+ 4 Types of Backup Hard Drives for Mac Posted on March 30th, 2017 by Backups are a lot like insurance: it's imperative to have it, and you hope you never have to use it. Likewise, if you need to use a backup hard drive to restore your data, it can save you hours of time, money and headaches. We often remind you how important it is to back up your files, but it's not just the backup that matters. The media you use to store your data is critical! There are different types of backup hard drives available for Mac. You can use external hard drives connected to your Mac, portable hard drives that you connect when needed, or network devices. You have lots of choice, but each of these devices works best in specific situations. So how can you tell which type of hard drive is best for you? Choosing a hard drive to back up your data can be a quest in and of itself. This post highlights the different types of hard drives for Mac that you can use, and how to choose the best backup hardware for your needs.
1. External Hard Drives The standard way to back up a Mac is to use a hard disk connected via USB or Thunderbolt. There are all kinds of external hard drives, from a number of brands. You can currently get a 4 TB hard drive for around $110. Thunderbolt drives are on the more expensive end; in fact, they are priced at more than twice the average cost.
Buy products related to backup drive for mac products and see what. If you're looking for a lot of space this is probably one of the best options to get the most. It does mean the price is higher, but if transfer speed is the most important consideration when looking for the best external hard drive for your Mac, then this is the drive to go for.
Yet there's no real advantage to Thunderbolt as a backup drive. While the transfer speed can be higher than USB 3, it's only really useful if you're working on files on that drive, such as editing video. You use an external hard drive for backups with an apps like or, but you can't use the same drive for both.
So if you want belt-and-suspenders protection, it's a good idea to get one drive for each. Also, check how much data you have to back up, and buy a drive that has at least twice that amount of storage. Time Machine saves older files, so your first backup will copy all your data, and subsequent backups copy new and changed files. You can make a similar type of backup with Intego Personal Backup, storing multiple copies of files, and even create bootable clones on an external hard drive for system failure insurance.
Just be sure to take into account that you will create a lot more data over the life of the hard drive from the time you purchase it. How long do hard drives last? I've had drives crash on me, but not for many years. I used to assume that hard drives could last about three years before they start developing problems, but newer drives seem much more reliable.
That said, I've recently replaced my 5-year old media drive and backup hard drives with new drives. Seagate hard drives are very quiet, and each one is also a USB 3 hub, with two ports on the front that you can use to connect another device or to charge your iOS devices. It's safe to assume that good drives will last about five years, but I don't recommended that you use them much longer than that; the risk of failure increases over time, and backup hard drives are too important to fail when you need them most. 2. Internal Hard Drives All the drives mentioned in this article have enclosures, meaning they are contained in a device that has the connectors you need to use them. However, there's another solution: You can use a disk dock to house an internal hard drive.
For example, this inexpensive has two bays, and lets you insert any naked hard drive in it. The advantage is simple: Internal hard drives are a bit cheaper than those in enclosures. You can rotate several drives easily, with just one cable connected to your Mac, but you can't automate this process, as you can with external drives. Sure, you could leave two drives in the dock, but it's more efficient to use external drives if you want always-on backups. A hard drive docking station is a great device if you want to use a number of backup drives to store off-site.
(I use one with a small drive to clone my iMac's internal SSD.) There's one more reason to own a drive dock. If one of your external drives' enclosures fails, you can remove the drive and access it in the dock. This dock can handle both standard 3.5' drives and smaller 2.5' drives, and can even copy one disk to another without needing a computer. Network Drives Another type of backup hard drive you can use is a network drive, or NAS (network attached storage device).
This is a hard drive in a special enclosure that houses a full operating system, generally a stripped-down version of Linux. For example, I use a, which holds two drives. When is this practical? If you have a laptop, and want to back it up without connecting anything, you can easily set up a NAS to take backups from both and from Time Machine.
Most NAS devices these days have user-friendly management, and configuration is simple. The WD device has a Mac app that lets users manage files, and most settings are managed in a web browser. Even if you don't have a laptop, you might want to use a NAS to back up your Mac. It keeps your desk clutter free, and the device can be located anywhere in your home or office that is near a router or hub. And you can use it to store other files that you may want to share among your co-workers or family. Portable Hard Drives You may not want to have a hard drive permanently connected to your Mac. This is most likely the case if you have a laptop computer.
In this case, you can get 4 TB self-powered portable hard drives for around $120. For example, I have several that I use for off-site backups. Other trusted portable storage options include.
