What is Time Machine and how does it back up my computer?
Nowadays computers have become such an integral part of everyone’s daily life. If you use one for personal use then you likely have photos, videos and documents that are very important to you. If you are in business, then imagine the stress of losing years of work essential to your operations. Unfortunately, computer data is vulnerable. Your files can be compromised at the most inopportune time. That’s why it’s especially important to back it up. Having at least two physical copies of your data is the most secure way to keep your data safe and secure. If you’re using a Mac, then it’s highly recommended to use Time Machine for backups.
What is Time Machine?
Time Machine is a backup feature already loaded onto your Mac.When activated, it automatically backs up your data every hour.
Where does Time Machine back up my data?
Time Machine will back up your data, as well as your Operating System to an external hard drive. The reason Time Machine is so effective is because if your computer’s hard drive completely fails, you can use Time Machine backup to restore ALL of your data and your Operating System to any compatible device. You can even take it a step further and choose which date you’d like to restore from. For example, if you accidentally deleted some files a week ago, you can choose to restore your data to when those files were still there.
How do I set up Time Machine?
The beauty of Time Machine is its simplicity. To set up your Time Machine backup, do the following:
- Connect an external hard drive to your computer
- Format your external hard drive for Mac using ‘Disk Utility'(skip this step if it’s already formatted)
- Click on the Apple on the top left of your screen. Then go to System Preferences and then select Time Machine
- Select your backup drive
- Your first backup will begin shortly. After it’s completed you can disconnect your external hard drive. For ongoing backup, Plug it in periodically (Time Machine be performed automatically at this point whenever you connect your drive) or leave it plugged in to back your computer up every hour
It’s really that simple. If you’re still unsure, bring your computer into our shop and our staff will set you up.
At Midtown Tech we will always take the time to help you make an informed decision.
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