Intego’s Personal Backup – part of the Mac Premium Bundle – takes things further, enabling you to clone a drive so you have a bootable backup, make selective backups, and gain more control over scheduling. We have an article comparing the two backup tools: Personal Backup and Time Machine.
But whichever local backup system(s) you use, it’s not enough. After all, if a computer is stolen, drives attached to it will probably be stolen as well; and fires aren’t terribly selective about what they burn. To fully protect your data, you should also backup to the cloud.
iCloud Drive, for example, holds data specifically saved to it via macOS and iOS apps. Optionally, you can also sync your Desktop and Documents folders to iCloud, and you might store photos there as well, via Apple’s Photos app. Dropbox, meanwhile, syncs only what is placed in the Dropbox folder. By contrast, full backup systems save anything you deem important – wherever it happens to be stored on your Mac.
Various cloud backup options exist: Backblaze; Carbonite; iDrive; SugarSync; Crashplan; and more. For a monthly fee, they will store your files on their cloud servers, which you can subsequently restore if you’ve lost data. Generally, these services also hold older versions of files for a limited time as well; and some offer mobile apps for accessing data from an iPhone or iPad.
Each cloud backup service has a unique feature set – and limitations – so compare your needs against what they offer. Backblaze is a good option for newcomers. It has unlimited storage, and no file-size limits. Setting things up merely requires you head to the Backblaze website, create a new account, download the installer, and follow the instructions. You get 15 days for free, after which you’ll pay $6 per month (less if paying for a year or two upfront).
Backup is automatic, and, subsequently, you needn’t do anything, but Backblaze’s settings can be tweaked if you like. Head to System Preferences, click Backblaze Backup, and click Settings. There are many options within, but these are the most important:
Should you need to restore data, sign into your Backblaze account in a browser, and click View/Restore Files. With Download (Free) selected, scroll down, and you’ll see menus that outline which computer is selected, and which backup. Adjust the date if you want to restore an older version of a file or folder.
Use the column on the left to navigate your backup’s file structure. (File lists may take a while to appear.) Use checkboxes to make a selection, then click Continue with Restore. The restore will be prepared, which can take minutes or even hours. You’ll receive an email when it’s ready.
Under My Restores, click the relevant Download link to download your restored documents. Restores remain available for seven days. Click Download Backblaze Downloader to use that app if you’re making a very large restore.
For full restores, you can also opt to receive your files on a USB Flash Drive ($99; up to 256GB) or hard drive ($189; up to 8TB). You can keep the hardware or return it within 30 days for a refund. Users outside of the USA should be mindful of taxes, customs fees, and return shipping costs.
Any backup you make to the cloud is dependent on the speed of your internet connection. It may take days – or even weeks – to complete the initial upload; after that point, though, backups should be much faster, because only new or changed data will be uploaded.
Since it may take a very long time for your cloud backup to be completed also highlights that it should not be considered a replacement for other options, but an addition. If you were to stop using Time Machine or Personal Backup before your cloud backup was complete, and something happened to your Mac, you’d be left with incomplete and/or old backups.
In short, then, the more backups you make, the safer your data is; the more types of backup system you use, the more secure still your files and folders become. So use the cloud and local options for best results.
