Is using time machine important?

[michael31986]

I’m thinking of getting an external drive and using time machine. I have photos and music that I’m scared if I ever lose idk what I’ll do.

any tips. Suggestions on type of hard drive? Settings? I mainly want to sync my photos and music and documents

 

[BobHinden]

It's easy, just get a external hard drive, plug it in, go to time machine preferences, select the drive, and it will then back up your files. I am currently using WD 2TB My Passport Ultra for Mac .

 

[Tumbleweed666]

No need to worry about settings (there aren't many anyway), just get a reliable hd at least 2x the size of your macs hd , plug it in, click yes to "do you want to use this as a Time Machine disk" and that's it.
Im currentiy using a WD Passport AND a Sandisk SD as two TM disks.
i had a complete Mac failure back in the summer, (house lost power for 12+ hours), internal disk wasn't readable at all, and when I reconnected the new Mac to my TM disk, this is about 3 weeks later, after it finished restoring, my new I Mac restarted from where I had left off, literally down to the windows open on the old iMac at the time of the power fail. Amazing.

edit ps realised my sig was really out of date referring to my defunct iMac from 2013 so that lasted 7 years and would likely have been going strong still had it not been for that power fail

 

[leman]

Having backups is important, Time Machine is just a really convenient way of doing them. If you really care about your data you will have multiple independent backups. Why not put your photos on iCloud?

 

[Apple_Robert]

In my opinion, you should get two external drives in case one of them goes bad, you will (hopefully) still have your files. Have Time Machine back up to each drive.

 

[MBAir2010]

these are great advice on using time machine and an external hard drive.
i found a photo i thought u deleted for good on a back-up back up from 2005 friday thanks to time machine!

 

[michael31986]

How does it back up if I have the MacBook lid closed at night. Surely the MacBook needs to be open and awake to do a backup no?

also do I get an external ssd drive or regular external hard drive?

 

[GoodWheaties]

For a MacBook it’s most convenient to have the drive connected to your router so it can back up whenever you are using it on the network. It can sometimes be a pain to get it to work properly with non-Apple routers though. But give it a shot though.

 

[michael31986]

For a MacBook it’s most convenient to have the drive connected to your router so it can back up whenever you are using it on the network. It can sometimes be a pain to get it to work properly with non-Apple routers though. But give it a shot though.

Yea. Idk if I’m that tech savvy. I have a Verizon router too.

 

[Quackers]

How does it back up if I have the MacBook lid closed at night. Surely the MacBook needs to be open and awake to do a backup no?

also do I get an external ssd drive or regular external hard drive?

I had an old USB 2.0 HDD that I used but I was getting sick of how long it took so I've just bought a Lacie 1TB HDD (USB-C) and it's cut the time down by at least half.
Obviously the Lacie HDD is slower than some SSD's but it depends on your pocket and your needs and the amount of stuff that needs backing up.
There's quite a price jump to decent external SSD's I think.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Yea. Idk if I’m that tech savvy. I have a Verizon router too.

Verizon router may have a USB port on the back. If it does, all you would need to do is plug in the eternal drive (once it was formatted) to the router, open Time Machine, and then select that external drive for use.

If you feel more comfortable, you can keep an external drive connected to your computer. If you feel more comfortable doing that, that is fine. Many people here only connect their external drives when they want to backup. Other members use a hub which makes things easier with connecting external devices and drives.

 

[Weaselboy]

How does it back up if I have the MacBook lid closed at night. Surely the MacBook needs to be open and awake to do a backup no?

also do I get an external ssd drive or regular external hard drive?

Mac User Guide

Learn what’s new in macOS, how to get started with your Mac and use it with your Apple devices, and how to control privacy and security on macOS.

support.apple.com

If you enable "Power Nap" it will backup even while asleep if it is attached to power.

I'm a believer in a direct attached USB hard drive for backups. The networked solutions seem to be a little flakey sometimes.

 

[michael31986]

thanks everyone! any suggestions on good USB-C external hard drive? is it better to get one that plugs into the wall for power source or just uses the power from the Mac?

 

[Apple_Robert]

thanks everyone! any suggestions on good USB-C external hard drive? is it better to get one that plugs into the wall for power source or just uses the power from the Mac?

Using power of the Mac is fine.

Something like this works well. I have one. Make sure to get one approximately 2.5 times the size of your Mac's SSD. That way, if you need to retrieve an oder file, it should be there.

Toshiba Canvio Flex 1TB Portable External Hard Drive USB-C USB 3.0, Silver for PC, Mac, & Tablet - HDTX110XSCAA

Combining compatibility and portability, the Canvio Flex portable external hard drive is designed to work interchangeably with most major USB devices and operating systems. The Canvio Flex is compatible with both Mac and Windows PC, as well as supported tablet devices with USB-C port (2). Enjoy t...

www.amazon.com

 

[Quackers]

I only connect my backup HDD when I want to back up or restore the Mac.
I don't leave it connected all the time.
I unchecked the automatic backups as I don't need that function for my use case.

 

[MisterSavage]

Anything you care about you should have multiple backups of.

I use Time Machine on an external drive for local backup.

I have an automated online backup to Backblaze so even if my place burned down I wouldn't lose any data.

 

[ChrisA]

I’m thinking of getting an external drive and using time machine. I have photos and music that I’m scared if I ever lose idk what I’ll do.

any tips. Suggestions on type of hard drive? Settings? I mainly want to sync my photos and music and documents

Time Machine is one part of a backup system. But it is not enough. The usual rule is to always have three copies of your day at two different geographic locations.

