Replacing your Mac by splurging over your wallet might seem like the easy way out if something wrong happens to your system. But the data present in the SSD or hard disk gets lost beyond repair. Herein lies the requirement of backing up your Mac on a regular basis. Today we shall talk about the best methods of Mac backup coupled with which you can take an informed decision when it comes to data protection.

Step 1: Time Machine

You can purchase and plug a hard disk in your Mac and accept the prompt for using it as a Time Machine backup.

Alternatively, you can launch System preferences if you do not see that prompt and pick the hard disk from the Time Machine backup pane. This built-in application offers file versioning coupled with simple backup of older copies of the files which are stored next to the current one to save you from the trouble of restoring the most recent version.

This simple app can also grab older drafts by stepping back through time. Thus, it becomes imperative to purchase a hard disk which is two or more times compared to the size of your internal drive for storing multiple versions which get handled automatically. Try to opt for small disks based on 2.5 inch mechanisms if you wish to use Time Machine on a laptop along with a physically connected disk.

You can also utilise Time Machine for backing up data to a disk which is connected to your network directly rather than any specific Mac device. Thus, it can be utilised by all the computers comprising the network for backing up data on a central basis in an automatic manner. This holds especially good for laptops as you do not have to remember connecting it with the backup disk. Users usually opt for Time Capsule of Apple for this method which consists of a network router along with a built-in hard disk.

Step 2: Cloud Backup

You can send the files to online servers for free by making use of services such as Backblaze, CrashPlan and Livedrive. In this way, you can maintain a copy of your data in a remote location even if your device gets smashed, burnt, stolen or drowned. This should not however be confused with applications like Dropbox although the service rendered by both of it at the technical level is just the same.

Step 3: Water and Fireproof Disks

Fire and water resistant disks are manufactured by companies like ioSafe which provide peace of mind when it comes to protection against local catastrophes although they cannot protect from chances of someone breaking inside your house and stealing your stuff.

Step 4: RAID Disks

This external disk can work in sync with Time Machine and other cloning requirements felt by you. Combining two or more hard disks under a single enclosure, the RAID disks can automatically mirror the contents of an internal drive to the other. New data is written on both the disks at the same time thus providing extra redundancy whether you are using a cloning app like Carbon Copy Cloner or Time Machine software. Thus, you can be guaranteed of having a good backup copy even when one of your internal drive or disks inside the RAID fails to function properly. As far as your Mac is concerned, both the disks appear as a single disk thus helping out tremendously in the risk mitigation process without any added complexity.

Step 5: Cloning

You can mirror your internal disk contents to an external one using apps like Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper.

You can also set daily schedules for the backup to take place automatically without hampering your normal workflow. You can simply boot from the external clone if your internal disk fails and keep up with your work schedule without facing any disruption. Although the Carbon Copy Cloner comes with a steep learning curve, you are bound to get used to it with time and aided by the abundant supply of online tutorials which can help you considerably.

It cannot compress data and is actually a glorified copy and paste application. You can clone your hard drive and create bootable backups using Carbon Copy Cloner which can keep you covered on the face of a disastrous data loss. Coupled with its Smart Update feature, you can utilise the Carbon Copy Cloner as an incremental backup for copying only the changes which have been made to a specific file. However, you need to note that you cannot integrate data with cloud storage or encrypt the same using Carbon Copy Cloner.

However, cloning shouldn’t be your solitary means of data backup as it is might be a slow process diminishing your level of redundancy. Also, if the external clone somehow fails to function properly, you might find yourself in troubled waters. To be on the safer side, it is advised to opt for a mix of the options mentioned above.