don't want to use Time Machine as backup

[Sam165]

Hi Brian,

I have a 21.5" iMac (2017) and am presently working at getting my photos off of the computer HD and onto EHD (ie culling).  Right now I am backing up with Time Machine onto WD - 4 TB.  I have 1.67 TB available.  I want to clone that my WD back up to another EHD.  I have G-Drive USB-C (but I also have a G-utilities icon on desk top and I don't know the difference between the two).  The G-Drive USB says 5.34 TN available - capacity 6TB, and the G Utilities says I have 3.94 GB available - capacity 4.08 GB.

I was going to use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my WD to one of my G Drives or Utilities, but they won't accept my WD because it is being used by Time Machine.

Sooo...1. How do I back up my computer without using Time Machine?  Can it be done automatically?

             2.  What do I do with these G Drive/Utilities EHD's?

Thank you so much for your help.  I've been reading stuff on-line but to be frank, I don't really understand it

[Brian]

It sounds like you are using one HD for your TM Backups, in addition to normal data files. Correct?

If this is the case, this is very bad. You want to use Time Machine to backup the internal HD automatically, as Apple has perfected this and it makes recovering the internal HD fairly easy to recover. The Time Machine Drive needs to be all by itself with only TM files. 
 

You use a second HD to backup your images and such. This makes cloning that drive to the third HD much easier. 

For the Utilities Software, I’ve never used them. As for the differences, the HD manufacturers regard 1GB or 1TB as a 1000MB or 1000GB, etc. The operating systems like Windows and even the MacOS see 1024 as a GB/TB, etc. 

So not only do you lose a little storage capacity with the Partition/ Format, you also are dealing with companies having different viewpoints on capacity. In reality, a 4TB drive is actually 3.8TB of usable space. 

Now for which HD…

TM Drive: At least double the capacity of the internal HD or even slightly larger. For example, if you have a 1TB internal Macintosh HD, you would want at least a 2TB TM Drive, or you could use something like a 4TB Drive. 

Main Data External HD: This is the one you want to spend your money on. You want big and beefy and durable. I like G-Drives and usually recommend them. My Main External is a 12TB Drive. I’d recommend at least 8-10TB or larger if the budget allows. 

Finally, the third HD. This one backs up the main EHD. This one you can clone and the software that does this sort of thing for you needs to be updated to work with any macOS Big Sur or current. It works on Catalina. So until it’s updated, you are cloning things by hand. 

[Sam165]

Hi Brian,

I use a 4TB WD for my TM backup.  It backs up everything (not sure what you meant by normal data files).  My internal Mac drive is 1 TB and at the moment I have 226GB available (working on that!).

What do you mean by Main Data External HD?  What do I back up on this and how would I go about doing it?  

I have Big Sur and understand CCC could clone the main ext. HD to my 3rd HD.  Same size as Main Data External HD?

Thanks again for your help.

[Brian]

2 hours ago, Sam165 said:

 It backs up everything (not sure what you meant by normal data files).

Really old photo of my 2009 iMac. (I have a 27" 2017 now and bigger drives and bigger keyboard, but the setup is the same.)

EHD on the left is for my photos, documents and other important stuff, this is my "Normal Data Files," which are current photos and such. Basically everything you are worried about on your Mac HD and want to clone, this is the files that I'm talking about. Everything that is important is stored on the left EHD is what I call my "Main Data Drive." Anything important does not live on the Internal Macintosh HD. Why? Because I have a stupid Nikon D850 which creates massive 100MB Raw Files, so I hardly put anything on my internal drive. I also use the Thunderbolt 3 Port, which is VERY FAST, so in reality, I feel like I'm working off my internal drive. I wouldn't be doing this with a typical USB drive, too slow.

EHD on the right is for Time Machine only, which backs up my internal Macintosh HD. This is just to save me hassle. Honestly? If my internal HD were to go ka-plooey, I could do a fresh install with a Thumbdrive that I created and be operational within a day. I just don't feel like dorking around with my computer, so I let TM back up my internal drive.

2 hours ago, Sam165 said:

What do you mean by Main Data External HD?  What do I back up on this and how would I go about doing it?  

You are over-thinking this, it's not complicated. The program that will clone a Hard Drive or certain folders for you is called SuperDuper! It runs about $28 and is totally worth it. They just released an update (Version 3.5) and it's now fully compatible with Big Sur and even Monterey.

 

 

[Brian]

Now before we go any further, is your Mac setup correctly? As in, do you see your External Drives and such on the Mac Desktop when they are mounted? If not, follow these instructions:

• Open the Finder. The easiest way is to click the Smiley Face on your DockBar:

 

• Then head to the Finder Menu (Next to the Apple Menu) and select Preferences:

• Once there put check-marks next to these items and change the bottom to "Macintosh HD" if you want:

• Finally, Click the Red Circle in the Upper Left Corner to save the new changes and close the Preferences box. Now when you insert an External HD or Camera Memory Card into a Card Reader, they will appear on the Mac Desktop. For example:
   

 

[Sam165]

Yes, I am set up like that.

[Sam165]

Ok.  I've got it now.  Thank you so much   

I'm not sure if I should ask you or Damien....Should I be using 8 bit or 16 bit for Adobe Camera Raw?  And what colour space is recommended ?  sRGB?  Adobe RGB?

Thanks so much.

[Damien Symonds]

29 minutes ago, Sam165 said:

I'm not sure if I should ask you or Damien....Should I be using 8 bit or 16 bit for Adobe Camera Raw?  And what colour space is recommended ?  sRGB?  Adobe RGB?

Always sRGB.  https://www.damiensymonds.net/2014/06/the-wide-gamut-myth.html

8-bit is fine in almost all cases.  There are really only two exceptions:

1. Photos with very smooth areas (eg seamless backdrops or broad blue cloudless skies) that present a banding risk in 8-bit;
2. Photos that need more than the usual amount of Photoshop editing (eg severely hazy backlit photos).