/Mac Tips /How to Back Up Mac to External Hard Drive without Time Machine
Time Machine allows Mac users to create a backup automatically for the first time set up but proves complex down the road. Going for external storage supports the back up of Mac data without it. Besides, you can bring the backup out of mothballs in case of a disaster that damages your Mac.
Yes, you can use a single NTFS disk for both Windows and Mac backups. Time Machine can work on 'foreign' drives fine by using a sparsebundle disk image. This is how TM works with a networked drive; it creates a sparsebundle on the network drive, and then mounts it. There are a 3 main steps to using an NTFS or other non-HFS+ drive for Time Machine. The minimum size for a Time Machine backup drive should be at least twice the size of the Mac primary storage. For instance, if MacBook's disk size is 128GB, then 256GB will be minimum for a backup, and 1TB would be the best choice.
An external hard drive will ensure you're not caught napping if your computer or local backups get erased. You can easily retrieve data using another device, recover an earlier version of a file, or import backup clone to a new Mac.
Here, we'll look at how to back up Mac to external hard drive without time machine.
Article GuidePart 1: Shortcomings of Time Machine and the Impetus for External Hard DrivesPart 2: How to Back Up Mac without Time MachinePart 3: Other Solutions on Mac BackupPart 4: Conclusion
Part 1: Shortcomings of Time Machine and the Impetus for External Hard Drives
Disadvantages of Time Machine Backup
Time Machine will only work with the hard drive plugged in before running back up. Setting up Time Machine on your NAS drive for a wireless process runs at a snail's gallop. It also mops up more storage space due to incremental backups; you need a drive with a minimum of 1TB.
With Time Machine, you might lose your Mac with data, your drive could stall, or your computer fails to start. It's also more difficult to retrieve data from SSDs. Malware infection may render data irrecoverable. Having an external hard drive as your backup adds an extra layer of security to protect.
Backing up your Mac without invoking Time Machine takes long for extremely large files or data transferred to a new storage destination. An external databank keeps data secure regardless of the status of your Mac.
Using backup software to clone the hard drive allows you to boot up from another device temporarily. Time Machine backup does not support this function. Moreover, cloud services' backup is accessible from any device.
Part 2: How to Back Up Mac without Time Machine
Method 1: Manual Backup
You can manually back up Mac data to an external hard drive without Time Machine. Just plug in the external hard drive to your Mac to get started and back up your data.
- Click Finder> Preferences and examine the Hard Disks in Show these items on the desktop.
- Now launch backup disk, generate a file folder and enter a name.
- Now, open Mac disk, hit Users' file folder and then highlight all files, including items that you want to backup.
- Now drag all the highlighted files or folders to the Backup destination that you've just created.
- Sit back and wait for the process to finish. The more files you've, the longer it takes to copy and paste to the external storage device.
Method 2: Automatic Back-Up with Specialized Software
Manual back up takes the patience of a saint. If you're racing against time, try a free third-party tool to back up Mac to an external hard drive or other storage locations. Just download and install EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac to get the job done without scrambling.
Step 1. Open and Run the Software.
Click on the initial Backup tab or just hit the + button in the lower-left corner to generate a backup project-name it and select OK.
Step 2. Set up the Data Location
Set up the data location where you wish to archive Mac data as backups or automatic and hit OK.
Step 3. Add Files or Folders to Your Project
Click on File+ to discriminatively handpick items to add to the project and hit the blue start key to back up your data to the external device.
You can also use cloning software if you want to back up bootable data. You may need to reformat the drive to prepare it for back up, invoke Disk Utility.
Part 3: Other Solutions on Mac Backup
iCloud
For Apple subscribers with iCloud storage, this offers a secure backup of data. It comes in handy for owners of multiple devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Macs. With the backup set up, you can access the same files across your devices. Backing up to iCloud also eliminates the need for an external drive.
Unlike other backup methods, you cannot retrieve a clone of your retired Mac onto a new one, including apps or settings. It allows you to access all the data stored in iCloud or apps downloaded from the App store.
Dropbox or Google Drive
Dropbox and Google Drive provide efficient alternatives to iCloud if you want to sync or share files. Cloud storage services make it a breeze to share files with your network instead of backing up all your content.
Data plans that mop up large amounts of data remain behind a pay-wall. However, you can't access a clone of your device in case of loss or damage. You should theoretically save a disc image of your computer in the cloud and recover that.
