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What are you using to backup your files?
- Thread starter 420benz
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Yes, as a backup is an additional copy on an additional drive, otherwise it would be no backup.
Any USB 2.0 or 3.0 HDD will suffice, and Time Machine will take care of it.
Time Machine FAQ
How much do you have? If it's not loads (like only a few gigabytes) you could use a cloud backup service, which would have the advantage of being offsite and therefore protects you against a total loss due to fire, burglary or whatever.
Some vendors are bending over backwards to get you started, so for example I get 50GB free with my ISP, BT. You can back up quite a bit into 50GB!
Some vendors are bending over backwards to get you started, so for example I get 50GB free with my ISP, BT. You can back up quite a bit into 50GB!
I think you may be confusing Time Machine (the OS X backup software) with Apple's Time Capsule hardware router and hard drive combo?
You can just use any USB external drive with the included OS X Time Machine software. This drive by WD is pretty popular and you can get a 1TB for $69 USD.
SuperDuper updates to a clone on schedule every few days. Second redundant clone every few weeks. Backblaze every few days.
Friend/client uses a more serious redundant system of external drive sets swapped to a bank vault every week for photography. System gets a clone plus Backblaze.
Externals are cheap compared to rolling the dice and not backing up.
Friend/client uses a more serious redundant system of external drive sets swapped to a bank vault every week for photography. System gets a clone plus Backblaze.
Externals are cheap compared to rolling the dice and not backing up.
I use a couple of different backup strategies.
I have a 4TB external hard drive that I use for Time Machine.
I have a 1TB external hard drive that I use with Carbon Copy Cloner.
You can use any USB 2 or USB 3 external hard drive for backing up with Time Machine, you don't need to use a Time Capsule with Time Machine.
I have a 4TB external hard drive that I use for Time Machine.
I have a 1TB external hard drive that I use with Carbon Copy Cloner.
You can use any USB 2 or USB 3 external hard drive for backing up with Time Machine, you don't need to use a Time Capsule with Time Machine.
I do the same except I also use Crash Plan cloud backup in case of theft or the house is distorted.
In order to do proper backups you should have a minimum of 2 backup schemes. The reason being is backups fail, don't laugh or scoff they do all the time. You should have 2 external HD's for backing up. A popular plan is to have:
Disk 1 as a Time Machine backup.
Disk 2 as a bootable clone using either SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner.
Both apps work differently. TM will create a master backup of your whole system and then create backups of changed files every hour. This is extremely useful if you lose a file, setting, app etc but know you had it at an earlier time.
A bootable clone creates a master backup of your system and can update changes however it won't keep old files. The advantage of a cloned system is if your internal HD crashes you can boot from the clone and continue work.
NEVER EVER store 2 backups (TM and clone) on the same internal HD. The rational is HD's fail every day and if you keep both schemes on the same HD and that disk crashes you'd screwed yourself.
The combination of both recommendations above is what I recommend... and what I personally do. The only exception is that I do not personally clone the entire drive... but only clone my user data. The reason is that I have multiple machines that I can use if I just move my data over... hence I do not need an OSX clone.
/Jim
May I suggest:
3-2-1
3 copies, 2 different media/programs, 1 offsite.
You are still covered with TM/BackBlaze... but it would be better if the backup to the Thunderbolt drive was via a different program than TM... since you are using it already.
I use:
Time Machine/Time Capsule
CCC/Thunderbolt DAS (media only)
Crashplan+/Crashplan Central
/Jim
I have all my documents and project files (xcode, eclipse and titanium) in my Dropbox folder (106.2 GB capacity as we speak).
Plus I have an external drive connected to my iMac, which runs Time Machine every hour.
Once every week the content of the external drive is copied to another external drive which is connected to my Airport Extreme.
Plus I have an external drive connected to my iMac, which runs Time Machine every hour.
Once every week the content of the external drive is copied to another external drive which is connected to my Airport Extreme.
For a really minimal backup need try Dropbox, you get I think 2gb for free and it's really easy to use.
Personally I'm going to be using Backblaze or a similar service to back up my new Mini.
Personally I'm going to be using Backblaze or a similar service to back up my new Mini.
Im using a 2TB external drive to backup my 1TB iMac ... as a rule of thumb I feel your back up drive should be at least 2x your hard drive size to allow plenty of back up room.
I have now needed TimeMachine twice to restore my iMac and both times were a surprise.
I have now needed TimeMachine twice to restore my iMac and both times were a surprise.
How much you do depends on how important the files are to you. I use:
1. TimeMachine
2. Clone (I use SuperDuper!) to two alternating drives, one kept off-site.
3. CrashPlan cloud backup.
In addition, all drives with sensitive data are encrypted, because besides lost data there is the possibility of stolen data.
1. TimeMachine
2. Clone (I use SuperDuper!) to two alternating drives, one kept off-site.
3. CrashPlan cloud backup.
In addition, all drives with sensitive data are encrypted, because besides lost data there is the possibility of stolen data.
Just received the drive you suggested. What should I do before plugging this in?
Just plug it in and if you have never configured Time Machine before you should get a popup like below asking if you want to use the disk for Time Machine. Just click "use as backup disk" then you will see the Time Machine options window with Time Machine turned on. That's it.
If you do not get that popup when you plug in the drive, launch Disk Utility and select the new drive in the left pane. Then pick the erase tab and type in a name for the drive (whatever you like) and pick Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for the format from the drop down list then click the erase button. When that is done, you can quit Disk Utility.
Then go to System Preferences and open the Time Machine pref. pane. Turn on Time Machine with the switch to the left then click the select disk button and pick your new drive. I prefer to encrypt the backup using that option checkbox in the select drive area, but you do not have to.
That should do it.