How to use any hard disk to backup a Mac to Time Machine: Many people will consider backing up their Macs using an external drive instead of Apple’s Time Capsule or AirPort Extreme now that the company has formally ended its AirPort series. Learn how to use any hard drive as a backup for Time Machine on a Mac by following along.
Apple first introduced its first generation Time Capsule in 2008, over ten years after the company first introduced its AirPort line of products in 1999. In 2013, the latest iterations of the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule were introduced. As long as stocks last, all AirPort items that are still available will be sold. See our report on Apple’s withdrawal and some excellent substitutes here.
Continue reading if you wish to backup your Mac on a new drive :
How to use any hard drive to backup a Mac to a Time Machine
- Connect your Mac to an external hard disk.
- Click Use as a Backup Disk when the Time Machine dialog appears.
- Your backup will start on its own
- Alternatively, you can select Back Up Now by clicking the Time Machine icon in the menu bar.
Read also: Best Backup for MacBook Pro
What Is a Time Machine?
Time Machine is Apple’s built-in tool that already exists in OS X or macOS. It takes the form of a regular app and can be accessed via spotlight, launch pad, or system preferences.
Time Machine will back up all data, including local files, to a system backup. This functions almost the same as Windows restore points, but Time Machine backs up everything, not just restore points, like Windows.
How to use any hard disk to backup a Mac to Time Machine tutorial
Your Mac will backup every hour for the last 24 hours, every day for the previous month, and after Time Machine is set up correctly, it will preserve a weekly backup for every month before that on an external hard drive or external SSD (solid state drive). Most external hard drives are usable, but if they weren’t formatted for macOS when they were first manufactured, they will need to be.
This 1TB (1,000GB) Seagate external hard drive is a wonderful alternative if you don’t already have one or want to acquire another one for $55. It is ready to use right out of the box, requires no extra power supply, and has ample storage for the majority of users (you can see how much storage you’re using by choosing the top left icon, → About This Mac → Storage). Moreover, Seagate provides 2 and 4TB alternatives.
Your Time Machine automated backups will only cease if you manually deactivate the feature, remove or plug your external hard drive, or shut down your computer. If you use a MacBook or frequently shut down your computer, your backups will resume immediately the next time you plug in your external drive and turn on your Mac.
Time Machine has the wonderful feature of continuously backing up your new data, even if your drive fills up—in which case it will remove the oldest backups.
Here’s how to use Time Machine to set up an automated backup on your Mac using an external hard drive:
This dialog box will show up the first time you plug in your external hard drive (hard drives that require an external power supply may include an on/off switch, while external hard drives that don’t will turn on automatically). On “Use as Backup Disk,” click.
The Time Machine window’s center section will indicate to you that your backup will begin immediately. By default, the checkbox for “Back Up Automatically” will be selected.
To have rapid access to and control over the Time Machine window’s settings and information, you can also check the Show Time Machine menu bar. If you would rather not wait for the next one to happen on time, you can opt to Back Up Now.
If you are using a MacBook, you might also notice that the backup doesn’t begin automatically until your power adapter is plugged in.
You’ll see the specifics of your backup as well as an estimated time of completion after it has begun; nonetheless, you should take the time estimate very seriously. This backup took longer than expected—two hours—than expected, ranging from 14 to 19 minutes.
Your backup will appear in both the menu bar and the Time Machine window once it is finished. If you ever need to access the time machine preferences and haven’t enabled the menu bar option, you can do so by clicking on the time machine icon in the top left corner of your Mac and then selecting System Preferences Time Machine.
Read also: How to Use iCloud to Back Up Your Mac
