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Backup for mac

  • 10-03-2017 4:17pm
    #1
    Wanderer41
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 240 ✭✭


    I have a macbook air which I don't think has ever been backed up. I've been meaning to back it up, and I want to update to Sierra now, but I'm not sure which is the best way to do it.
    I know there is the time machine and backing it up externally - which is better? I did google it but I'm not sure if time machine is what I need exactly? I want everything to be backed up including documents and files etc. Will time machine do this? How does it work, do you just need your username and password?
    Or is it better to use a hard drive? I'm not sure if I'd have enough space on mine and I'm sure it would probably take a long time to back everything up so I'm not sure which to use.
    I'm a bit clueless when it comes to this so any help is appreciated.
    Thanks!


Comments

  • #2
    CalamariFritti
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,210 ✭✭✭CalamariFritti


    Time machine it is.
    Get external hard drive. Connect to MacBook and make it your time machine drive. Then let time machine do its thing.
    With time machine you can get your MacBook back to its current state from a fresh install or even just with an installer disk st hand.
    It backs up system files and your files.
    Mske sure to make incremental backups to your time machine every now and then.
    Time machine is your friend and is very very easy to use.


  • #3
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,698 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Get an external hard drive, hook it up to your Mac and enable Time Machine. That's pretty much all you need to do.


  • #4
    Wanderer41
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 240 ✭✭Wanderer41


    Thanks for the advice! I jus tried using time machine but it says the backup disc isn't in mac OS extended (journaled) format. Google seems to say I have to format the hard drive first, but I think this deletes everything off the hard drive? I don't have enough space on my laptop or anywhere else to put my files from my hard drive so I'm not sure what to do.
    Is there any way around formatting/erasing everything from my hard drive?


  • #5
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,698 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Wanderer41 wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice! I jus tried using time machine but it says the backup disc isn't in mac OS extended (journaled) format. Google seems to say I have to format the hard drive first, but I think this deletes everything off the hard drive? I don't have enough space on my laptop or anywhere else to put my files from my hard drive so I'm not sure what to do.
    Is there any way around formatting/erasing everything from my hard drive?

    I'd suggest getting a second external hard drive. They are fairly cheap. And if it's large enough you can then use it to backup both drives.


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