Mac External Drive For Backup

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For those who chose a MacBook over an ordinary laptop must be short for some storage space, right? Well, upgrading storage space through apple is as costly as purchasing a new laptop. In this case, an external hard drive is less expensive and beneficial for storage requirements.

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You can switch your external hard drive from a Mac to a pc which makes data transfer for two different OS easier. Furthermore, external hard disks are less likely to get corrupted and are portable in nature.

Macbooks generally have SSDs which are capable of loading a program quickly but more likely to low on storage.

Furthermore, SSDs are quite costly and upgrading an SSD on a Macbook is definitely costlier than you could even imagine. An external hard drive is best for storing data such as photos, videos, movies, rendered projects and more.

Contents

  • 1 Best External Hard Drives for MacBook in 2021
    • 1.3 3. Seagate Backup Plus Slim (2 TB)
    • 1.4 4. Western Digital My Book (8 TB)
    • 1.5 5. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt
    • 1.6 6. G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 (4TB)
    • 1.7 7. Adata SD700 External SSD
    • 1.8 8. LaCie Rugged USB-C
    • 1.9 9. Samsung X5 (1TB)
    • 1.10 10. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive
  • 2 What things to consider while buying External Hard Drive For Mac?
  • 3 External Hard Drive Vs SSD: Which one is good for MacBook Pro?

Best External Hard Drives for MacBook in 2021

  1. Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive for Mac USB 3.0 500GB STCF500102 2-year limited warranty. Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive for Mac USB 3.0 1TB STDS1000100 2-year limited warranty. 1TB 1024.0: USB 3.0: 12.1mm: 113.50mm: 76.00mm: Backup Plus portable drive for Mac 4TB STDS4000400.
  2. Without wasting more time let’s get started on How to Backup Mac to an External Drive with the default feature of Mac which is Time Machine. Firstly, connect up your external device with your.
  3. 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.

Although choosing an external hard drive is a complicated process but we have made a list of 10 best external hard drives for Mac that you should consider before your final decision.

At this point, Mac will now manage data backups for you, periodically sending a mirror of your hard drive across to your external drive. Should you ever need to retrieve files (or restore your whole system in case of catastrophic hard drive failure) Time Machine will handle your data retrieval for you.

1. Samsung Portable SSD T5

Starting off Samsung Portable SSD T5 which is an outstanding storage device, it can reach up to a speed of 550 MB per second for data transfer which is amazing. You can directly plug it into a USB-C port or USB-A port.

It contains no moving parts therefore chances of getting damaged due to mishandling are less. Even though SSD is costlier than a hard drive, the speed it offers is commendable. You will notice a significant boost in the overall performance while doing stuff that requires you to load large files and programs.

Overall, the SSD is fantastic but only if you can spare a few more bucks than your actual budget. You can get the SSD ranging from 250 GB to 2 TB from Amazon with some additional discounts.

2. Western Digital My Passport 4TB external hard drive

Western Digital My Passport 4TB external hard drive is the newest generation of external hard disks and is available in capacities from 1 TB to up to 4 TB. It offers cloud storage and 256-AES encryption alongside WD’s software for backups.

The data transfer speeds won’t disappoint you and the drive offers speed similar to what an SSD provides. If you are looking for a drive with good data transfer rate and maximum storage, consider Western Digital My Passport 4TB as a choice.

3. Seagate Backup Plus Slim (2 TB)

If you are looking for a reliable, portable, and affordable hard disk, Seagate backup plus slim is the thing you should have a look at. It supports Windows and Mac both and perfect for storing your essential data right away.

With the Seagate dashboard backup system, you can schedule backups and never lose your important files anymore. Backup automation can be set for daily, monthly, weekly or your desired time-frequency.

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Alongside, Seagate also provides a two-month membership for adobe creative cloud photography plan and a one-year subscription to Mylio create to manage your photo library.