Offsite Backup
Specialized online backup services like Carbonite will store your Mac's data over the web at a prescribed fee. CrashPlan is a free alternative that allows you to sync your data to a drive-in another computer. Onto the downside, this method requires high-speed broadband services.
Tip: Duplicate Finder-Steer Clear of Imitations
Backing up video and large files mean more space if you end up with useless duplications. Use Duplicate Finder of iMyMac Mac Cleaner to save storage space. Mass duplicates gobble up more slots and bog down the performance of your Mac.
Hunting down duplicates with the naked eye is a needle-in-a-haystack search. Duplicate Finder ranges over every registry in your system to unveil and remove duplicates. If you have multiple backups for different files, this tool can be a game-changer to locate and erase duplicate files.
Part 4: Conclusion
In all, knowing how to back up Mac to an external hard drive without Time Machine will keep you safe in the knowledge that you can never lose or scramble for data in the aftermath of unfortunate scenarios. You can create a backup manually or use a third-party tool to make it a breeze.
An external storage device keeps your backup data secure than Time Machine. You can also clone your Mac and make data bootable from another device.
Do you've another way to back up your Mac without Time Machine? Share it with our curious readers in the comments below.
ExcellentThanks for your rating.
Rating: 4.6 / 5 (based on 104 ratings)
People Also Read:
Eschbach2020-09-14 20:26:25
Bonsoir,J'ai un gros soucis avec mon MacBook Pro. un point d'interrogation s'affiche à l'allumage. J'éteins 10s en maintenant enfoncé le bt power, j'appuie sur cmd+R longtemps, j'arrive sur la gestion des disques. Apparemment aucune erreur, mais je ne vois pas comment redémarrer. le seul choix semble être d'utiliser Time machine (que je n'ai pas activé) ou de réinstaller os, ce que je ne veux surtout pas faire. Quelle solution?? Merci d'avance pour votre aide..
A powerful tool designed to find and delete duplicate files on your Mac. Opera 25 mac download.
Free DownloadDisclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure for more details.
I've been using Time Machine, a built-in backup programdeveloped by Apple since I bought my first Mac. I tried multiple external harddrives, and I believe I know a thing or two about the process and type ofhardware that works best with the Time Machine.
I can't tell you how many times I was able to recover my Macs after experiments I run in order to write articles on my site.
I intentionally infected my poor MacBook with malware, installed keyloggers, deleted parts of the operating system, and did other things that normal people usually avoid. I reported my findings on macmyths.com, and many readers were able to avoid the mistakes they would make otherwise.
During my experiments, I wasn't afraid to cause any damage(excluding physical) to my Macs because, after each test, I restored the lastimage from my Time Machine drives.
Unfortunately, not all backups I made were successful. In several cases, I had to use older backups from my secondary drives because my primary drives had failed.
And after going through the school of hard knocks, I realized how important it is to pick a write hard drive for Time Machine. Visual studio for mac terminal.
Here I present my top recommended products, so you can learn from my mistakes.
Table of Contents
- How to choose hard drives for Time Machine
- My Recommendations for the Best External Hard Drive for Mac Time Machine Backup
How to choose hard drives for Time Machine
Brand name
There are certain qualities that I look for when considering hard drives for any backup. The main factor in selection is reliability. It doesn't matter how fast the disk is, how sleek it looks, or how good the discount was on Amazon.
If the drive fails when you need it, then it's not worth even a penny.
The thing is that all hard drives fail. There is not asingle model that is 100% fail free. The difference is the failure rate.Devices produced by well known established companies have lower rates compared todrives from unknown manufacturers.
Mac Time Machine Hard Drive
If Amazon is your choice when it comes to purchasinganything online, be aware that not all user reviews are real. So many times,I've seen several thousands of 5-star reviews on noname devices, and at thesame time, good devices get a couple of hundreds of reviews, and the average is3.5.
How is it possible? I think we all know the answer.
So, what's my point? If you get anything from this article,I want to remind you that brands matter when reliability is the most importantfactor in choosing a backup drive.
If you are not familiar with which manufacturers have beenon the market for decades, here is the list (not complete) of companies whichproduce quality hard drives:
- Seagate
- Western Digital (WD)
- Samsung
- Toshiba
- Buffalo
Capacity
The second most important factor is storage capacity. Ideally, you want as much storage as you can get. However, we need to be practical, because extra bytes come with extra price.