These portable hard drives use USB 3, and are fairly fast, but they're also compact. Additionally, the fact that you don't need a power supply—they get power from the computer—makes them easy to use.
You could use portable hard drives with a desktop Mac, too. They're usually not as fast as a good desktop drive, but for backups, you don't need much speed. With portable drives, durability is your best friend, and keeping your data safe from water, dust and drops is critical. Final Thoughts. You shouldn't just use any old hard drive you have laying around for your backups; instead, you want to make sure that if you need to restore some of your files you have no problems. Hard disks eventually fail, and using hard disks more than a few years increases the risk of data loss.
So if you have old hard drives, you should think of replacing them. Furthermore, don't just buy one backup hard drive. If you really care about your data, you should back it up at least twice. Imagine your computer gets lost or stolen, or its drive crashes, and you find that your backup is unreadable.
Having a second drive isn't too expensive these days, and it adds an. You can combine the above types of hard drives, too; for example, use a desktop drive for your iMac, and also have a NAS for a second backup, or use portable drives to have a second, off-site backup. Just in case. Because just like insurance, if and when you need it, you will never regret having it. About Kirk McElhearn Kirk McElhearn writes about Macs, iPods, iTunes, books, music and more on his blog. He is co-host of the, The Next Track, and PhotoActive, and a regular contributor to The Mac Security Blog, TidBITS, and several other websites and publications.
Kirk has written more than twenty books, including Take Control books about iTunes, LaunchBar, and Scrivener. Follow him on Twitter at. This entry was posted in, and tagged,.
Bookmark the. I’m a little surprised you didn’t discuss RAID enclosures vs single drives. As I recall, failure rates for hard drives starts to climb at the 3 1/2 year point, so that’s generally my planning age for replacement. My approach is to have a Time Machine backup for each machine, and also to copy each machine’s user data to a server with a RAID array. Each has advantages and disadvantages for both backup and restore. Finally, if you have an old Mac, actually doing a full device restore from a backup is about the only way to ensure your backups are actually working correctly. Yeah, for some large datasets, it’s useful to back them up separately from full volume/full device backups.
It helps a lot of you know how that data is organized, e.g. How iTunes organizes and stores source files. (I used to do my own directory structure for music genre-or-era /composer /performer /album, but the last year I started getting lazy and dumping new stuff into a single folder.) An article on RAID should include a discussion of HW vs SW RAID, where the vendor claims sometimes feel counter-intuitive to me.
It’s basically what the names suggest. An internal hard drive is the hard drive that comes inside your Mac or store-bought Windows system. While new internal hard drives have a ton of space compared to older ones (now measured in terabytes instead of gigabytes as in years past), it’s a good idea to have a backup of your work. SOME PEOPLE RELY ON THE CLOUD—AND THAT’S FINE—BUT AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE IS A GREAT OPTION FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KEEP THEIR FILES CLOSER TO HOME WITHOUT RELYING ON A CLOUD SERVICE. External hard drives work on your computer by connecting to it.
You can transfer files off of your internal hard drive and put it on your external one. Likewise, you can view and transfer files from your external hard drive and put them back on your internal hard drive. In a day and age when space is measured in terabytes, and file sizes are growing larger with advances in an array of technologies, it’s important to ensure you have the space you need to save your precious work and priceless media library; external hard drives were made for that. How do external hard drives for Mac work? External hard drives for Mac work pretty much the same as they do for a PC. The best external hard drives for Mac tend to connect to Macs via Thunderbolt or USB 3.0.
This allows for the fastest connectivity, generally speaking. Once connected, you can automatically or manually back up your files, depending on your preference. Many hard drives work for both Mac and Windows operating systems. Some of these require no particular reconfiguration or installation (some are simply plug-and-play), though others require you to reconfigure for Windows usage or vice versa for Mac usage. DRIVES THAT PLAY WELL WITH BOTH OPERATING SYSTEMS ARE CRUCIAL FOR FAMILIES, OFFICES, AND CLASSROOMS WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT BE ON DIFFERENT OPERATING SYSTEMS AND CONNECTING TO A SINGLE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE.
The best external hard drive for Mac even feature automatic backups, so you don’t have to worry about doing something wrong manually. Furthermore, the better external hard drives tend to work with Mac’s Time Machine feature, which further simplifies and streamlines things. How to keep your external hard drive running smoothly. Let’s face it: There’s nothing more terrifying to a computer user than hard drive failure, and that’s why people buy external hard drives—as a backup for “ just in case.” But here’s the thing: If you don’t properly maintain your external hard drive, you could inadvertently cause it to fail and lose everything you worked so hard to save. Here are a few simple steps to keep your external hard drive healthy:.
