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The Apple Support Community will permanently close on November 20, 2026. Starting today, the site will no longer accept new posts and is available in a read-only state.
You can continue to find trusted guidance and support on the official Apple Support site.
We want to thank the community members who have contributed their time and expertise to help others with their Apple products.
I bought a new Mac computer and my old one is 12 years old I am 70 so forgive me for asking stupid questions should my question is should I buy a hard drive to back up the old stuff first
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iMac 27″, macOS 10.12
Yes, please do. You don’t need an expensive SSD external drive, a cheaper external drive is fine. Don’t install any software, just reformat it if needed. You can use the TimeMachine backup to move your content to the new mac.
you’ll probably need an adapter or hub
See these links:
Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support
Move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support
Power & Cables - Mac Accessories - Apple
Yes, please do. You don’t need an expensive SSD external drive, a cheaper external drive is fine. Don’t install any software, just reformat it if needed. You can use the TimeMachine backup to move your content to the new mac.
you’ll probably need an adapter or hub
See these links:
Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support
Move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support
Power & Cables - Mac Accessories - Apple
You should have done it 12 years ago.
Should I get a HD to back up stuff from my old Mac?
