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There's several reasons why you should routinely backup your Mac: to avoid the nightmare of losing important data, perhaps to move your files to a shiny new Mac; or because you're planning to install the latest macOS update and you want to be safe. Here are a few options on how to do that.
- Bonus 2. What to Do If You Cannot Get the Lost Files from Backup
How to Backup a Mac to an External Hard Drive. Insert your drive and use the Disk Utility app to format it. Open two Finder windows. One should show your internal drive, while the other should. The best external hard drives for Macs allow you to expand your storage without paying a premium.t paying a premium. Along with WD's own backup software. Why the iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple.
1How to Backup Mac to External Hard Drive with Time Machine?
Time Machine is a built-in backup feature of Mac, to back up all of your files, including photos, videos, music, apps, documents, and system files.
To create backups using the Time Machine, all you need is a large capacity external storage device. Important note: In order to prepare the external storage for backup, Time Machine will erase all the information in the external storage.
Steps to Backup Mac to External Hard Drive with Time Machine
Step 1. Connect your external storage device to your Mac
Connect the drive to the Mac. A message will pop up asking whether you want to use it for the Time Machine back-up.
If this doesn't happen automatically, you will need to trigger the back-up manually. Go on the Time Machine menu icon, and select Time Machine preferences.
Step 2. Select Encrypt Backup Disk (recommended)
Check the Back Up Automatically option then click on Select Backup Disk. It is safer to encrypt your data by check the 'Encrypt backups' option: this way, anyone who wants to access your data will need to enter a password.
Sometimes, the system may prompt you to erase the disk before doing the back-up: that may be because it is not formatted as required. In that case, click Erase (note that you will lose any data present on the external disk).
Step 3. Enjoy convenient automatic backups
Click on Use Disk button. Time Machine will proceed to automatically making regular back-ups on that external drive, as long as you keep keep it connected to your Mac - no need for you to do anything else.
Step 4. Start a manual backup (Optional)
You can also launch a back-up manually. Choose Back Up Now in the Time Machine menu icon. Here you can also check the backup status, or stop an ongoing backup.
Once you have a backup, it will be easy for you to restore all these files, in situations where you either mistakenly deleted them, or if your hard drive is damaged or needs replacing.
2How to Backup Mac to iCloud?
Another convenient way to backup your files is to use iCloud, since it doesn't require you to connect an external hard drive to your Mac. iCloud can automatically store your notes, calendars, bookmarks, photos, passwords, and more. And it now also includes iCloud Drive, which can store documents, desktop files, and other files of your choosing.
Steps to Back up Mac to iCloud
Following these instructions to backup your Mac to iCloud.
Step1. Sign in to iCloud
To use iCloud and to access your files, you just need to be signed in to iCloud.
Go to Apple menu (Apple) and choose System Preferences > iCloud. Enter your Apple ID. The iCloud will be turned on automatically after you sign in.
Step2. Review your iCloud settings
Choose the apps that you want to backup with iCloud (e.g. Notes, Photos, iCloud Drive..).
Important: To ensure the best iCloud experience, Apple recommends macOS Mojave or newer.
Bonus Tip 1: How to Restore from a Time Machine Backup
If you are using Time Machine for regular backups (and you should!), you can easily retrieve lost items or recover older versions of files. Tyme 2 2018 7 – effective time tracking number.
Step 1. Restart your computer and hold down the Command + R simultaneously. It will boot into macOS Utilities.
Step 2. Select the first option and then click on Continue.
Step 3. Choose the backup you want to restore, then click on Continue button.
![Best external backup for macbook pro Best external backup for macbook pro](https://appletoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/mac-stuck-on-apple-logo-540x405.jpg)
Step 4. Select one or more items you want to restore, then click Contine.
Restored items return to their original location, e.g. if an item was in the Documents folder, it will be returned to the Documents folder.
