How best to configure TM and CCC?

[jaybar]

Hi

I am using CCC to back up my iMac 24 M1 to an external hard drive along with TM.

TM gives me the option to include or exclude external hard drives. Which is best for conservative protection?

Thanks.

 

[Boyd01]

I would never use the same external disk for both Time Machine and CCC (if that's what you're doing). IMO, the whole idea is to maintain separate backups. I also have an external 2TB SSD that I use for storage, in addition to my 2TB internal SSD (and I'm *still* almost out of space!). In my case, I include that external SSD in Time Machine backups, because it's a data drive. If an external disk is only used for backups, I can't see any reason to include it in Time Machine.

I use an old Mini as a file and Time Machine server on my LAN, so that's where my Time Machine backups go. I also have an external USB SSD that I use for bootable CCC backups. I never use my backup disks for anything except backups, and never mix Time Machine with CCC on the same disk.

 

[jaybar]

I would never use the same external disk for both Time Machine and CCC (if that's what you're doing). IMO, the whole idea is to maintain separate backups. I also have an external 2TB SSD that I use for storage, in addition to my 2TB internal SSD (and I'm *still* almost out of space!). In my case, I include that external SSD in Time Machine backups, because it's a data drive. If an external disk is only used for backups, I can't see any reason to include it in Time Machine.

I use an old Mini as a file and Time Machine server on my LAN, so that's where my Time Machine backups go. I also have an external USB SSD that I use for bootable CCC backups. I never use my backup disks for anything except backups, and never mix Time Machine with CCC on the same disk.

@Boyd01

I want to backup an external drive that is a desktop folder on iCloud. How best to do this?

 

[Boyd01]

Sorry, I don't use iCloud and don't understand how an external drive could be a "desktop folder on iCloud".

 

[velocityg4]

@Boyd01

I want to backup an external drive that is a desktop folder on iCloud. How best to do this?

Just include your data drive in your Time Machine Backup. Time Machine will add that external to your backup disk.

With CCC you'll want multiple partitions on your CCC backup drive. One for your boot drive and one for your external data drive.

Of course. You should not make any backup to this data drive. Data drives and backup drives should always remain separate.

 

[jaybar]

Just include your data drive in your Time Machine Backup. Time Machine will add that external to your backup disk.

With CCC you'll want multiple partitions on your CCC backup drive. One for your boot drive and one for your external data drive.

Of course. You should not make any backup to this data drive. Data drives and backup drives should always remain separate.

Thanks

@velocityg4 so TM will add the external drives to my backup?

 

[Boyd01]

Seems to me that Time Machine will include external drives by default now when you set it up. Or at least, I don't recall having to do anything to add my external when I got a new Mac a year ago with Catalina. But it's easy to check, go to the Time Machine preferences and click the Options... button at the bottom. This will show you a list of everything that is not being backed up. If your external drive isn't on that list, then it will be backed up.

 

[velocityg4]

Thanks

@velocityg4 so TM will add the external drives to my backup?

Under Options you may select additional disks to add to the backup. I'm not sure if it's HFS and APFS only or if any file system may be backed up.

 

[Boyd01]

Under Options you may select additional disks to add to the backup.

Are you sure about that? AFAIK, the only thing you can do under Options is exclude disks from the backup. And if you don't do that, all connected disks will be backed up. I believe this is something that changed at some point with Time Machine.

 

[velocityg4]

Are you sure about that? AFAIK, the only thing you can do under Options is exclude disks from the backup. And if you don't do that, all connected disks will be backed up. I believe this is something that changed at some point with Time Machine.

It does look like it's changed. It's been a long time since I last setup Time Machine with additional drives. I recall having to specifically add drives I wanted backed up. Personally I just use Freefilesync for backups now. As I can use a computer during a restore without issue and incremental backups are insanely fast.

How to make sure Time Machine backs up external drives

A reader wants to shift his Photos and iTunes libraries to an external drive and ensure they're backed up by Time Machine.

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