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Make sure the device you’re plugging your hard drive into is connected to a surge protector. Even short power surges can have lasting effects on electronics, so this is like computer basics — and super important. Always store your external hard drive in the position it was designed to be in: Some external hard drives can be placed either horizontally or vertically. However, many are just meant to be placed either one way or the other.
Turning your hard disk the wrong way puts unnecessary strain on it which could ultimately lead to failure. Don’t expose it to static: This is also a computer 101 thing; while modern devices including hard drives seem so much sturdier than their older counterparts (and are in many ways), it’s always best to be safe rather than sorry. The benefits of buying Mac external hard drive The number one benefit of buying an external hard drive for Mac is that you will have a backup of your files that are trusted and in your care, a backup you always have access to without having to depend on a cloud, a backup you can access when offline.
These alone are colossal benefits to buying an external hard drive for your Mac, but there are other considerations. ANYONE WHO HAS A LOT OF HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO FILES ON THEIR COMPUTER KNOWS HOW MUCH SPACE THAT EATS UP ON THEIR HARD DRIVE.
For professional video editors as well as hobbyists, who will probably have more HD vids on their Mac than anyone else, it’s crucial to have an external hard drive so you can back up your work without compromising the space on your Mac’s internal hard drive. The same goes for anyone who works with a lot of large files and needs to keep a backup that’s trusted and not in the cloud. External hard drives are more versatile than you think Aside from all the above-listed benefits, you can swap out your for your external hard drive. It may sound dodgy but think about it: Chances are, nice, new external hard drives are going to be better than what came with your current computer.
Some people put in the nicer, newer external hard drive and use their internal hard drive as their backup plan. What to consider when buying an external hard drive for Mac?
You probably think the number one thing you need to a new external hard drive is space. However, lack of space isn’t such a problem nowadays when it comes to external hard drives as many options have more space on them than your computer itself has. Instead, the number one factor to consider when buying an external hard drive for Mac is reliability. Consider this: You buy a new hard drive, it looks fresh and has a lot of space, and you’re happy—for two years. And then it fails. Why did it fail?
Because it wasn’t reliable. So, all that data that you backed up, all of those home movies of your kids, everything is justgone. THAT IS WHY RELIABILITY HAS TO BE YOUR NUMBER ONE CONSIDERATION WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING THE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE OF YOUR DREAMS, BUT IT’S NOT THE ONLY THING TO CONSIDER. How fast you can transfer data is also something you’re going to want to think about. Do you want a file that is X gigs in size to take Y amount of time while transferring or do you want it to take double Y amount of time while transferring?. Connectivity also comes into play when it comes to speed, such as how well the drive works with your device and other components.
And then, of course, there is the ever-important aesthetic appeal. Some hard disk designs just look better than others. It shouldn’t be your first consideration, but it’s always something to think about when narrowing down your top choices. How to choose the best external hard drive for Mac for your needs When choosing the best external hard drive for your needs, consider what your needs are. For instance, when it comes to capacity, are you someone who has a need for the largest capacity hard drive on the market? People who need such great capacity tend to have large video libraries, for instance.
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Also, think about how long you want your hard drive to live for. Inferior models may only last a year or so. Hard drive failure is a very real threat and the more issues a hard drive has, the more likely it is to fail. So, if safety and longevity are your primary concern when it comes to hard drives, put that above everything else. Portability is also something to consider After all, since external hard drives are only temporarily attached to your Mac, you can take them around with you to places such as to work or school. If portability is a factor in your decision making, go for a hard drive that is designed to be lightweight and portable without compromising integrity, function, and capacity.
And, of course, looks are something to consider. If you’re going to be taking your hard drive to school or something, you probably want it to look nice.
Again, that shouldn’t be your primary driving decision factor, but it’s a nice plus if it looks good. Features: Overall the best external hard drive for Mac This hard drive provides you with up to 3TB (terabytes) of space; this means that it’s got more space on it than a lot of computers on the market today. Therefore, it’d be a great option to backup old computers, so you have access to them after you upgrade. Easy to use The Time Capsule is fully compatible with OS X’s Time Machine feature so that all you have to do is plug it in and backing up files suddenly becomes super easy.