Bonus Tip 2: What to Do If You Cannot Get Your Lost Files from Backup
What to do if your lost files doesn't come back after restoring? A professional software can help you find your lost files backup in this situation. There are specialized software to recover deleted or lost data. AnyRecover for Mac is one of the best and easiest to use - no expert skills needed!
AnyRecover for Mac can help whether the system crashed, you emptied your Trash, fell victim to a virus attack, or if your Mac suddenly stopped recognizing an external device like hard drive or memory stick, etc. It can recover most types of file (emails, documents, photos, music, etc) in just a few steps. Best of all, you can try it for free.
Features
- Equipped with the latest data recovery algorithm that allows you to recover unlimited data from your Mac computer.
- Recover files regardless of how you lost your files, it can help you recover data after system crashing, trash empting, formatting, etc.
- Supports all storage mediums, including hard drive (external & internal), SD card, computer, digital camera, etc.
- Compatible with all models of Mac, including MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook, iMac and more.
Recover Everything You Want with AnyRecover
Step 1. Download & launch AnyRecover.
Step 2. Select the location/file type and start scanning.
Step 3. Preview the scanned files, then click Recover to retrieve them.
Congratulations, you have now recovered your files!
Nearly everyone has accidentally deleted or lost a file before. Whether it's an important document or holiday pictures, all files are just data on your Mac, and fortunately that data can be easily retrieved with AnyRecover. It offers a free trial for you!
Does this sound similar to you?
You thought you had enough disk space when you originally bought your MacBook Pro, but soon you realized that storage is being filled up quicker than you can clear old files.
Or maybe you already had an external drive to help extend your MacBook’s storage, but now it’s either outdated, too slow, or experiencing issues.
We may be in the age of cloud computing and remotely stored files, but it’s always helpful to have a portable hard drive you can count on both for file backups and to work off as needed.
In this buying guide, we’ll help you pick the best external drive for your MacBook Pro so you can access all your files without sacrificing speed or performance.
Quick Summary
Here’s a brief overview of our recommendations depending on your specific needs and preferences:
- The 10TB G-DRIVE Desktop External Hard Drive will give you enough volume and lightning speed for a traditional drive, and comes pre-formatted for Mac.
- If you need instant cross-platform compatibility, and an array of color choices, you’ll be covered with the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB.
- Known for being rough on your electronics? The Silicon Power 1TB Drive is rugged and durable, with water resistance in addition to quick read and write speeds.
- If you prefer a modern speedy solid-state drive, the Glyph Atom RAID 1TB SSD is sure to meet expectations in terms of speed and durability.
Do I Need An External Drive for My Mac?
External drives are a worthwhile investment for more than just power users, but it can be hard to determine if you need one or not. Consider this:
- Do you regularly work with large files such as videos and edited images, or run other creative files such as video games?
- Is your MacBook Pro running slower due to being overburdened with files?
- Have you ever wanted to backup your Mac just in case of any data disaster?
- Are you using a cloud storage or online backup service but fear of security and reliability issues from the provider?
- Are old files being stored on your computer because you occasionally reference them but can’t completely delete them?
Answering yes to any of the above scenario questions is a fairly good indicator that an external hard drive would benefit you.
On the other hand, an external hard drive is probably not the best option for for those of you who only have a small volume of unimportant files to save, which might be better served by using a cloud storage program like Dropbox or Google Drive or by offloading their old files onto a large USB flash drive.
Best External Drive for MacBook: What to Look For in 2020?
Storage Capacity
If you’re purchasing an external hard drive, it’s because you need the space on your MacBook, so it doesn’t make sense to cut corners on how much exterior space you purchase. However, it’s still important to consider exactly how much space you need. Consider how quickly you create large files (such as photo imports) and if you plan on keeping them in a long or short term to decide your actual need.
Formatting
While many newer drives come formatted to work on both Mac and PC, it’s best not to choose one that is single-system compatible as it will limit the drive’s versatility (though you could manually format an external drive for both PC and Mac compatibility, it’s an extra effort and requires you to be a bit geeky). For added convenience, you should look for drives that come pre-formatted for Mac, which means you don’t have to install a special program and do it yourself.
