Back up with Time Machine (Mac)

Anbackup is a copy, elsewhere, of the information on the computer. Having such a backup is important. He can come in handy at all times. Not only when the computer shuts down completely, but also in less dramatic situations. For example, if a file was accidentally deleted. On the Mac computer, you can do automatic backups using an external hard drive and the Time Machine program.

This article discusses how Time Machine works on a Mac computer running macOS 10.12 Sierra or later.

The Time Machine program is standard on the Mac. This program helps to backup the computer. When Time Machine is turned on, it automatically and continuously makes a copy of all information. Whether it concerns text documents, photos, music, programs or set preferences. The program saves the copy on a connected external hard drive.

You use the backup if you want to completely restore the Mac to an earlier situation or to place files on a new computer. But also to access earlier versions of files. You then go back in time, as it were. Hence the name Time Machine, which means time machine in Dutch.

An external hard drive is required to make a backup. Any external hard drive that states in the description that it is also suitable (compatible) for the Mac or can be formatted for the Mac, can be used. Choose a storage capacity that is at least the same size, but preferably larger than the storage capacity of the internal hard drive of the Mac computer. For more information, read the article ‘Purchase help external hard drive’.

Some external hard drives must first be prepared for use on a Mac. That’s called formatting. The drive will be erased and provisioned for the Mac. All files on the disk will be lost. So first make a copy of that on, for example, a USB stick.

• Connect the external hard drive to the Mac using its cable.
• click on Decide later if you’re asked if you want to use the disk to back up with Time Machine.
• In the Dock, click the Finder icon (the smiling face) .
• click on apps (macOS 10.15 Catalina or later) or Programs (macOS 10.14 Mojave).
• Double click on Utilities.
• Double click on Disk Utility.
• Click on the external hard drive in the left column. Its name is not the same for everyone. For example, the disc may be displayed with the brand name.
• Click on the button at the top Erase.
• Under ‘Structure’, select ‘Mac OS Extended (Journaled)’.
• After ‘Name’, type a new name for the disk. For example, ‘Time Machine backup’.
• click on Erase.
• click on Ready.

Set up the Time Machine program to automatically back up your Mac from now on.

• Connect the external hard drive via its cable.
• click on Decide later if you are asked if you want to use the disk to back up with Time Machine. We show another way to Rome, which you can always use.
• Click on the top left Apple logo > System Preferences.
• click on Time Machine.
• If you have already protected your settings with a password, you must first grant temporary access. Click on the padlock at the bottom left of the window. Enter your password and click Unlock.
• Check if there is a checkmark in front of Show Time Machine in menu bar.
• click on Select disc or Select backup disk.
• Click on the drive where you want the automatic backups to come.
• click on Use disk.
• If necessary, click the padlock again to lock the settings.

If the Mac is on and there is a connection to the external hard drive, Time Machine will take care of the automatic backup. The menu bar now always contains one of the three icons below. Click it to learn more about the status of the backup.

Watch our video on how to set up Time Machine. The name that displays your hard drive may differ from ours. The video was shot on a computer running Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite, but the steps are almost the same on newer versions of the operating system.

After the first backup, Time Machine keeps track of the changes on the computer every hour. The program does not continuously save everything. You can go back to hourly copies of the past 24 hours, daily copies of the past month, and weekly copies of the past months. Recover an old version of a file?

• Go through the Finder to the folder where the file is or was.
• Then click on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar .
• click on Activate Time Machine.
• A sort of domino row of Finder windows opens. Navigate back in time using the arrows to the right of the windows.
• Click on the desired file and then click on put back.
• The old file is restored to the computer. If a folder or document with the same name already exists, you can choose to keep both or replace the most recent document on your computer with the old one you just found.