When the difference in price between 1TB and 2TB may not be too high, when we are moving up in size, doubling the storage comes with more than double price. We want to keep a balance between capacity and the price, if possible.
So, what's the best size for the Time Machine backup drive? The minimum size for a Time Machine backup drive should be at least twice the size of the Mac primary storage. For instance, if MacBook's disk size is 128GB, then 256GB will be minimum for a backup, and 1TB would be the best choice.
In other words, the best size for Time Machine backup drive 4x to 8x of the size of the primary disk, when 2x is a minimum.
When Time Machine runs for the first time, it takes the full backup of data on the disk. After that, it keeps deltas (only files that have changed).
Receipts 1 9 7 equals. Time Machine keeps local snapshots, hourly snapshots for the last 24 hours, daily, and weekly snapshots as storage permits. If the backup disk gets full, the Time Machine starts deleting the oldest snapshots.
This means if you don't have enough space, your ability to go back will be limited.
Performance
One of the biggest complaints about Time Machine is the fact that it is slow. It is much slower than other (commercial) backup solutions because it runs on the background, so it doesn't impact any programs you are using at the time the backup process runs.
If you want to know how to speed up the backup process, check my article here.
One of the ways to improve the time it takes to backup isgetting a faster drive. Pay attention to write and read performance. Writes areimportant when taking backups, and reads are significant when restoring.
Compatibility
When browsing various drives on Amazon or Best Buy, you can see that some of them marked as compatible with Macs. Contrary to what you might think, this does not mean that you cannot use drives described as PC drives.
This really means that the disk was preformatted for either PC or Mac, and you can use it right away with the corresponding computer.
However, almost all drives can be used with Macs as long asthey have proper connectors. You just need to know how to prepare the drive forMac, i.e., format it.
What disk format is best for Time Machine? Time Machine only recognizes the drives formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), also known as HFS+. If the drive is formatted with different format types, the Time Machine will offer to erase the disk and reformat before use.
To know the current format of the external drive, use theDisk Utility app. One way to start it is by using Spotlight Search: holdCommand and hit Spacebar. In the search bar type 'Disk Utility' andhit Enter.
In the Disk Utility app, select the drive on the left. Onthe right, under the name of the drive, there will be information about thecurrent format. To reformat the disk in a new format, click on the Erase iconat the top. Note that all information on the disk will be wiped out.
In the pop-up window type in the new name for the drive (orkeep the old one). And pick Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as Format choice.
Hit Erase.
Once the format is complete, the drive is ready to be usedas a Time Machine backup drive.
Connector
In other words, the best size for Time Machine backup drive 4x to 8x of the size of the primary disk, when 2x is a minimum.
When Time Machine runs for the first time, it takes the full backup of data on the disk. After that, it keeps deltas (only files that have changed).
Receipts 1 9 7 equals. Time Machine keeps local snapshots, hourly snapshots for the last 24 hours, daily, and weekly snapshots as storage permits. If the backup disk gets full, the Time Machine starts deleting the oldest snapshots.
This means if you don't have enough space, your ability to go back will be limited.
Performance
One of the biggest complaints about Time Machine is the fact that it is slow. It is much slower than other (commercial) backup solutions because it runs on the background, so it doesn't impact any programs you are using at the time the backup process runs.
If you want to know how to speed up the backup process, check my article here.
One of the ways to improve the time it takes to backup isgetting a faster drive. Pay attention to write and read performance. Writes areimportant when taking backups, and reads are significant when restoring.
Compatibility
When browsing various drives on Amazon or Best Buy, you can see that some of them marked as compatible with Macs. Contrary to what you might think, this does not mean that you cannot use drives described as PC drives.
This really means that the disk was preformatted for either PC or Mac, and you can use it right away with the corresponding computer.
However, almost all drives can be used with Macs as long asthey have proper connectors. You just need to know how to prepare the drive forMac, i.e., format it.
What disk format is best for Time Machine? Time Machine only recognizes the drives formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), also known as HFS+. If the drive is formatted with different format types, the Time Machine will offer to erase the disk and reformat before use.
To know the current format of the external drive, use theDisk Utility app. One way to start it is by using Spotlight Search: holdCommand and hit Spacebar. In the search bar type 'Disk Utility' andhit Enter.
In the Disk Utility app, select the drive on the left. Onthe right, under the name of the drive, there will be information about thecurrent format. To reformat the disk in a new format, click on the Erase iconat the top. Note that all information on the disk will be wiped out.