HDD or SSD
There are several kinds of external drives based on the electronics that make them work. An HDD is the traditional spinning disk of data, whereas an SSD is newer technology that has no moving parts and store information inside the electronic components. An HHD, or Hybrid Hard Drive, uses a combination of these methods. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to speed, durability, price, and information safety, so make sure you know which you prefer.
The Best External Drives for MacBook Pro in 2020: Our Picks
Kindly note that the products chosen below are mainly based on our personal preferences and the guidelines as shown above. They are by no means made in the order below.
1. G-Technology 10TB G-DRIVE USB-C Desktop External Hard Drive
This speedy HDD drive offers a huge chunk of storage at an uncommonly high RPM. It will stand up to daily use in editing and media programs and connects to your computer via USB-C so you can take full advantage of its specs.
Pros:
- If you have set up Apple Time Machine, this drive will be ready for easy file backup so you won’t be waiting for your files to read or write. Also, it comes with a great amount of storage space.
Cons:
- The disk is pre-formatted for Mac, you won’t be able to use your files on a secondary computer such as a Windows PC unless you reformat it to NTFS file system.
2. Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB
Available in four different sizes, this hard drive from trusted brand Seagate comes in several colors. Approximately the size of your phone, it packs a punch for its size and is very portable.
Pros:
- It can be used on both Mac and PC without reformatting. Also, it offers fast connection via USB and weighs about 5 ounces.
Cons:
- Largest TB size option is not compatible with Mac.
3. Silicon Power 1TB Rugged Armor A60
An extremely versatile and sturdy drive, this model is compatible with more than just your MacBook. It’s water resistant, with read and write speeds at the standard 120 mbps.
![External backup drive for macbook pro External backup drive for macbook pro](https://alaneesqatar.qa/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/samsung-galaxy-3601.png)
Pros:
- It can be used with several gaming consoles and Apple Time Machine in addition to your Mac.
- It’s also durable and available with the modern USB-C which is especially useful if you’re using the newest MacBook Pro.
Cons:
- It appears somewhat unprofessional, also the drive is a bit on the heavy side as it weighs around 8 ounces.
4. Glyph Atom RAID 1TB External Solid State Drive
External Backup For Macbook Pro
Available with USB and USB-C connections and pre-formatted for Mac, this SSD from well-known brand Glyph provides extremely fast speeds that will support your casual and power use. It looks clean and functions beautifully.
Pros:
- It comes pre-formatted for Mac with easy reformats for PC or cross-platform compatibility, significantly faster than comparable drives from Samsung and other brands, available in several colors and two connection types.
External Backup For Macbook Pro
Cons:
- It’s the heaviest drive on our list at 11 ounces, and a bit on the pricey side as well.
Useful Tips & Resources
Picking a hard drive can be difficult, especially if you aren’t sure whether you need one. One way to help decide is to try a cloud storage platform such as Google Drive or Dropbox before you decide to buy an external drive. Both platforms are free to start with and they offer terabyte storage options for paying customers and using one may help you decide if you need more constant access to your files or simply a place to store them.
Scherlokk lightning fast file search utility 4 1 2. If you know you want an external drive but aren’t sure what storage type you need (HDD or SSD), perhaps this guide from PCWorld will help you decide which best fits your requirements.
Also, It’s worth noting that some external drives available on the market are formatted for PC only, but you can reformat it to Mac OS Extended, or for cross-platform compatibility (with NTFS) if you need to use your external drive for your MacBook Pro and a PC as well. This tutorial is definitely worth checking out:
Final Words
Regardless of your final choice of external drive, having one will definitely improve your workflow and computer performance. You’ll be able to use your files more effectively and improve your MacBook’s performance. Which external drive have you used in the past or are considering purchasing? Let us know.