Use of external HD? Or iCloud?

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Level 1

9 points

Use of external HD? Or iCloud?

Recently, I upgraded from an older MacBook Pro to a new 16" variety of the same. I had been using a much older AirPort Capsule (looks like a white tombstone) but I noticed that Apple neither manufactures nor supports them any longer -- and they are intolerably slow. That said, in the process of preparing for the transfer of data to the new laptop I added a small, portable (LaCie) hard-drive. It's incredibly faster but I think it's not a long-term solution. I don't want to trust the whole works to such a device. (It's already showing phantom icons of the Time Machine LaCie on my desktop, which bothers and confuses me.)

Is the best solution another, larger device tethered to my MacBook Pro or use the Apple iCloud?
The largest volume available on the Apple cloud seems to be 200GB which is less than the content of my HD. Do I need to only store apps, Document files, photos, email, and browser data, etc. in the cloud? Or does the OS need backing up, as well. IF the latter, where should I go to find cloud space to back it all up?
How does one actually do the back-up to the iCloud? (i.e., what is the step-by-step)?

Many thanks,

Chris Miller

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 11.2

Posted on Apr 11, 2021 9:21 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

babowa

Level 9

78,133 points

Apr 11, 2021 10:52 AM in response to dchrismiller

I've been using clones for years and find them far more helpful (if there is a problem) than any other backup.

However, there is a "hiccup" with Big Sur: due to the changes in the OS, you can no longer do a simple one step backup clone. With CarbonCopyCloner, there are clear instructions on how to overcome this: you can clone your Data folder, but need to download/install the OS. SuperDuper has some "work around" instructions in their blog, but they are not that clear to me - which is why I am sticking with CarbonCopyCloner.

On the other hand, there is Time Machine - which is great, but is not a bootable clone.

As for iCloud: I would not depend on it since it is a syncing process; and, I would not trust my private data to any nameless online server. FWIW, I've got 7 external hard drives/SSDs with at least 2 clones of each OS as well as at least 3 copies of my important data scattered across the externals and their partitions.

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Answer 2

PRP_53

Level 10

85,591 points

Apr 11, 2021 9:31 AM in response to dchrismiller

Set up iCloud on all your devices

iCloud is more a conduit to be used to Syncing devices and not really an Extra Storage in the context of a means to Backup the full Internal Drive. For that, Time Machine is a very good option and Add to the Rescue Plan are two TESTED Bootable Clones each to Separate External Drives. The TESTED Clones are not implied but real time tested. and even an Off Site for a Third - Fires, Floods etc. There are Cloning software available like Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper for that very purpose.

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Answer 3

Tesserax

Level 10

148,907 points

Apr 11, 2021 9:40 AM in response to dchrismiller

To add a bit to P. Phillips' comments, it appears that you are looking for a backup strategy for your Mac. I put together a basic one that you may find helpful. The bottom line is that you should never rely on a single backup solution, especially if your data is critical to you.

Ref: macOS Backup Strategy - Apple Community

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Answer 4

dchrismiller Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 12, 2021 8:46 AM in response to babowa

Thanks for your helpful input. I think that, since I am using Big Sur, and do not have a grasp of what/how to use "clones" anyhow, I'll continue to use the Time Machine with the use of both the Time Capsule and the new LaCie external drive.

Thanks!

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Answer 5

babowa

Level 9

78,133 points

Apr 12, 2021 9:52 AM in response to dchrismiller

sounds good!

The difference with a clone is: if there is a problem, you can plug it into your Mac and restart using the clone as a startup disk. It will function exactly like your internal disk. So, if you have a super slow older hard drive in your Mac, you can actually use it for day to day work (and use the internal as a backup for instance. Or, you encounter a problem with your hard disk, you can simply boot into your clone, wipe your internal, and clone your system back. It is an easier and faster way to keep working.

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