How to backup an Apple Computer (iMac/Mini/Macbook)
There are a number of options on how to backup an Apple Computer (iMac/Mini/Macbook)
- Time Machine backup to an External HDD or USB Thumb Drive
- Time Machine backup to Apple Airport Time Capsule (no longer available for purchase)
- Time Machine Backup to a Server, NAS Drive or Networked Storage
- Cloud Backup over the Internet
Time Machine is Apple’s built-in program for backup and restoring data and it is very easy to use.
How to Backup a Mac using Time machine
Time Machine backup to an External HDD or USB Thumb Drive
Connect a USB storage or flash-drive to a spare USB port and setup Time Machine to use that for backups. This maybe applicable for Mac’s that only have small internal HDD or SSD of 128 or 256GB. Other wise use an External HDD which come in sizes up to 4 or 6 TB.
Connect an External HDD to a spare USB port with the supplied wire and setup Time Machine to use that for backups. A 1 TB external HDD drive will be suitable for most backup needs.
Time Machine backup to Apple Airport Time Capsule
Apple Time Capsules are no longer produced by Apple. But many of you still have one, they remain the easiest way to backup wirelessly.
How to backup a mac to a Time Capsule
Time Machine Backup to a Server, NAS Drive or Networked Storage
Backups can be made to any other device, computer or server that are visible over the network.
When setting up the destination of the backup, any available network locations will appear.
If they do not show up, they may require some technical help in setting up the source computer, drive or NAS. Contact us
Cloud Backup over the Internet
It is recommend having two forms of backup, onsite (local, as above) and offsite (in the cloud)
There are many cloud backup services available per month depending on the amount of data you require backing up.
An alternative to a dedicated cloud backup service is to simply store all your data on a cloud-storage service such as Apple iCloud or Microsoft OneDrive. These service, keep your data safe but they do not backup your programs.
