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Time Machine Backup and Restore from macOS to a WD External Drive


macOS Time Machine works with External drives formatted as APFS.

  • The drive will be formatted as APFS.
  • Backups can be more secure with encryption.
  • Time Machine will use the whole drive.
    Multiple partitions are not supported.

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How to Backup

 

Connect the drive to macOS and ensure it's formatted for Time Machine backups.


STOP Critical:

The process is Data Destructive and cannot be undone.
ALL THE DATA ON THE DRIVE WILL BE LOST!

  1. Enter Time Machine in the Spotlight search bar.
     

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  2. Click Add Backup Disk...
     

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  3. Click Set Up Disk... 
     

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  4. Encrypted Backup: Enter a New Password, Re-enter Password and Hint. 
    Non-Encrypted: Toggle the button.
    Click Done.
     

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    IMPORTANT:

    Time Machine will automatically erase the drive and reformat it to APFS if the drive is formatted with something else.


  5. Right-click the backup job.
    Click Back up to "My External Drive" now.

     

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How to Restore

 
  1. Click Time Machine.
    Click Browse Time Machine Backups.
     

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  2. Select the date or time to restore from.
     

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  3. Select the files and destination folders to restore.
    Click Restore.
     

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  4. Click Keep Original to restore and not replace existing files.
    Click Keep Both to keep both files.
    Click Replace to restore and replace existing files.
     

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  5. Open the restore location to view the restored folders and files.
     

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Details
Answer ID 18952
Published 08/20/2018 02:41 AM
Updated 02/22/2024 02:21 PM

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