In the pop-up window type in the new name for the drive (orkeep the old one). And pick Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as Format choice.
Hit Erase.
Once the format is complete, the drive is ready to be usedas a Time Machine backup drive.
Connector
As mentioned above, all drives are compatible with Applecomputers as long as they have proper connectors. Velvet teddy mac lipstick swatch.
So, check your Mac for extension ports. If you have a newerMac, then you need USB-C hard drive, older ones support USB (2.0, 3.0, or 3.1)or Thunderbolt. Pick the drive that supports the Mac ports.
Price
And last, but not the least – price. Yes, price isimportant, but I want to reiterate the importance of reliability over theprice. If you want to save on price, then go with a slower drive, but don't gowith a cheap noname brand.
Apple Mac Hard Drive
My Recommendations for the Best External Hard Drive for Mac Time Machine Backup
Best overall: Samsung T5 SSD
The device is so small that it can fit in your shirt pocket.It's a little bigger than a matchbox and weighs just 51 grams.
As any SSD drive, T5 has no moving parts. It has a sturdy metal body, so it can handle drops of up to 2 meters.
It comes with two cables: USB and USB-C, which is superhelpful if you have old and new Macs. So you can use the USB cable with oldMacBook, copy data on it and then plug into a new MacBook with TouchBar andcopy again.
And T5 is crazy fast. I was able to run the Virtual Boximage directly from Samsung T5. I never thought it would be possible because Itried to run VMs from external drives before, and they were super slow, evenunusable.
The glass slipper slot. With T5, however, I didn't even know that I am running VM on the external hard drive. Partially, it was due to fast SSD inside and partially due to the USB-C connector.
According to the manufacturer, the transfer speed is up to 540MB/s. Don't forget to buy a hard travel case when buying T5 to keep the cables together.
Samsung T5 is backed by a 3-year limited warranty.
Pros
Speed, portability, USB, and USB-C support.
Dimensions: 57.3mm x 74mm x 10.5mm.
Cons
Size limited to 2TB, which means if you have a 1TB on your Mac, this won't work for you.
Learn more about SAMSUNG T5 On Amazon
Samsung T7 Touch
Do you want even more speed? Then check out Samsung T7. It's a new drive from Samsung that continues the legendary line of SSD hard drives T3-T5.
The read and write speed of T7 is almost double of corresponding values of T5: up to 1000 MB/s for both reads and writes.
Additionally, T7 comes with fingerprint security, which is very important for someone who's doing Time Machine backups. T7 supports up to 4 fingerprints and works similar to MacBook Touch ID.
Learn more about SAMSUNG T7 Touch On Amazon
Runner up: WD My Passport
If you need a larger drive than T5, then check out Western Digital My Passport for Mac Portable External Hard Drive. Its upper limit is 5TB.
Let's start with the following fact: My Passport supportsboth USB 3.0 and USB-C ports. It comes with two cables, and depending on whichport you have on your Mac, you can use one or the other.
The transfer speed of USB 3.0 is limited to 10.0 Gbit/s max.The max speed for USB-C is 40.0 Gbit/s, four times faster thansecond-generation 3.0.
Overall the read and write speed of My Passport is around110 MB/s.
The best thing about My Passport for Mac is that it alreadypreformatted for macOS. You can start using the drive as soon as you plug itin. No need to mess with disk utilities and other stuff. However, it also meansthat it is not compatible with Windows.
My Passport is a little bigger than T5 and has the followingdimensions:
- Depth 4.22 in/10.71cm
- Width 2.95 in/7.49cm
- Height 0.75 in/1.91cm
- Weight 0.51 lb/0.21kg
Pros
Reliability, durability, multiple size options up to 5TB
Cons
Slower than T5
Learn more about WD My Passport On Amazon
Budget pick: Toshiba Canvio Basics
If you need a reliable external hard drive under $100, thenconsider Toshiba Canvio Basics 4TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0.
This is not the fastest drive, but it's reliable and cheap.You can buy a 4TB drive for less than $100, and in my opinion, it's a greatdeal.
I use this device for my archives. If I have files that I amnot going to use for a while, then instead of deleting them, I shove them to myToshiba drive. You never know when you will need that old VM, and it's nice tonot waste prime drive space either.
Note, however, this comes only with a USB cable, so if youhave a new laptop with USB-C ports, you will need to buy an adapter as well.
Pros
Super cheap and super reliable
Cons
Only supports USB 3
Learn more about Toshiba Canvio Basics On Amazon
