I have a iMac (retina 5K, 27" late 2015) running macOS Monterey Version 12.2. I use Time Machine and a La Cie 4 TB Back up Drive to back the iMac Desktop to the iCloud.
I have recently purchased a MacBook Pro (14", 2021) running Mac OS Monterey 12.2.
Can I back up the MacBook Pro using the same 4TB La iCe Back up Drive and if so how do I go about it.
Yes, you can use the same drive to back up both Macs for Time Machine (TM)l. TM will create a new backup for the new device separate from the ones it created/uses for your older iMac.
To get this to work, you would just configure the new MacBook Pro to back up to this same drive.
One thing to consider. You may be better served if you consider getting a NAS for this purpose. That way, both Macs can not only back up to the same device, but you would not have to disconnect/reconnect the current external drive between computers.
Yes, you can use the same drive to back up both Macs for Time Machine (TM)l. TM will create a new backup for the new device separate from the ones it created/uses for your older iMac.
To get this to work, you would just configure the new MacBook Pro to back up to this same drive.
One thing to consider. You may be better served if you consider getting a NAS for this purpose. That way, both Macs can not only back up to the same device, but you would not have to disconnect/reconnect the current external drive between computers.
Len Bradshaw wrote:
I have a iMac (retina 5K, 27" late 2015) running macOS Monterey Version 12.2. I use Time Machine and a La Cie 4 TB Back up Drive to back the iMac Desktop to the iCloud.
I have recently purchased a MacBook Pro (14", 2021) running Mac OS Monterey 12.2.
Can I back up the MacBook Pro using the same 4TB La iCe Back up Drive and if so how do I go about it.
Yes. Plug it in
If your new Mac inherits your backup history - Apple Support
https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/if-your-new-mac-inherits-your-backup-history-mh35732/mac
Many thanks for your help. I have now managed to back up my new MacBook Pro to the Lacie unit. The issue I had was the connection from the Lacie backup drive is USB, as is the connection on the back of my 2015 iMac. I have now purchased a USB C to USB adapter and that allows me to connect the USB C end into the MacBook Pro and the USB connector from the Lacie goes into the adapter. I need to now think about whether I stick with unplugging the Lacie from the iMac and connecting it to the USB C adapter or going down the NAS route. In the meantime, many thanks for your help and assistance in resolving this issue for me.
Many thanks for your quick response to my question. I also had a second response, so I hope you don't mind if I copy some of the action I took from response to Tesserax: I have now managed to back up my new MacBook Pro to the Lacie unit. The issue I had was the connection from the Lacie backup drive is USB, as is the connection on the back of my 2015 iMac. I have now purchased a USB C to USB adapter and that allows me to connect the USB C end into the MacBook Pro and the USB connector from the Lacie goes into the adapter. I need to now think about whether I stick with unplugging the Lacie from the iMac and connecting it to the USB C adapter or going down the NAS route. In the meantime, many thanks for your help and assistance in resolving this issue for me.
You're very welcome! One additional point about using a NAS is that it can serve a number of purposes, in addition to being a destination for TM backups. For example, I use mine as a file server, a media server, and other things. Basically, a true NAS is a "mini" computer/server. If you do decide to go this route, there are a number of excellent NAS providers. Personally, I have stuck with Synology.
Thanks for the additional information. I will keep that all in mind if I go down the NAS route.
Back up of New MacBook Pro
