Protecting Your Photos, Documents, and Memories

Here's a hard truth: every hard drive will eventually fail. It's not a matter of if, but when. The good news? You can make sure that doesn't mean losing everything.

Setting Up Time Machine (It's Easier Than You Think)

Get an external drive. Any USB external hard drive will work. I recommend getting one that's at least twice the size of your Mac's storage. A 1TB or 2TB drive costs less than $60 these days.

Plug it in and say yes. When you connect a new drive, your Mac will usually ask if you want to use it for Time Machine. Say yes, and you're basically done. It'll back up automatically whenever the drive is connected.

Let it run. The first backup takes a while - maybe overnight for a full Mac. After that, it just backs up what's changed, which is usually quick.

The 3-2-1 Rule

Professionals use what's called the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of storage, with 1 copy off-site. For most folks, that means Time Machine plus iCloud or Google Drive for your most important stuff.

This protects you from more than just drive failure - think about fire, theft, or accidentally deleting something important.

What If You've Already Lost Files?

Stop using the drive. If you've deleted something or a drive is acting weird, the more you use it, the harder recovery becomes. Don't save new files to it.

Check your Trash. Deleted files sit in the Trash until you empty it. Click the Trash icon in your Dock and look around.

Check iCloud. If you use iCloud, files might be recoverable at iCloud.com even after deletion.

When to Call for Help

If your drive is making clicking sounds, not showing up at all, or you've lost files that aren't in any backup - don't try DIY recovery software. It can make things worse. Professional recovery is sometimes possible, but time-sensitive.

Need help setting up backups? We're happy to help folks in Orange County get protected. Give us a shout - it's one of those things that's way easier than dealing with data loss.