Backing up your Mac with Time Machine

Backing Up

In this tutorial I will be showing you how to manually set up the backing up function on your computer. This is a very good idea because if your computer is stolen, your hard drive fails or a virus infects your computer you won’t lose your data. Remember, a warranty may fix your computer, but nothing can bring back your lost data!
Here is the link to a video tutorial on the apple website:
http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#timemachinebasics

The good news is that it is easy to back up your computer. If you insert a back up drive and an automatic prompt to back-up does not appear, this is how you set it up manually.

To start open system preferences. You can find this in your applications folder, or as I have shown, on the apple button located on your top toolbar.

Next, once you are in system preferences, click the time machine button.

Navigate to the button titled “Select Disk”.

Now plugin the device you will be using as a backup drive and find it in the menu that appears.

Select your backup drive. If you wish, you can choose to encrypt it. (Note: If you choose to encrypt it, it will take longer to back up.)

You may see a prompt asking if you wish to erase the entire contents of the hard drive.  Before clicking yes this make sure that there is nothing on the hard drive that you require.

Your computer will then immediately begin to back up to your selected hard drive.



Congratulations you have just set up your automatic backups!

Now just plugin your hard drive at regular intervals and time machine will automatically backup.