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Personal files backup from Mac Air with Monterey OS

On a MacBook Air with Monterey, must I use Time Machine to back up my files to a USB C flash drive? Or, can I do backups in a copy/paste sort of fashion as Windows does?

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Feb 26, 2022 2:16 PM

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Posted on Feb 26, 2022 3:22 PM

Yes, you would have to drag and drop any file you want backed up to the thumb drive.


There is an app, Carbon Copy Cloner  that can incrementally backup any folder (1) to another folder (2) whenever it detects a change to the contents of folder 1 or to one of the files in folder 1. No drag and drop required after it's setup initially.



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Feb 26, 2022 3:22 PM in response to ejbpesca

Yes, you would have to drag and drop any file you want backed up to the thumb drive.


There is an app, Carbon Copy Cloner  that can incrementally backup any folder (1) to another folder (2) whenever it detects a change to the contents of folder 1 or to one of the files in folder 1. No drag and drop required after it's setup initially.



Feb 26, 2022 2:54 PM in response to Old Toad

When you write Time Machine drive, can that be a USB C flash drive formatted for Time Machine? If that is the case I insert that TM drive then use a utility called Migration Assistant, not Time Machine, to select and copy to the flash drive you call Time Machine drive? I am guessing it not some special drive but a flash drive formatted by the Time Machine utility?

Feb 26, 2022 3:13 PM in response to jeffreythefrog

I plan to not use an external SSD or HDD for backups. Floppies, CD's, DVDs, and now flash drives have done okay for me. So, it is a drag and drop command to get a "manual," copy made. My hand has trouble with drag and drop, so I was hoping there were menu selections in the OS to select a file or folder, then select copy to, then select the destination. Maybe Time Machine works like that a bit by clicking on commands instead of drag and drop. From what I've read about Time Machine, it seemed to be an automated back up utility to be run with each use of the computer, and may even require an SSB with the capacity of the internal SSD. From your description maybe it could be used as an any time you like backup utilities that allows you select even just one file to send to a USB C port, not some automated back up system, or maybe it does both.

Feb 26, 2022 3:22 PM in response to ejbpesca

for me drag and drop works fine. but since you have issues that makes that difficult, there is definitely more than one way to implement the saving and/or moving files around. but, you will need advice from someone who uses those methods. i do know that apple has given us different ways to do different things rather than being limited to just drag and drop.

Feb 26, 2022 3:47 PM in response to ejbpesca

Thank you for the advice. My only MacIntosh was the first one on the market and it has been that long since I used one. I think I will get the file backup down. Now to find how, and what I need with the Mac Air M1 to restore/recover a copy of the OS. I think that may be done from a USB flash drive but maybe that takes an SSD drive too or it can be done over wifi/net connection.

Personal files backup from Mac Air with Monterey OS

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