  • Affordable price
  • Metal body
  • Supports USB 3.0
  • Comes with an automation backup software
  • Doesn’t support USB 3.0 cables

4. Western Digital My Book (8 TB)

This Hard disk is probably for creators and organizations that require a lot of storage for various purposes. Faster data transmission rate will let you transfer data in the meantime, all thanks to USB 3.0 support.

It also offers 256 AES encryption for securing your data and makes sure your personal data is secured in the storage device. Even though it meets the requirements of a regular user, the only thing where Western Digital My Book (8 TB) lacks is portability.

Therefore, if you are looking for a hard disk for work purposes and if portability is not an issue, Western Digital My Book (8 TB) is definitely the right choice.

  • High storage
  • Data encryption
  • Compatible with the time machine
  • Requires power source to work
  • Not portable

5. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt

Buffalo MiniStation thunderbolt offers data transmission at a speed of twice of what USB 3.0 offers. You can enjoy this feature if your device has a thunderbolt port. Another good thing about Buffalo MiniStation thunderbolt is its price. It is affordable and portable.

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However, it is a hard drive, not a solid-state, therefore, the data transmission will definitely be high but the overall performance of your pc will remain unchanged. Lastly, if you don’t have a thunderbolt port in your pc, you can use the traditional USB 3.0 port.

  • USB 3.0 port
  • Affordable
  • Formatted for Mac
  • Not a Solid State drive

6. G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 (4TB)

With the new products, Apple is on its way to completely shift to USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports but there are still some people who are using old hardware and for them, G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 (4TB) is going to work like a charm.

The body of the HDD is made up of metal which makes it durable and strong against accidents such as dropping off the drive on the floor or whatnot. It runs at a speed of 7200 RPM and can transfer data at a rate of 195 MB/s which is efficient for transferring music, videos and software.

  • Metallic body for durability
  • High data transmission rate
  • USB 3.0
  • Should be reformatted for Windows OS

7. Adata SD700 External SSD

Adata SD700 is an affordable External SSD which is IP68 rated which certainly makes it a water-resistant storage device. The overall performance of this SSD is commendable and as per our research, Adata SD700 External SSD is the only SSD with an IP68 rating.

You can expect faster transfer rates and better booting speed if you are planning to install an OS on the SSD. Don’t worry about the storage space as it is available in 1 TB capacity also. The maximum read and write speed is up to 440 MB/S, all thanks to the USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface.

  • Lightweight and portable
  • Shock resistant
  • Supports Android, Mac, and Windows
  • 3 years of Warranty
  • Mac users must format it to FAT32 to use this product

8. LaCie Rugged USB-C

Lacie rugged USB-C hard disk can be distinguished easily because of its unique rubber casing that makes sure your hard drive doesn’t get damaged when it drops from up to 1.3 m height. It can withstand rain, dust and can even survive 1-ton pressure. This is certainly the best choice for content creators.

Alongside hard disk, you will also get access to a one-month subscription to Adobe creative cloud all apps plan. The company also provides 3 years of warranty for the device and will also help you to restore the data if lost.

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In terms of speed, Lacie rugged USB-C hard disk is not very fast as it provides only 120 MB/s which is comparatively lesser than the HDDs mentioned in this listicle. However, there are various variants available for this hard disk on Amazon.

  • Durability
  • Affordable
  • Resistant to water
  • Lesser data transmission speed

9. Samsung X5 (1TB)

Samsung never disappoints with its amazing hardware capabilities. With Samsung X5, you can transfer data at a rate of 2,300 MB/s which is the fastest speed an SSD can provide you. The build quality is super amazing as it is made up of metal, making it stronger than storage disks that are made up of plastic bodies.

The shock-resistant capability can save up your drive from a fall of 2 meters. Alongside this, it comes with Thunderbolt 3 technology that is ideal for faster data transfer of up to 40 GB per second which is unbelievable. You can take full advantage of this SSD on your MacBook or Macbook pro without having to format anything.

  • High data transmission rate
  • Supports thunderbolt 3
  • Shock-resistant up to 2 meters
  • Heats up really quick
  • Comparatively expensive than the other disks

10. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive

In terms of flexibility, Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive is really good as it supports both Mac and windows out of the box. The disk doesn’t get damaged due to dust and water which is again a positive point.