Common reasons for loss of data are (1) theft of the equipment and (2) disasters like electrical surges, fires, and floods.

Time machine only addresses a loss caused by hard disk failure.

In addition to time machine, you need some kind of off-site backup. Either cloud storage or you make a backup and then physically rotate the hard drive to someplace like your office or a relative's house. Typically you have two disks and rotate them so one is always away. The Cloud stage is easier.

EVERYONE who has lost data thought the same thing: The above is too much work. I won't bother. So, three copies at two locations. You can skip this but then at some point, you will lose the data. Making data live for 20 to 30 years is REALLY HARD.

I've written this many times: "One hundred years from nowhere will be VERY FEW one hundred year oldphotos." Today maybe you have some old photos that your grandparents had that were taken in the early 1900s. But your grandkids will never see 100 year old photos because while paper photos can live in a desk drawer for 60 years, digital photos need actively maintained storage continuously for 100 years.

 

[michael31986]

Thanks everyone!! I’m looking at the sandisc ssd 2tb. That will last longer than hdd cause no moving parts.

 

[posguy99]

Having backups is important, Time Machine is just a really convenient way of doing them. If you really care about your data you will have multiple independent backups.

All good so far...

Why not put your photos on iCloud?

And then you say this? iCloud isn't any sort of backup. Apple tells you it isn't a backup. Anything that exists only in one place isn't a backup.

 

[ChrisA]

Thanks everyone!! I’m looking at the sandisc ssd 2tb. That will last longer than hdd cause no moving parts.

It would be safer to buy TWO hard drives than one SSD. For Time machine speed does not matter at all. But you are right, the SSD might last longer.

Also the TM drive needs to be about twice as large as the data to be backed up. Larger is better as it will keep older versions longer.

Also do not forget about off-site backup. When lightning strikes to power pole down the street it will fry your computer and the external drive. If you computer is stolen, they take the external drive too.

 

[Blowback]

Verizon router may have a USB port on the back. If it does, all you would need to do is plug in the eternal drive (once it was formatted) to the router, open Time Machine, and then select that external drive for use.

If you feel more comfortable, you can keep an external drive connected to your computer. If you feel more comfortable doing that, that is fine. Many people here only connect their external drives when they want to backup. Other members use a hub which makes things easier with connecting external devices and drives.

Apple_Robert:
Just being lazy here but before I dig: I have been using a 2TB AppleTM (Capsule Router) for years with no real issues. Question: its already setup for auto backups from my net but if I were to connect a drive to its port would it still perform 'as usual' but back up to the new drive also or will one take precedence? Would one 'use' the TM from the router and the other use the 'TM Application' from my MBP? I ask because it would allow for the occasional back up for off site storage. Just wondering before going digging for answers. Thanks.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Apple_Robert:
Just being lazy here but before I dig: I have been using a 2TB AppleTM (Capsule Router) for years with no real issues. Question: its already setup for auto backups from my net but if I were to connect a drive to its port would it still perform 'as usual' but back up to the new drive also or will one take precedence? Would one 'use' the TM from the router and the other use the 'TM Application' from my MBP? I ask because it would allow for the occasional back up for off site storage. Just wondering before going digging for answers. Thanks.

You can connect an external drive to the back of the TM Capsule. I have done the same thing in the past. Once the Capsule is backed up for that time period, TM will move to the next set drive for backup.

 

[Isamilis]

Time Machine is one of the reason I prefer Mac to Windows. Reliable and non-intrusive. All you have to do is just plug the disk whenever you need to backup.

 

[ChrisA]

Apple_Robert:
Just being lazy here but before I dig: I have been using a 2TB AppleTM (Capsule Router) for years with no real issues. Question: its already setup for auto backups from my net but if I were to connect a drive to its port would it still perform 'as usual' but back up to the new drive also or will one take precedence? Would one 'use' the TM from the router and the other use the 'TM Application' from my MBP? I ask because it would allow for the occasional back up for off site storage. Just wondering before going digging for answers. Thanks.

When you plug-in the drive the first time you are asked if you want to use this drive for the Time machine. If you say "yes" then there will be two-time machine drives and the system will "ping-pong" using one drive and then the next hour the other drive so that every other backup is to the other drive.

The best way to use two TM drives is to leave one connected 24x7 then keep a second TM drive inside a fire safe and periodically plug it in and let it be updated. It might take a few hours then place it back in the fire safe.

But you STILL need an off-site backup. I use "Backblaze" as it costs only $6 per month and works a lot like TM. iDrive.com is another good option. Both will still have your data even if someone steals your equipment or the house burns down.

 

[leman]

And then you say this? iCloud isn't any sort of backup. Apple tells you it isn't a backup. Anything that exists only in one place isn't a backup.

What I suggested was to use both iCloud and an external drive in order to have multiple data copies around. Sorry if this was unclear.

Regarding iCloud: it uses multiple levels of redundancy (including geographic redundancy), so data in it is way safer than any solution you can build at home. Sure, Apple will deny liability in case your data is lost or corrupted, but you will find that the same is true for any online storage provider, including those who specialize in online backups. I would trust iCloud more than I would trust an external disk.

My personal backup plan includes a Synology NAS at home (which is backed up to could and to an external disk), iCloud, a separate backup NAS at work as well as periodic archiving to a distributed data storage center. I feel reasonably safe