Menu
Enjoy high-capacity storage while on the go with this Western Digital 5TB easystore portable drive. The data transfer rate of up to 5 Gbps enables rapid response when updating files, while the 3.0 USB connectivity offers a simple linkage to your computer. If Time Machine does not prompt you about using your drive for backups then you can add it manually. Open the Time Machine app. Select the Time Machine menu in the menu bar. Click on Preferences Select Backup Disk. Select your external drive from the list provided. Check the Encrypt backups box. Once again, this is highly recommended.
- External Hard Drive Macbook Air
- External Drive For Mac Time Machine
- Macbook Time Machine External Hard Drives
- Macbook Time Machine External Hard Drive
- External Drive For Macbook
- External Hard Drive For Mac
Disclosure: 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.
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.
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.
![External External](https://cdn.instructables.com/F4C/XVTP/G5KPALJ4/F4CXVTPG5KPALJ4.LARGE.jpg)
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).
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.
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.
External Hard Drive Macbook Air
![Macbook Time Machine External Hard Drive Macbook Time Machine External Hard Drive](https://cdn-s3.touchofmodern.com/products/000/072/847/c3ad3c64711aac7e1a1e48df21455eff_medium.jpg?1393439098)
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.
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. Marginnote 3 5 9. 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
External Drive For Mac Time Machine
Super cheap and super reliable
Cons
Only supports USB 3
Learn more about Toshiba Canvio Basics On Amazon
Whether you’re using your Mac for school activities, office work, or personal use, protecting your valuable data is very important. Corrupted software, hardware failure, virus or malware infection, power issues, and other computer problems could easily damage your device and make it inoperable.
No matter how careful you are with your Mac, these problems sometimes still do happen and cause data loss if you’re not prepared. Creating a backup of your photos, work files, and other important documents gives you peace of mind knowing that all your files are safe.
There are several ways of creating a backup for your Mac, but this article will discuss the methods to back up Macbook using an external drive. We’ll show you the step-by-step process to set up your backup using Time Machine and other utilities.
Once you have a backup of your files, you no longer have to worry if you accidentally deleted your documents or when other computer disasters suddenly happen. Using an external drive to back up Macbook can help protect your files so you can get back up and running again in no time.
Preparing Your Computer for the Backup Process
Using an external drive to back up your Macbook means that your storage space is limited. Hence, it is important to determine which files you can and can’t live without. To minimize your storage consumption and make every byte count, delete all junk files from your computer using an app such as Tweakbit MacRepair.
Take note that the methods discussed below will only back up your data locally. To completely safeguard your files, you can also back up your data offsite or via cloud storage. This way, you have an extra layer of protection in case both your computer and external drive fail at the same time.
This guide will discuss three different ways to back up your Mac using a hard drive: traditional copy-paste method, via Time Machine, and by cloning your drive.
Method #1: Copy-Paste Files Manually.
If you want more control over the files you want to back up, this is the easiest and simplest method. All you need to do is connect your external drive to your Mac via USB cable, then copy over all the files that you need.
This process takes a long time because you have to go back and forth between your external drive and your computer. The copying speed might also take a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the size of the files, type of port you are using, and the writing speed of your external drive.
This manual backup method is ideal for those who don’t have too many files to copy or those who want to do selective backup.
Macbook Time Machine External Hard Drives
Method #2: Create a Backup via Time Machine.
macOS has a built-in backup tool called Time Machine. This tool is available for Macs running macOS 10.5 and above. Time Machine is a set-and-forget backup system, where you just need to configure it once and it will work independently from then on, without you needing to check and manage everything.
Time Machine works in the background, saving copies of all your photos, music, videos, documents, apps, system files, and other stuff you want to keep a copy of. And when you’re out of storage space, it will automatically delete old files to make way for new ones.
For this process, you’ll need an external drive that is at least the same size as your internal drive. It’s even better if you could get one that’s twice or three times your internal drive storage space.
By default, Time Machine will use up all the storage space on your external drive. So if you are planning to use the drive for other purposes, make sure that you partition it into two volumes first before creating your Time Machine backup. This way, you can limit the amount of space you want to allocate for Time Machine and your other files. You can partition the drive by using macOS Disk Utility under Applications > Utilities.
Once your drive is ready, you can start creating your backup using Time Machine by following the instructions below:
- Connect your external hard drive to your Mac using USB, FireWire, or Thunderbolt.
- Turn on Time Machine by going to System Preferences > Time Machine. Toggle the switch from Off to On.
- Click Select Disk to choose which volume you want to use for your backup.
- Choose your external drive from the list, then click Use Disk.
- If you want to encrypt your backup, tick off Encrypt backups.
- Time Machine will prompt you to reformat your drive if it is not formatted as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled). This will erase all the files from your drive.
- Click the Options button to exclude volumes from being copied to your backup.
- Click OK to apply your changes and let Time Machine do its work.
Once your Time Machine is set up, it will then back up your files automatically every hour. It will keep hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for all the past months.
To restore file or folders from Time Machine, just open Spotlight and type in Time Machine. You’ll be able to see previous saved versions of the file you are looking for. Just look for the version that you need, click the file to highlight it, and press the Restore button to copy it back to the folder where it was previously located.
Macbook Time Machine External Hard Drive
If you encounter system errors, you can also use Time Machine to restore your entire system at once. To do this, hold down the Command + R keys while restarting, then release the keys when you see the Apple logo. Choose Restore from a Time Machine Backup and follow the on-screen instructions.
Method #3: Create a Clone of Your Mac.
If your disk is damaged, restoring via Time Machine will not work. You need to have a clone of your system, a full system backup of your device, to be able to fix your problems and boot into your Mac.
There are two ways to create a clone of your computer: using macOS’s built-in Disk Utility or by using third-party apps.
To clone your drive using macOS Disk Utility, follow the steps below:
- Go to Finder > Utilities > Disk Utility.
- Click on the Erase tab.
- From the left-side menu, choose the volume you want to use as your backup drive.
- Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the Format type.
- Click Erase and wait for the format to be completed.
- Click on the Restore tab and choose the drive to be cloned by dragging it to Source.
- Next, drag the backup drive to Destination.
- Click the Restore button.
External Drive For Macbook
Note, however, that the clone created using Disk Utility is not a bootable one. You can use third-party apps instead such as SuperDuper! Peakhour 4 network performance monitor 4 1 7. and Carbon Copy Cloner to create a bootable backup of your system.
Summary
External Hard Drive For Mac
The threat of data loss is something that’s always hanging over our heads. Creating a backup ensures that your data is always protected no matter what happens. You can choose from the various backup methods above to save your files based on your needs and preferences.
If you’re running into errors and your system is suspiciously slow, your computer needs some maintenance work. Download Outbyte PC Repair for Windows, Outbyte Antivirus for Windows, or Outbyte MacRepair for macOS to resolve common computer performance issues. Fix computer troubles by downloading the compatible tool for your device.
See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy Policy.
See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy Policy.