It encrypts the user data at 256 bit AES security which additionally makes everything on the drive, secure. Overall, it is a great drive for Mac owners as well as windows owners too.

Best Backup External Drive For Mac

  • Secure for handling user data
  • Protects from water and dust
  • Low-speed data transfer

What things to consider while buying External Hard Drive For Mac?

So those were some of the best external hard disk drive solutions for Mac. However, you must be confused about which external HDD to choose. But not to worry, let me just point some of the key factors that you need to consider while buying an external hard drive:

1. Storage

One of the first and the most important thing that you need to consider is the storage space of your external HDD. As you already know that Macbook does not come with a huge space. Hence, you better choose something which offers you enough space to store all your files.

For many users, 1 TB of space should be good enough. But if you need to store a huge number of files and save them for a longer period of time, then getting 2TB of HDD would be an ideal choice.

Apart from 1TB and 2TB of storage options, you can also consider getting huge storage options like 4TB. But for a day to day work, 4TB of HDD does not help much. Also, they are quite expensive.

2. Transfer speed

After the storing capacity, transfer speed is the second most important thing that you have to consider. You don’t want to get an external hard disk drive for Mac, which takes too long to copy files. Instead, you need something that can get the job done as quickly as possible.

So the first thing that you must do is avoid USB 2.0 powered external HDD. As they are outdated and not fast enough. Instead, you should get an external HDD with USB 3.0, 3.1 Gen 1 or USB 3.2 Gen 1. All of these are capable of offering an exceptional transfer speed. On the other hand, I would like to recoomend you to buy the best external SSD for Mac that offers good transfer speed.

3. Compatibility

The next thing you need to check its compatibility. External HDD formatted for Windows 10 may have connectivity issues with Mac OS and vise versa. So since you are using a Mac powered machine, I would recommend you to get an external HDD with Mac OS compatibility.

Although there is no need to focus on the compatibility part way too much. Since you can always format your external HDD using a Windows Computer with exFat Format. So you can easily use the HDD with your Macbook. But yes, if you get a pre compatible external hard disk drive then it saves you from extra work and headaches that you have to face.

4. Security

If you are someone who takes security really seriously, then you must look for security features. Most of the manufacturers do ship security software and backup software. So you can easily encrypt your drive or take a backup of it. Even, if you don’t consider the encryption feature, the backup feature is something that you must and should consider.

Even to make sure your HDD stays safe, they use strong casing from physical damage. So you can consider getting such external hard disk drives that save you from every side.

External Hard Drive Vs SSD: Which one is good for MacBook Pro?

Mac External Drive For Backup Drive

Whenever it comes to a primary storage solution for computers, HDD and SSD’s are the only solutions we have. However, in the last couple of years, the usage of HDD has dropped drastically, and people are not moving to SSD’s for better performance.

But there are quite a lot of users who are still unaware of the difference between a hard disk drive and a solid state drive or SSD.

However, not to worry, let me just draw a quick difference between both and help you to understand better.

1. Storage Capacity

HDD’s are a great option if you want something for storage. HDD’s are available in a wide range of storage capacities from 500GB to 12 TB. Even, for enterprise uses, you will find a large capacity of HDDs.

SSDs are also available with large capacities. However, when it comes to the costs of an SSD and an HDD, SSDs are quite expensive. Hence, if your main goal is to store a huge amount of data, HDD is an ideal choice.

2. Speed

Whenever it comes to speed, SSDs are a better option. Since a hard disk drive uses a round plate with a layer of magnetic material. And the data is stored on this magnetic layer only. So the disk spins and the magnetic head is used for reading and writing data.

Also, the speed that the disk spins is measured in RPM. And on average, an HDD has about 5,400 RPM, and it will have a read/write speeds of around 100 MB/s.

However, when it comes to SSD’s, there are no moving parts. As a result, it offers you a much faster data transfer rate. On average, it offers you around 550 MB/s and 520 MB/s of data transfer rate.

