advice needed for backup disk purchase

Hi there,

For a backup disk, you have several solid options depending on your needs:

1. Type of Drive: For backups, traditional HDDs (like Seagate and Western Digital models) are affordable and reliable. If you’re looking for faster speeds (though at a higher cost), consider an SSD.
2. Size Recommendation: A 2TB or 4TB drive is often sufficient, but it depends on your data volume. It’s generally recommended to have a backup drive at least twice the size of your primary storage to allow for multiple versions or incremental backups.
3. Thunderbolt vs. USB: If you want the fastest possible speeds and are backing up large files, a Thunderbolt-compatible drive would take advantage of the speed. However, USB 3.0 drives are more cost-effective and generally sufficient for standard backups.
4. Direct Connection: It’s best to plug the backup disk directly into a Thunderbolt port on your iMac if possible, rather than through a hub, to ensure stable connectivity during backups.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you’d like specific drive recommendations.

Thanks,

R.L.

Maybe a significant question for you..........are you using Time Machine to back up your iMac?

We ask this because Time Machine backs up data at speeds slower than even inexpensive USB drives offer.

So, it does not make much sense to spend 2 or 3 times more money on a "faster" drive.....like an SSD.....when you will never come close to the capabilities of the drive.

I am not sure if Time Machine is on or not.

Time Machine is not set up unless you have a hard drive connected to your iMac.

Even then, you have to select the hard drive as a destination for Time Machine backups. More info here:

Back up your Mac with Time MachineApple SupportOfficial Apple Support › en-us