How do I backup my MBP?

I'm getting ready to upgrade to Sierra.

 

How do I backup, and what do I backup from my MBP?

 

Thanks,

Jerry

Grab an external HD you're not using, plug it in. The mac will probably ask if you wanna use this drive for Time Machine (if you've never used it before).

Say yes.

Then go to Time Machine in system preferences and hit Backup.

But don't turn on Time Machine on the big slider otherwise it will do a backup every hour.

When I plug in the external hard drive, I don't receive any question.

 

All the happens is that the hard drive icon shows up on my desktop.

When I plug in the external hard drive, I don't receive any question.

 

All the happens is that the hard drive icon shows up on my desktop.

 

Then go to System Preferences / Time Machine and click on Select Disk.

My favourite: Carbon Copy Cloner. Best money I've ever spent and as a private user can install it on as many macs as I want. I have my working system cloned in 3 places using this and find it great for transferring between working systems and test systems.

Grab an external HD you're not using, plug it in. The mac will probably ask if you wanna use this drive for Time Machine (if you've never used it before).

Say yes.

Then go to Time Machine in system preferences and hit Backup.

But don't turn on Time Machine on the big slider otherwise it will do a backup every hour.

 

I get none of these messages.

 

1) I plugged in my external hard drive, but I'm not asked if I want to use the drive for Time Machine, so I could not say yes.

2) I go to Time Machine in system preferences, but when it opens, there is no option to backup.

 

Here is what the window says:

1) Time Machine Button: OFF

2) Select Backup Disk

3) I select Select Backup Disk, and then I go to a window that gives (2) options:

a) LPX (the name of my external hard drive).

b) Other Time Capsule, set up a Time Capsule that is not listed here.

 

4) I select LPX Drive, and hit Use Disk

5) As soon as I do that it shows the Time Machine Button is now on, and the seconds are counting down under Next Backup.

6) As soon as I turn the Time Machine Button off again, the backup process stops.

Make sure to check "Show Time Machine in menu bar"

 

Once you selected the drive, turn the big button Off. Close System preferences.

 

Then go to the top menu bar, click on the TM icon and select Backup Now.

That worked!

 

Is there anything else I need to do once the backup is complete (it looks like it will take about an hour to backup 145.14 GB), or do I just proceed from that point and install Sierra?

 

About how long time-wise should it take to upgrade to Sierra?

Okay, the backup is complete.

 

When I go to Software Update, it says macOS High Sierra, and to the right there is a box that says downloaded.

 

1) I thought I had downloaded Sierra the other night, not High Sierra.

2) Is it a good idea to use High Sierra with LPX?

3) Regardless, where do I find whatever it was that I downloaded?

The installer should be in your Applications folder.

Btw, thank you triplets for all your help, I truly appreciate it

 

High Sierra was downloaded.

 

Should I feel confident with HIgh Sierra interacting with LPX, or would you advise I go with an earlier OS (assuming I can find one)?

 

Thanks again!

Glad I was of help!

 

Just make sure 3rd party plugins you have are all compatible with High Sierra.

 

You can always revert back to Mountain Lion. That's why you have a backup.

 

Just make sure 3rd party plugins you have are all compatible with High Sierra.

 

I just researched that, and not all of my plugins are compatible yet.

 

Do you think I should:

1) Just keep Mountain Lion?

2) Just keep Mountain Lion and update to High Sierra when the plugins are compatible?

3) Update Mountain Lion to an earlier version OS than High Sierra (if so, which one would you go with?)?

Update Mountain Lion to an earlier version OS than High Sierra (if so, which one would you go with?)?

 

If you can find an El Capitan installer (would have to be 3rd party, Apple doesn't offer previous OSX versions) that would be my choice.

 

Otherwise, update and hope for the best if you really need the latest Logic.

Except for the lack of the infamous Multimeter, my Mac and LPX does everything I want it to do.

 

What's that saying, "What you don't know can't hurt you"?

Which is of course about as false a statement as there ever was. It seems that what we don't know is exactly what has the power to hurt us. Knowing what to expect and using caution seem to minimize what can hurt you, in my experience.

 

You are at a point where you know what your options are. That is a good place to be. It seems you must choose between how important the features of HS or the current LPX build are to you, weighed against how important the incompatible plugins might be.

 

One thing might be to contact the 3rd-party folks and see if they can tell you when those items will be upgraded.

Hi Thomas!

 

How do you feel about the statement

 

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?

Update Mountain Lion to an earlier version OS than High Sierra (if so, which one would you go with?)?

 

If you can find an El Capitan installer (would have to be 3rd party, Apple doesn't offer previous OSX versions) that would be my choice.

 

Otherwise, update and hope for the best if you really need the latest Logic.

 

Believe it or not, El Capitan can be downloaded from the App Store!!!

 

Is this version that you'd recommend?

Hi Thomas!

 

How do you feel about the statement

 

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?

 

Well, Jerry, that one I like. It actually makes sense.

 

I'll pretend you are not trolling me just a bit (heh heh) if you will realize that my opinion on the other was in no way me trying to troll you!

 

But, beside the point. I wish you the best of luck with your backup.

 

My only issue is that Time Machine is very difficult to extract files from, or even find them. Slower than molasses in January, even with an Apple-blessed Time Capsule and a direct ethernet connection. Painfully slow, in my experience. So I still use it, but I consider it a last resort.

 

Taking the belt and suspenders approach, I also use off-site backup. I place a version of every edited copy of every LPX project in iCloud (cheaper than CC Cloner), and I also keep desktop and docs folders there, as well as in Google 'Back Up And Sync'. I also copy important stuff directly to an x HDD.

 

Food for thought.

I never thought you were trolling me, and I'm not trolling you Thomas, we're cool!

 

As far as backup, that didn't take too long, and I backed up on an external hard drive.

 

Please note that all I use my MBP for is emails, a few Photos, and LPX (all my Projects/plugins are on another external hard drive).

 

What's your two cents on upgrading to El Capitan?

Believe it or not, El Capitan can be downloaded from the App Store!!!

 

Is this version that you'd recommend?

 

Get it!!!

HOLD THE PRESSES!!!!!!!!!

 

I just got off the phone will Apple Customer Service, and I was told that because I can upgrade for free to High Sierra, I can't downgrade to El Capitan, nor Sierra.

 

The only "silver lining" is that we discovered that in my App Store Purchases I had an option to download Yosemite, which I have done, but I haven't installed it.

 

The hope is that I will be able to upgrade to El Capitan, and perhaps Sierra, from Yosemite.

 

Do you think I should:

1) Keep Mountain Lion, and live with it.

2) Install Yosemite, and live with it.

3) Install Yosemite, and see if I can upgrade to either El Capitan or Sierra.

Number 3

Thanks!

 

As an aside, and I know it's not related to this Topic, but heh, it's Christmas time

 

Do you still play Tennis much?

 

If so, who's your favorite Tennis Player of all time?

Do you still play Tennis much?

 

If so, who's your favorite Tennis Player of all time?

 

Here and there. Playing more soccer.

Hard to pinpoint the best. They were and are all amazing.

 

Sampras was great to watch, same as Agassi.

Federer and Nadal are also amazing, same as Djokovic.

In terms of the beauty of the game, it's obviously Roger.

Watch out!