3. Reliability & Durability

There are quite a lot of factors that determine the lifespan of drivers. However, you should know that an SSD can sustain a limited number of write cycles compared to HDD which has no read/write limits.

But you should know that SSD has a write cycle limit between 3000 and 10,000 which is a high number. So it would not be a problem for you.

Also, SSD’s are lesser affected by any sort of damages compared to HDD. Since there are no moving parts in SSD, they tend to survive more. While HDD’s might stop working if it encounters any physical damage.

3. Cost

Finally, let’s talk about pricing. Well, if you look at the cost of both HDD and SSD, you would happily pick up an HDD. Why? Because SSD’s are expensive. When you choose an HDD, you will get a large amount of capacity for a lesser price. But on the other hand, if you choose an SSD, it would cost you 3-5x of an HDD price.

In the end, the conclusion is HDD’s are a better option when it comes to storing data. Of course, SSD’s are faster and more reliable. But they do come with a high price. But on the other hand, if you take care of your HDD in a good manner, it will offer you great performance for years.

Wrapping it up:

So, these were the 10 best external hard drives for Macbook Air and Pro. Every disk mentioned in this article has its own pros and cons, we have tried our best to list out the good and bad in every product. For Mac users, external SSD can be really helpful for storing content and transferring it to a different place.

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Macs are one of the greatest computing devices available out there. They are easy to use and comes with loaded features. However, getting a Mac does not ensures that you are going to be protected from data loss. Hence, it is important that you take a backup of your mac from time to time. However, the question is How to Backup Mac to External Hard Drive?

Well in case if you have a similar question in your mind, then I am here to help you out. In this article, I will be talking about the steps that you have to follow to take a complete backup of your Mac.

So here we go:

Contents

  • 2 How to Backup Mac to External Hard Drive?

Use Time Machine To Backup Mac

Apple computers come with a built-in app called Time Machine which allows you to take a backup of your system. You can find the app on by clicking on the Apple logo on the top left then go to System Preferences.

This built-in app is the easiest way to take backup on your Mac. Even, the method is recommended by Apple itself. The app helps you to take a timely backup of your system. As a result, it will be easier for you to restore all your data or a specific part of your data in case of data failure or drive crash.

Moreover, the best part of the time machine is that it can take a backup of everything present on your computer without any issues. Such as photos, videos, documents, applications, system files, accounts, and so on.

Plus, you will get an easy way to restore your data from a time machine setup. To get started with this backup tool, you have to follow these below steps:

How to Backup Mac to External Hard Drive?

Step 1: Connect your external hard drive

First of all, connect your external hard drive to your Mac using the USB ports. Once the HDD icon shows up on your desktop, you have to move to the next step.

In case if you don’t see the HDD icon make sure to go to Finder > Preference > General and over here look for external hard disk drives.

Step 2: Select the disk for backup

Mac External Drive For Backup External Hard Drive

Next, you have to launch the time machine from the preference and select the external HDD that you want to use for Mac. In case if you have portioned your drive, then choose the right partition to store your backup.

Step 3: Confirm Backup

In case if you have ever used any other disk for backup purposes, then the time machine will ask you if you wish to stop backing up to the previous disk or use the new disk. For such a case hit the replace button. In case, if this is the first time you are going to take a backup, then you might not encounter with this step.

Step 4: Wait for the backup to be completed

Once you are done selecting all the steps, Time Machine will start backing up your data. The tool will also let you know the estimated time for your backup to be finished. So you can sit back and relax.

Step 5: Eject your external drive and unplug it

Once the backup is completed, simply unplug the disk from your desktop. However, while unplugging make sure to right-click on the disk and hit the Eject button. So you can be sure that your data is safe and secure.

Final Words:

So that was a quick answer to your question that says how to backup Mac to external hard drive. So go ahead and follow the above-mentioned steps and see how they are working for you. Also, if there is anything you wish to ask, then do feel free to comment below and I will help you out.

Best External Hd For Imac

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