salspix

Q: I have a new backup disk (a 5TB drive from Seagate) and need help setting it up with CCC!

Hi everyone,

 

I have a new backup disk (a 5TB drive from Seagate) and could use some help setting it up with CCC.

 

I have done this in the past with no problem, but I want to make sure of a few things:

 

    1. This particular drive has backup software available in a folder on the drive (w/ PC and Mac versions). But... I plan to use this drive as an exact copy of my iMac HD; it must also be bootable.
    2. Should I format the drive with Disk Utility? Or, load the CCC software on the disk and just leave their back up software alone?
    3. One last question: I also have a MacBook Air, an iPad and an iPhone; I want to back them up as well. Should I put them on separate partitions I've created? Or can they just be one big happy family? The last is preferable.

 

One last bit of information:  The  two computers, etc., have all been backed up via Time Machine. My most important data, photos, etc., are also backed up to Drop Box and/or iCloud on a regular schedule.

 

Thank you for any suggestions or comments!

 

Sally D.

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Jul 28, 2016 3:00 AM

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Q: I have a new backup disk (a 5TB drive from Seagate) and need help setting it up with CCC!

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  • by Mike Sombrio,Solvedanswer

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Jul 28, 2016 10:54 PM in response to salspix
    Level 6 (17,233 points)
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    Jul 28, 2016 10:54 PM in response to salspix

    Erase and partition the drive making a separate partition for each computer. The iPad and iPhone don't need their own partition as they back up using iTunes and will be included in the clone of the computer you use to back each of them up. Each partition needs only to be the size of the drive being cloned which may leave you with extra partitions for other stuff. Then format the drive as Mac OS Extended Journaled. Don't install any software that came with the drive, none of it is needed.

    I use a very similar setup with a 3Tb drive. I clone my boot SSD to one partition, my internal 1Tb drive to a second, my Macbook to a third and I have a fourth partition that currently is empty because I haven't decided what to do with it yet. I also have a 3Tb Apple Time Capsule.