---
title: "Configuring Data Backup in macOS / OS X"
canonical: "https://kb.uconn.edu/space/IKB/10731880877/Configuring%20Data%20Backup%20in%20macOS%20%2F%20OS%20X"
format: markdown
---
Students, staff, and faculty can back up their data in macOS / OS X. Backing up personal data is essential to preventing the loss of important documents. **Time Machine** is the built-in backup application for Macs that works with an external hard drive. The application automatically backs up the entire Mac, including items such as system files, applications, accounts, preferences, emails, pictures, videos, and documents. If you keep your external drive connected at all times, Time Machine will back up every hour for 24 hours per day until the drive is full.

## Viewing the Amount of Data Saved on Your Mac Prior to Backup

1. Open **Finder**.
2. Within **Finder**, open **Macintosh HD.**
3. In **Macintosh HD**, find the **Users** folder.
4. Right-click on the **Users** folder.
5. Select **Get Info. **From the Get Info page, you will be able to identify the number of user files that are present and require backup.

## Types of Data and Its Location on Your Mac

### User Profile Location:

/Macintosh HD/Users/Username/

### Datatypes, Extensions, and Locations

| **Data Type and Extensions** | **Locations on Mac** |
| --- | --- |
| Documents<br>- .abw, .acl, .ans, .asc, .csv, .doc, .docx, .dot, .dotx, .html, .odm, .odt, .ott, .pages, .pap, .pdax, .pdf, .rtf, .txt, .wpd, .wpd, .wpt, .wri, .xml | /Macintosh HD/Users/Username/Documents |
| Pictures<br>- .bmp, .gif, .gpl, .icns, .ico, .jpeg, .msp, .png, .ppm, .psd, .pdd, .raw | /Macintosh HD/Users/Username/Pictures |
| Music<br>- .aiff, .wav, .raw, .flac, .pac, .m4a,.wma, .mp3, .gsm, .aac, .ra, .aup, .band, .rmj | - /Macintosh HD/Users/Username/Music/
- **iTunes Library**
  - /Macintosh HD/Users/Username/Music/iTunes/ |
| Video<br>- .aaf, .3gp, .gif, .avi, .mpeg-1, .mpeg-2, .fla, .m4v, .mpeg, .rm, .wmv | /Macintosh HD/Users/Username/Movies |

## Data Backup Methods for Your Mac

Time Machine backs up the entire Mac automatically. This includes system files, applications, accounts, preferences, music, photos, movies, and documents. Time Machine is available on all Macs running Leopard (10.5) and newer.

### Setting up Time Machine with an External Drive 

1. Connect an external hard drive to the Mac via **USB**, **Thunderbolt**, or **FireWire**.
2. Time Machine will automatically ask if you want to use the drive for backups. Select **Use as Backup Disk. **
  1. A countdown will be displayed on the Time Machine window. Once the countdown is complete, the backup will begin.
  2. A progress bar will appear in a new window, showing you how much data has been backed up and the remaining time.
3. If you decide at any point during the backup that you do not want to continue or that you do not want to use Time Machine to back up your data, hit the **X** in the **gray circle** next to the progress bar. Time Machine will now back up the Mac either every hour or every time the disk is connected.

> ⚠️ Any external drive being used to back up a Mac must be formatted in the same format as your Mac hard drive. When Time Machine opens, it will prompt you to **Erase** the backup disk. If the drive is new or if you have a secondary backup of the data on the drive, select **Erase** to use the drive with Time Machine.

### Selecting Items to Exclude From Time Machine on Your Mac

1. Open **System** **Preferences**.
2. Click on** Time Machine**.
3. Select **Options. **
4. Click the **+ **icon to add items to exclude. Finder will open so you can select files that you do not want to back up. For example, Dropbox and Google Drive are already backed up through cloud storage.  
Note: If you want to include these items in the backup, select the item listed and click the **-** button. This will include these items in the backup.
5. Click **Save**.
6. Click **Done.**

### Manually Backing up Data on Your Mac

1. Connect an external drive to your computer.
2. Open **Finder**.
3. In **Finder**, open **Macintosh HD.**
4. In **Macintosh HD**, find the **Users** folder.
5. Right-click on the **Users **folder.
6. Click **Get Info. **The backup size will be listed in the upper right of the window.
7. Open a new **Finder** window.
8. Navigate to your external device.
9. Drag your user folder to the** External Device** window.

### Finding Files Using Finder on Your Mac

1. Open **Finder**.
2. The search box is in the top right-hand corner. Type in a filename or keyword. Finder will search the entire computer and connected devices for files containing those characters.

### Finding Files Using Spotlight Search on Your Mac

1. Open **Spotlight Search **by pressing the **magnifying glass** icon in the top right corner of the **Menu Bar **or by pressing the **Command **+ **Space** keys simultaneously.
2. Enter a filename or keyword. **Spotlight Search** will search the entire drive and display Applications, Documents, and more. Spotlight Search will also show information from **Siri** and from the web.

## Related Articles

> Macro (contentbylabel)

> Macro (details)
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