How to Backup Files on a Mac Disk

You can back up your data on a Mac in several ways. It depends on what you have available and how important your data is.

• If you want something simple and free, use Time Machine. All you need is an external drive. Plug it in, go to System Settings > Time Machine, select the disk, and let it run. It backs up everything automatically and lets you restore older versions of files later.
• If you have no spare drive but some cloud storage (like iCloud, Google Drive, or OneDrive), you can copy critical files and folders manually to your cloud. This won’t create a full system backup, but it keeps your documents, photos, and work safe.
• If you’re working with sensitive or irreplaceable data (video projects, archives, client files), we recommend creating a byte-to-byte disk image using a tool like Disk Drill. This makes an exact copy of your drive, including deleted data and free space. If the storage device is unstable or showing signs of failure, this method gives you the safest way to back it up. 
• If you want set-it-and-forget-it protection, paid services offer cloud backup tools that continuously back up your files in the background. They’re ideal if you don’t want to deal with hardware at all.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The best method to back up a MacBook or Mac depends on how much data you need to protect, how often it changes, and what you’re willing to invest (in time, effort, or money). Here are a few strong options:

• For most users, Time Machine is a solid starting point. It runs automatically and keeps a version history.
• For extra protection, combine Time Machine with a second backup, like manual file copies to a USB drive or syncing important folders to iCloud, OneDrive, or Google Drive.
• For critical data, use a tool like Disk Drill to create a byte-to-byte backup. It’s the safest option if you need to back up all files on Mac: existing files, hidden system data, even deleted or lost content. It’s also ideal when your drive is unstable and you don’t want to risk scanning it directly.

In general, using two different backup methods (one local, one off-site) is the safest route. If anything goes wrong, you’ll have options.

To back up your Mac to an external drive, you can always simply plug the drive in and copy your important files manually using Finder. It’s quick, doesn’t require any setup, and works on any Mac.

If you want something more automatic, use Time Machine. Just connect the drive, go to System Settings > Time Machine, select the disk, and let it run. It will back up your entire system regularly and let you restore specific files or your whole Mac later.

For a full, low-level backup (including deleted files and free space), you can use Disk Drill. With its Byte-to-byte Backup feature, you can create an exact image of your internal drive and save it to your external one.

Yes, you can back up your Mac without using an external hard drive. There are many backup tools, such as the byte-to-byte feature included for free in Disk Drill, that let you save your backup to any suitably large storage device. Alternatively, you can also use a cloud storage service like iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive, or Google Drive.

Yes, you absolutely can back up your Mac without using Time Machine. There are multiple third-party tools and methods that offer more flexibility or features that Time Machine doesn’t provide.

You can use apps like Disk Drill to create a full byte-to-byte backup of your entire drive, including deleted data and free space. There are also many other third-party options: everything from tools that create bootable backups or run on a schedule, to full cloud-based services that store your data offsite automatically.

If you don’t want to install extra software, you can also backup files on a Mac to an external hard drive manually, just copy-paste them to a suitable drive or upload them to cloud storage like iCloud, Google Drive, or OneDrive.

That depends on a lot of things. There’s no single answer. As you’ve probably guessed, backup speed can vary a lot based on your setup. Here’s what makes the biggest difference:

• The size of your backup. This is the most obvious factor. Are you backing up just a few folders or creating a full disk image? Small jobs might wrap up in 15–30 minutes. Full system backups can take hours.
• Next on the list, we’ve got the drive itself. SSDs are much faster than traditional spinning hard drives (HDDs), so if you're using an older internal disk or a budget external drive, expect slower speeds.
• Now let’s talk about ports. Backing up over Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 will get the job done much faster than USB 2.0.
• And here’s a common bottleneck: a failing drive. If your Mac’s disk has bad sectors or is on its way out, backup tools will take extra time to safely retry those spots. This protects your data but adds hours (or even more) to the total time.

There are many ways to manually back up a Mac, but it’s never a good idea to rely on just one backup method. Instead, you should combine several methods to achieve redundancy. Here’s an example of how you can do just that:

• Create local backups of important files using Time Machine.
• Use iCloud or some other cloud storage service for offsite backups.
• From time to time, use Disk Drill’s backup feature to create a byte-to-byte backup of your system drive.

