How to back up my Mac before a macOS update?
Before updating macOS, you should back up your Mac. 1. Use Time Machine to make a complete backup, insert an external hard drive and enable automatic regular backup; 2. Manually back up important files to cloud storage or external devices, and prioritize backup of key information such as documents, photos, bookmarks, etc.; 3. Create a bootable macOS installation disk for system repair or reinstallation, prepare a 16GB USB drive and run terminal commands to create. Backup can effectively prevent update failure or data loss, and it is more secure to prepare in advance.
Backing up your Mac before updating macOS is indeed a good habit, especially when upgrading large versions. Although system updates are usually stable, there will be problems occasionally, such as failure of updates, incompatible drivers, or unexpected data loss. Make backups in advance to allow you to recover quickly when you encounter problems.
Below are some practical and reliable backup methods that are suitable for most users.
Backup with Time Machine is the easiest way
Time Machine is a backup tool that comes with macOS. It is very convenient to use and only requires an external hard drive to handle it.
- Insert an external hard drive that is large enough (preferably a dedicated backup disk)
- Open System Settings > General > Time Machine and select your backup disk
- After turning on backup, it will automatically save all content on your computer regularly
The first backup may take some time, depending on how much of your files are. The subsequent backup will only record the changed parts, which will be much faster.
If you are not sure which backup method to choose, use Time Machine to do a complete backup first , which is the safest basic operation.
You can also manually back up important files to the cloud or other devices
Not everyone is used to using Time Machine, or you only want to back up some key information, such as documents, photos, and download directories.
You can consider this at this time:
- Copy files to cloud storage services such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or Dropbox
- Manually copy with external hard drive or USB drive
- Use NAS or LAN shared devices to do off-site backup
It is recommended to prioritize the backup of the following types of content:
- Working documents and project files
- Browser bookmarks and passwords
- Email account configuration and local archive
- Common files in desktop and download folders
This method is flexible and suitable for users who do not want to back up the entire system, and also for laptop users to make a temporary backup.
Don't forget to create a bootable macOS installation disk (optional but recommended)
In case of serious problems during the update process that causes the system to fail to start, you can use this installation disk to repair or reinstall the system.
The steps are as follows:
- Prepare a USB drive of at least 16GB
- Download the corresponding version of macOS installer in the App Store (the same version you want to update)
- Open the terminal and enter the command to create a bootable disk (the format is similar to:
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ XXX.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume)
After the creation is completed, the USB flash drive will come in handy at critical moments.
Basically that's it. Backups are not complicated, but they are easily overlooked. Take some time in advance to prepare and be more at ease when updating.
The above is the detailed content of How to back up my Mac before a macOS update?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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