How to safely back up your data to an external drive on Windows and macOS

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to safely back up your data to an external drive on Windows and macOS. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

While automated cloud backups are essential for modern business continuity, maintaining a physical copy of your data on an external drive provides an critical extra layer of security. This process ensures that your essential business documents, spreadsheets, and client files remain accessible even during a total network outage or cloud synchronisation failure.

Preparing Your Hardware

Before beginning the backup process, ensure you have the following:

• An external hard drive or SSD with sufficient capacity to hold all your data.
• A compatible USB cable to connect the drive to your computer.
• Your computer connected to a power source to prevent shutdown during the transfer.

Detailed Instructions for Windows 10 and 11

Windows provides a built-in tool called File History for automated backups, but for a manual "snapshot" backup, the following method is recommended.

Manual Copy and Paste Method

1. Connect your external drive to the USB port.
2. Open File Explorer by pressing Windows Key + E.
3. In the left-hand sidebar, navigate to your user folder, typically located at C:\Users\YourName.
4. Hold the Ctrl key and select the folders you wish to back up (typically Documents, Pictures, Desktop, and Videos).
5. Right-click on the selected folders and select Copy (or press Ctrl + C).
6. In the left-hand sidebar, click on your external drive (e.g., USB Drive (D:)).
7. Right-click in the empty space of the drive window and select Paste (or press Ctrl + V).
8. Wait for the transfer to complete before disconnecting the drive.

Detailed Instructions for macOS

macOS users can use the built-in Time Machine software for comprehensive system backups, or a manual drag-and-drop method for specific files.

Manual Backup Method

1. Connect your external drive to your Mac.
2. Open Finder from the Dock.
3. In the Go menu at the top of the screen, select Home.
4. Select the folders you wish to back up (e.g., Documents, Desktop, Downloads).
5. Open a second Finder window (Command + N) and select your external drive from the Locations sidebar.
6. Drag the selected folders from the Home window and drop them into the external drive window.
7. Wait for the copying progress bar to disappear.

Using Time Machine (Full System Backup)

1. Connect your external drive.
2. Click the Apple Menu > System Settings (or System Preferences).
3. Navigate to General > Time Machine.
4. Click Add Backup Disk and select your external drive from the list.
5. Click Set Up Disk. macOS may ask to erase the disk to format it for Time Machine; confirm this if the drive is empty.
6. The system will now perform an initial backup in the background.

Troubleshooting

Drive Not Recognised

• Try a different USB port on your computer.
• Ensure the drive is receiving power (check for a LED indicator light).
• Restart your computer and attempt to reconnect the drive.

"Disk is Not Formatted" Error

This usually occurs when a drive formatted for macOS is plugged into Windows, or vice versa. To fix this, you must format the drive to a compatible file system:

• exFAT: Best for users who need to move files between both Windows and Mac.
• NTFS: Standard for Windows-only environments.
• APFS: Standard for modern macOS environments.

Permission Errors

If you receive a message stating you do not have permission to copy a file, ensure you are logged in as an Administrator. If the file is currently open in another program (like Word or Excel), close the application and try again.

If you encounter persistent errors or believe your hardware is failing, please Open a Ticket for further technical assistance.

Still Having Issues?