Improved Wi-Fi The Wi-Fi on the new is greatly improved over the older model. The Wi-Fi base station comes with 802.11ac technology, and its higher design improves Wi-Fi signal dispersal. With 802.11ac and Apple’s beamforming technology, you’re now transmitting at both 2.4GHz and 5Ghz at the same time with targeted signaling. This allows Time Capsule to select the best band for the device you’re connecting to for ultimate strength, speed, and quality of connectivity. It’s not just for Macs Not every household is strictly Mac or strictly PC. More and more families are mixing operating systems in their households. And that’s part of the brilliance with the Time Capsule: It can connect to your PC as well as Wi-Fi devices such as your iPad and Apple TV, among others.
No longer do your Mac and PC have to have their separate external hard drives. They can now share, which is very cost-effective, as well as convenient. Gigabit Ethernet The Time Capsule AirPort Extreme Base Station includes three Gigabit Ethernet ports, enabling fast wired connections to other devices. Features – Great external drive fro Mac users 4TB The G-Drive USB 3.0 has a 4TB capacity. With that kind of storage, you’re sure to be able to store practically anything you need to.
Compatibility The G-Drive uses USB 3.0 for ultimate compatibility. Furthermore, it’s compatible with Apple’s Time Machine, so backing up files is a breeze. Versatility Mac installation is as easy as plug-and-play. However, this hard drive can also be reformatted for Windows usage, making it ideal for families or individuals who have more than one operating system in the household. Durable and fast The case is made out of 100% aluminum, ensuring durability over extended usage.
Meanwhile, the fast USB 3.0 connection combined with the hard drive spinning at 7200RPM, makes for speedy file saving. Features: Ideal for video and graphics professionals and hobbyists Thunderbolt’s bidirectional technology allows for multitasking while doing graphics-intensive projects. While this may not make that much of a difference in the daily lives of those who occasionally touchup personal photos, graphics professionals, and game modders will see a big benefit from Thunderbolt’s multitasking capabilities. User-selective functionality One of the most interesting things about the Thunderbolt Duo is its different operational modes that can be user selected. The RAID 0 setting is a great idea for graphics-intensive work while the RAID 1 setting makes storage safer by making an automatic backup copy of your data. The JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) feature allows users to use each drive individually, for the ultimate customized functionality. Speed The Thunderbolt tech enables bidirectional data transfer channels that can go up to 10GB/s of bandwidth.
According to the manufacturer, with this technology, Thunderbolt can transfer a full-length HD movie in 30 seconds. This kind of speed is what makes this hard drive ideal for professionals and hardcore graphics and video hobbyists. Easy to service If you manage to fill up the hard disk, all you have to do is take the old one out of the case and put a new one in. It doesn’t get easier than that. Features: Extreme compatibility The DriveStation Axis Velocity is a USB 3.0 storage device; however, it features USB 2.0 backward compatibility. On top of that, it works for both Mac and Windows. All of this combined make for one of the best external hard drives for Mac when it comes to versatility—perfect for multi-operating system households, as well as some older systems.
Backing up files is easy With the Buffalo backup utility, you can schedule backups for ultimate safety. Moreover, it works with Time Machine, and you can schedule backups that way too. It’s really up to you. Speed The hard drive spins at 7200RPM; combined with the USB 3.0 feature, the result is extremely fast file transfers for excellent productivity. Visual and functional appeal The design is sleek and modern, making it blend perfectly into your work station. Meanwhile, the chassis is designed so that you can lay it horizontally or vertically to fit your style and work area. This is perfect for those where space is a concern.
Features: Four-bay storage offers extreme storage capacity up to 24TB One of the top features of the T4 is the fact that it has four storage bays. Each one can hold a 4TB hard drive, making for 16TB of storage. Storage capacity doesn’t get much bigger than this, making this a great option for video and 3D rendering professionals who have a lot of important work to store and need the most space. The four-bay design also gives users the benefit of having two RAID units in one. Fast The T4 dual Thunderbolt 2 ports allow for transfers up to 1300MB/s, making for extremely fast data transfers. Anyone who routinely works with large files will consider this a blessing. RAID 5 RAID 5 support increases productivity and reduces the risk of data loss.
If one drive fails, the other drives will continue to operate, keeping your data safe and minimizing the risk of future loss. RAID 0 and RAID 1 support The T4’s RAID 0 support allows users to optimize their multitasking while working with big files while RAID 1 provides security during data transfer. It’s the perfect mix of multitasking and safety.