That depends on how you plan to back it up, but if you’re using Disk Drill’s Byte-to-byte Backup, there’s one simple rule: your external drive should be at least as large as the source drive, plus some extra room to spare. Let’s break it down:

• Full disk image with Disk Drill. This method copies the entire contents of the disk, used space, free space, deleted files, file system metadata. So, even if your internal drive only holds 300 GB of actual data, but its full capacity is 512 GB, you still need at least 512 GB of free space on your backup drive. Ideally, go for 10–20% more to avoid edge cases or write errors.
• File-based backups (manual copy, Time Machine, etc). If you’re not creating a full image, then you only need enough space for the files you're backing up. Still, it’s smart to use a drive with double the space you think you need, projects grow, and backups pile up fast.

As you may have guessed, more space means more flexibility. If you want to store multiple backups, or keep both a Time Machine backup and a Disk Drill image, consider a 1 TB or 2 TB external drive, even if your Mac has a 256 GB or 512 GB disk.

It’s always better to have more space than you need.

Before we can answer how to back up your entire Mac to an external hard drive, we need to clarify what “entire” really means, because different people mean different things.

Do you want to:

• Back up your personal files, apps, and documents
• Create a bootable clone that lets you start your Mac from the backup
• Make a full disk image, including deleted files and hidden data, for recovery purposes

Each of these goals requires a slightly different approach:

• For personal files and system data, use Time Machine. It automatically backs up your user files, apps, and system settings. It won’t give you a bootable copy, but it’s great for restoring your Mac after reinstalling macOS. Just connect an external drive, go to System Settings > Time Machine, and select the disk.
• For a bootable backup, use a third-party tool that can clone your startup disk and create a backup you can boot from in case of failure. This includes system files, apps, and everything else on the disk.
• If you want a full snapshot of your Mac (including free space, deleted data, and hidden metadata), use Disk Drill’s Byte-to-byte Backup (ideal for recovery). It creates a sector-by-sector image of the entire disk, which you can scan later for recovery. It’s especially useful when your drive is unstable.

No matter which method you choose, make sure your external drive has enough free space, ideally more than the full size of your internal drive. And always eject the drive safely after the backup is complete.

There are two basic ways to back up an external hard drive to an external hard drive on Mac:

• You can manually transfer its content using Finder.
• You can use specialized backup software.

The second approach offers several advantages, such as the possibility to automate the backup process to keep the two external hard drives in sync.

Disk Utility isn’t a full-featured backup tool, but you can still use it to create a basic disk image, which can be useful if you want a quick, one-time snapshot of a volume. 

Here’s how to backup data on a Mac using Disk Utility:

1. Open Disk Utility (you’ll find it in Applications > Utilities).
2. Select the volume or disk you want to back up from the sidebar.
3. Click File > New Image > Image from [Disk Name].
4. Choose where to save the image and give it a name.
5. Under “Format,” select read-only or compressed for standard backups. If you want a writable image, choose read/write.
6. Click Save, then wait while the image is created.

As you may have guessed, this method works best for static data or when you want to archive a disk at a specific point in time.

If your Mac won’t boot properly or you need to back up data from a failing or unstable drive, you can use Disk Drill directly in Recovery Mode, without booting into macOS. Here’s how to backup data on Mac in Recovery mode:

1. On Intel Macs: Restart and hold Command + R right after the startup chime.
2. Choose your admin account and enter your password.
3. At the top of the screen, go to Utilities > Terminal. You’ll use Terminal to launch Disk Drill.
4. Enter the command that matches your macOS version and Disk Drill version:
   • for Disk Drill 6 (macOS 10.15.7–15.x) use
     “sh <(curl http://www.cleverfiles.com/bootmode/boot.xml)”

   • For Disk Drill 5 (macOS 10.15.7–15.x) use
     “sh <(curl http://www.cleverfiles.com/bootmode/boot5.xml)”

   • For Disk Drill 4 (macOS 10.11.6–12.6) use
     “sh <(curl http://www.cleverfiles.com/bootmode/boot4.xml)”

5. This will launch Disk Drill in Recovery Mode without needing a separate USB stick. Once it opens, you can scan your drives or create a Byte-to-byte Backup.

Note: This method is intended for Intel-based Macs without a T2 security chip, as well as older systems that do not use Apple Silicon (M1–M4). Due to system disk encryption and security restrictions on T2, M1-M4 Macs, accessing internal drive data directly in Recovery Mode may not be possible.