Zero Downtime: If you're going after Zero downtime choose Carbon Copy Cloner with a USB HDD, any drive will do like the WD series you've posted, and have it set to backup every 12 or 24 hours.
File Protection: If you're looking for protection against stuff like accidental deletion, file corruption etc, choose Time Machine with an HDD that has sufficient space for your needs; more storage = more protection.
Best is a hybrid approach. Partition a single drive of 1-2 Tb into two partition, one for CCC's bootable copy, the other as a time machine volume.
Zero Downtime: If you're going after Zero downtime choose Carbon Copy Cloner with a USB HDD, any drive will do like the WD series you've posted, and have it set to backup every 12 or 24 hours.
File Protection: If you're looking for protection against stuff like accidental deletion, file corruption etc, choose Time Machine with an HDD that has sufficient space for your needs; more storage = more protection.
Best is a hybrid approach. Partition a single drive of 1-2 Tb into two partition, one for CCC's bootable copy, the other as a time machine volume.
I'm so confused. I"m using time machine and backing up to an external hard drive, but how let's say the hard drive crashes on my MBPr.
And then I get a new MBPr.
How would I restore everything to my NEW MBPr from my external hard drive?
I am using time machine btw.
EDIT: Would I use migration assistant??
And then I get a new MBPr.
How would I restore everything to my NEW MBPr from my external hard drive?
I am using time machine btw.
EDIT: Would I use migration assistant??
I can't tell you the best way, but I use time machine on the Air port time capsule. It came in handy twice:
I accidentally deleted a file and recovered it a couple of weeks later.
Last year I had a hard disk failure and I was able to restore my early 2011 MBP completely. I guess I got lucky as all settings, programs and data were restored from the time machine back up. Saved me hours upon hours of effort as I have a lot crap built up over the years.
I can't rembember exactly how I restored my MBP, but it was not that difficult, I think all I had to go was restore from back up as opposed to setting up a brand new Mac. Mind you, the repair shop reinstalled the OS for me.
I accidentally deleted a file and recovered it a couple of weeks later.
Last year I had a hard disk failure and I was able to restore my early 2011 MBP completely. I guess I got lucky as all settings, programs and data were restored from the time machine back up. Saved me hours upon hours of effort as I have a lot crap built up over the years.
I can't rembember exactly how I restored my MBP, but it was not that difficult, I think all I had to go was restore from back up as opposed to setting up a brand new Mac. Mind you, the repair shop reinstalled the OS for me.
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I'm not sure why you're confused.
Everything you need to know is right there in a link that has already been posted.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250#restore
Can anyone tell me if this is right or not?
I have a MBPr. I am using time machine to backup my computer to an external hard drive (Western digital).
Tomorrow, God forbid, my MBPr hard drive completely fails and I throw it away in the garbage.
Luckily, I have the external drive (Western Digital) and has a backup.
I go to the Apple store and by a brand new MBPr.
I plug in my external drive that has the backup from my failed MBPr and transfer my data.
Is this right?
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This didn't answer my question for 2 reasons.
1) It says if you want to do a complete restore it has to be on the same Mac. In my scenario my Mac has already failed.
2) For migration assistant, it seems like you need BOTH macs, and like I said in my scenario my Mac has already failed.
All I have is a backup on Time Machine. How can I get the backup in Time Machine onto a new Mac?
In that scenario I would take the NEW MBPr, boot it from my CCC bootable backup, then run CCC and clone the backup drive to the NEW MBPr, once complete reboot the new MBPr and away you go...
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314
It doesn't require it to be the same Mac.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350
All the information is there if you take the time to read through it.
Read the information on the links that have been posted. Every one of your questions are answered there.
Ok I took the time to read it. Is this right?
I would NOT use migration assistant. That REQUIRES the older Mac.
I would use Command + R and get the backup from my external hard drive.
Also, I have a password on my external hard drive. Is that OK?
I also have multiple accounts. Will all of them be restored?
It does NOT require the old Mac! Please read more carefully.
I just noticed this. It only requires a time machine backup, which could be on my external hard drive.
Question:
I'm using Mavericks and and backing up.
If I got a new Mac, it would have El Capitan.
Would I still be able to use the backup?
No it doesn't. The information at the link I provided states that you can use migration assistant from a time machine backup.
I don't know about the password part, because I don't know how you're password protecting it.
But yes you can restore multiple accounts.
It's very very easy.
I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.
Boot up in recovery mode and see if it can access the password protected drive if you're worried about it.
Ok! Will do. Also, I am using Mavericks. The new Mac would have El Capitan. Is that OK? My backup on the external drive is of course Mavericks...
The only time I've heard of issues between OS versions was when someone tried to restore something from a backup of an old PPC based Mac to an Intel based Mac.
Ok cool. I don't have a PPC I don't think. Mines a late 2013 MBPr.
So I should be fine.
I might another external hard drive and keep 2 backups just for safety.
Not sure if that's a good idea or not.
Does anyone here do that?
I always like to start fresh, so I don't make disk images, and all important data I save to cloud storages redundantly, as well as numerous back up hard disks I keep.
Reinstalling everything is generally pretty quick, and I use it as a test to make sure transfer speeds of ports and everything works.
Reinstalling everything is generally pretty quick, and I use it as a test to make sure transfer speeds of ports and everything works.
I use Carbon Copy Cloner and yes I make 2 backups. Is it necessary, probably not but in my case I have had a Western Digital Passport external drive fail on me, so it gives me peace of mind having 2 backups.
Kim
Personally I use Superduper & Carbon Copy Cloner; Time Machine is a good file archival application, however for full disk restore there are better more reliable options. A bootable clone is also the fastest way to get up and running, should the internal drive fail.
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