Features – Ultra Slim and reliable portable external HDD for Mac Seagate Dashboard A unique feature with Seagate’s Ultra Slim is its included Seagate Dashboard Software. With this software, the user can create customized backup plans. This is great for those who require versatility in their backup storage options.
Lyve app The Lyve app allows for additional backup features, furthering the Seagate’s versatility. With Lyve, you can easily share and manage your multimedia, and back it all up to various outlets like Facebook, Drive, DropBox and more. Free OneDrive Storage available If you register your new Backup Ultra Slim, you can receive two years of free 200MB cloud storage from One-Drive. This is great for someone who doesn’t currently have cloud access or requires more cloud access. Fast plug-and-play The support of both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 allows rapid file transfers as soon as you plug it in. Aesthetic appeal The Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim comes in platinum and gold. The body is ultra slim (as the name suggests) and the surface is textured in a very modern, attractive way.
For those who care about the aesthetics on their devices, the Seagate Ultra Slim’s appearance is something to consider when trying to narrow down between it and another option you like. Features – Rugged external hard drive for Mac Safe for all-terrain use The Rugged Thunderbolt is shock resistant, capable of surviving a five-foot fall, and can be used on any terrain thanks to its water-resistance. This kind of durability would make this a great hard drive for a film professional who has to do editing out in the field. Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 interfaces The Rugged Thunderbolt’s USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt interfaces provide for excellent transfer speeds, with the ability to reach 387MB/s. High compatibility The Rugged Thunderbolt’s support of both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt interfaces make it easily connectable to both Macs and PCs, while the backward compatible USB 3.0 furthers the Rugged Thunderbolt’s versatility in that regard. Safety features You can download LaCie’s Private-Public software which allows you to password protect your files and keep them secure.
Meanwhile, automatic backups are an excellent failsafe. Features – External Mac hard drive with its own rugged enclosure Extremely durable The GDrive EV is probably one of the most durable portable hard drives on the market today. It’s shock resistant, capable of surviving being dropped from over six-and-a-half feet in the air. It’s also water, pressure and dust resistant while having the ability to float on water, thanks to its hard-plastic construction.
All in all, this is the ultimate all-terrain portable hard drive option, and professionals on the go will certainly want to take note of that. Works with both Mac and PC This is ideal for Mac users as well as PC users, though PC users will have to reformat the device. However, the instructions are pretty simple, and most people find it an easy switch to make. Fast The hard drive spins at 7200RPM making it on par with some of the non-portable options out there, which is great for a product of this type. Backing up photos is simple. Plug-and-play Thanks to the USB 3.0 and 2.0 support, you can simply plug it in, and the device sets up super easy.
You can begin backing up your files within minutes. Features – Durable external hard drive for Mac The all-metal construction of this hard drive ensures its durability. You won’t have to worry about the case, denting or wearing down easily. Secure The My Passport Studio has excellent security features. With hardware encryption and password protection, you’ll rest assured that your privacy is intact and your files are safe. These features do not usually come standard on external hard drives either portable or standard, so this is something to take note of, for those who find security to be paramount in their decision making. Dual Firewire 800 ports The two Firewire 800 ports allow for extreme speed during file transfers and backups.
However, you can also use USB just file. Speed The Firewire connection allows for even faster speed than the USB 2.0 connection, so you can quickly transfer the files you need and move on in your work without waiting around for a slow transfer to complete. Features: Sleek design and strong construction It’s billed as the thinnest 500GB portable external hard drive on the market, and that may have you wondering if it’s tough enough. Don’t let its sleek looks and slender frame fool you; it’s made from steel and can stand up to the rigors of daily usage. DON’T BELIEVE HOW SLEEK IT IS?
FUN FACT: ITS NAME WAS INSPIRED BY THE FACT THAT IT’S 7MM THICK. YOU CAN’T GET A MUCH SLEEKER DESIGN THAN THAT—ESPECIALLY IN THE WORLD OF HARD DRIVES. USB 3.0 support The Seagate Seven’s USB 3.0 interface allows for both speedy transfers as well as plug-and-play capability, so you get a very hassle free option with this hard drive. Automatic backup Automatic backup software for both your computer and your mobile device keeps your files safe and current. Preloaded with Seagate Dashboard Seagate Dashboard makes backing up your files easier, and the fact that it’s preloaded further ups its hassle-free factor.