Hi, I am looking for suggestions for good quality SSD or HDD that I can use for backing up and be bootable for my old Mac Pro. It is a Mid 2010, 5,1 Mac Pro running Mohave.
Thanks
Mac Pro, macOS 10.14
If you are using another direct-to-disk backup method that you prefer, and you currently have a recent disk-based backup, that is great. If not, you should consider using Built-in Time Machine. Take steps to acquire an external drive as soon as possible. If you buy one, a drive 2 to 3 times or larger than your boot drive is preferable for long term trouble-free operation. Do not pay extra for a drive that is fast. (You can get by for a while with a "found" smaller drive if necessary, but it will eventually become annoying).
Attach your external drive and use
System preferences > Time machine ...
... to turn on Time Machine and specify what drive to store your Backups on. It may ask to initialize the new drive, and that is as expected.
Time Machine may spend all afternoon making your first full backup. You can continue to do your regular work while it does this. The first Full Backup is by far the biggest backup. After that, it will work quietly and automatically in the background, without interrupting your regular work, and only save the incremental changes.
Time Machine's "claim to fame" is that it is the backup that gets done, because it does not ruin performance of the rest of the computer while doing its backup operations. You do not have to set aside a "Special Time" when you only do backups. When you need it, your Time machine Backup is much more likely to be there.
How to use Time Machine to Backup or Restore your Mac:
Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support
--------
Time machine backups are not bootable, and after a disaster you may not want to re-install the exact instance of MacOS that just blew up in your face. in is really easy to re-install a clean copy of MacOS from Recovery and then you can add your files back by Restoring or Migrating from your backup.
If you are using another direct-to-disk backup method that you prefer, and you currently have a recent disk-based backup, that is great. If not, you should consider using Built-in Time Machine. Take steps to acquire an external drive as soon as possible. If you buy one, a drive 2 to 3 times or larger than your boot drive is preferable for long term trouble-free operation. Do not pay extra for a drive that is fast. (You can get by for a while with a "found" smaller drive if necessary, but it will eventually become annoying).
Attach your external drive and use
System preferences > Time machine ...
... to turn on Time Machine and specify what drive to store your Backups on. It may ask to initialize the new drive, and that is as expected.
Time Machine may spend all afternoon making your first full backup. You can continue to do your regular work while it does this. The first Full Backup is by far the biggest backup. After that, it will work quietly and automatically in the background, without interrupting your regular work, and only save the incremental changes.
Time Machine's "claim to fame" is that it is the backup that gets done, because it does not ruin performance of the rest of the computer while doing its backup operations. You do not have to set aside a "Special Time" when you only do backups. When you need it, your Time machine Backup is much more likely to be there.
How to use Time Machine to Backup or Restore your Mac:
Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support
--------
Time machine backups are not bootable, and after a disaster you may not want to re-install the exact instance of MacOS that just blew up in your face. in is really easy to re-install a clean copy of MacOS from Recovery and then you can add your files back by Restoring or Migrating from your backup.
There are many fine drives available today to use as dedicated backup drives or for additional storage. One suggestion I can offer is that many drives come with their own maintenance software (apps). Do not use them. Many of them will cause problems. Better to use Apple's Disk Utility to reformat your new drive before use. Many drives come with vendor provided USB cables for easy connection. Be sure to get a drive that is large enough. Recommended size its twice the size of your Mac's HD.
Oh, one more thing. Do not anguish over interfaces.
USB-2 is faster than any ordinary Rotating Magnetic drive you can buy, no matter how large.
Suggestions for an External drive to backup my old 5,1 Mid 2010, Mac Pro running Mohave.
