Best way to backup Macbook

[iMore Question]

Hello everyone. I'm relatively new to the Apple ecosystem (switched to the old Macbook Pro about 5 months ago) and I'm currently looking for a reliable way to backup my laptop. I have been using Time Machine to backup so far, and I'm wondering if it is worth investing in a cloning software such as Carbon Copy Cloner. As I deal with Windows based system at work, is there a cloning software that could work for both Mac and Windows? Sorry, I'm still quite a newbie and thank you in advance for your help.

 

[anon(9602380)]

Welcome to iMore.

I am not aware of any cloning software for both a Mac & PC. That's not to say there isn't. Others may know of something. For the average person, Time Machine is perfect. It will backup your files but can not make a bootable drive. But for the person with a lot of modifications to OS X or expensive programs they may have installed I highly recommend cloning your drive. I use Carbon Copy Cloner as it suits my needs. It does a fantastic job for me and I schedule when it needs to be done, plus the fact my externals are bootable drives.

I clone my drives due to programs, customization of OS X and the amount of files I own for design. I use my Mac for business and should my HDD fail, I have access to everything just by booting into one of my cloned drives. That is one of the biggest advantages to cloning a drive.

Like I said though, Time Machine is great for the average user and comes free with your Mac. Should you need any further information, please feel free to sign up and become a member. Thanks!

 

[mrjayviper]

to transfer files/folders to a USB drive or NAS, I suggest freefilesync.

for backing up entire disk, superduper