That means if you plug your backup drive in, and then hold down Option-Command-Shift-Delete during startup, you can boot instantly off your backup drive. The second method takes a few steps longer to set up, but your backup will be bootable. But it will get your computer back to what it was like the hour before it crashed! This process can take hours – not good if you are just heading out the door and need a file. So if your computer crashes you need to insert the original DVD and restore from the Time Machine backup. The big disadvantage is that the backup is not bootable. It doesn’t rely on you remembering to do anything. Look here.Īpple’s way (Time Machine) is a lot simpler. If you are a beginner I recommend Time Machine.
#How to backup my mac to a flash drive software
Manually backup your computer with some other software such as Super Duper or Carbon Copy Cloner. Use Time Machine to automatically backup. The automatic backup feature on Time Machine makes things even easier, and once you follow the steps above, your computer will be consistently backed up.There are two main ways to backup your Apple computer.ġ.
#How to backup my mac to a flash drive pro
It is a simple step you can take to recover important information in case your MacBook Pro breaks or gets stolen. Final Thoughtsīacking up your files from your MacBook Pro to an external hard drive is easy with Time Machine. Hard drives can vary in cost and storage capacity, but even though they are an added expense, they are more than worth it in the worst-case scenario of a broken or stolen MacBook. Because of these possibilities, it is vital to back up your computer in case any of them happen to you.Īn external hard drive makes it really easy to back up your computer, so it’s a good idea to purchase one and learn the steps to back everything up. Your MacBook Pro is an electronic device, and these devices can break or fail due to accidents or because of manufacturer’s defects.Īlso, because of the popularity and cost of Apple products, your computer might be a target for theft. This could be all of your photos, music, videos, files, and any other piece of data found within your MacBook.Īll of this data exists stored and saved within the hard drive built into your computer but making a backup of these is a good idea for a couple of reasons. However, if you are unfamiliar with the reasons or backups, you should learn about them.īacking up your computer means that you are making copies of all the critical information found on your computer. The reasons to back up your MacBook Pro to an external hard drive are pretty obvious. Why Backing up MacBook Pro to an External Hard Drive The first time you back up your MacBook Pro to an external hard drive, it can take a long time.Īfter this initial backup, it shouldn’t take as long, and if you have Time Machine set up to conduct automatic backups, you might not even realize the backups are occurring. Time Machine can automatically back up files every hour for 24 hours, once a day for a week, and weekly for previous months of use. You can choose the frequency you’d like backups to take place but having it set to automatic is an easy way to ensure your most current data is backed up. If you turn Time Machine on and keep your computer plugged into your external hard drives, it will complete backups at scheduled intervals, so you don’t have to worry about going through this process that often. Click on the Use Disk button once you locate your external hard drive, and your MacBook Pro will begin to back up your files.