how often should I plug in LaCie external drive for backups, please?
iMac 27″, macOS 12.6
Thanks for this. The reason I was wondering about leaving it plugged in all the time, is that some people seem to think the external hard drive and the stored data could be damaged by a power surge or an attack on the Mac. What are your views on this, please?
Since I leave mine plugged 24/7 that pretty much explains my view. If you have reason to believe you live in an area prone to power surges, or more likely, brown outs, an uninterruptible power supply would be prudent.
You can use a belt and suspenders approach - which is always prudent. Get another drive and use SuperDuper! or CarbonCopyCloner to create a clone of your drive. This can be attached every week or so and then removed. Then even if your whole Mac with the Time Machine drive falls into a black hole, you can still recover with the clone.
Thanks. It's a good idea. My LaCie external memory is a few years old now and I've read that they last about 5 years. As it might soon need replacing, perhaps I'll look into buying two drives. I'll just have to label them correctly and keep track of them. Now I'll find out about those two software programmes you mention and how to use them.
Yes, unpredictable power supply can be a problem. A power cut once destroyed a computer I had. But what I was really concerned about is the threat of malware getting onto the computer and also infecting files on the external hard drive if it is attached.
https://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
I use Super Duper, but both get rave reviews around here. There is some confusion about getting *bootable* clones on Apple Silicon, but the backup works fine in any case.
Well, if you install malware on your computer it will certainly be copied to any backups.
See this article: Effective defenses against malware and ot… - Apple Community
Depends on how much data you are willing to lose if something goes wrong with your Mac. Time Machine backs up changed files once an hour. My backup drives are plugged in 24/7.
Good idea. Myself, I have never made a second backup in, I won't admit how many decades. But, I live on the edge. 😎
I wish I could bring random electronics into work. I would have a set of personal backups in my office. Yer_Man keeps a set in his car.
I read the article. It's all sensible advice. Thanks.
You're welcome.
how often should I plug in LaCie external drive for backups, please?
