External Hard Drive

[Maryann]

I am trying to backup files from my laptop to the My Passport for MAC external drive. This is my first attempt at backing up files and I am not tech savvy. I have connected the drive to the computer and the icons for My Passport and the WD Drive Utilities appear on my desktop. Per instructions I have dragged both icons into my App Folder. I have read the Getting Started portion of the User Guide and I cannot figure out how to backup my files. I have Mac Lion 10.7.3 on my MacBook Pro. Can someone offer a simple step-by-step description of how to do this? Do I have to register the device before I can backup files?
Thanks.

 

[oldscribe]

Hi,

Just plug in the external hard drive then once it's icon appears on your desktop, right click the time machine icon sitting in the dock and choose the first option (open time machine preferences). A new window opens, and the external drive should be listed, make sure time machine is on then just right click the desktop disk icon and select backup now. If this is you first backup may take a while to complete.

Not sure why you added it to your application folder?? Have a look at this link as well.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427?viewlocale=en_US

 

[Maryann]

Thanks!

When I first tried to backup the very first time I didn't know what Time Machine was. When a popup window asked me if I wanted T.M. to interface with MacPassport and it gave me three options, I chose "Decide Later." And, as far as I could tell, that option seemed to shut down the whole backup process. Anyway, thanks to your help, I finally did the backup today.
~M

 

[oldscribe]

Hi M,

Your welcome and congratulations on a job well done, its always a little daunting if you are new to things and have multiple options presented to you. But now you have done it I would recommend running TM on a daily or at least a weekly basis.

Also have a look at this thread.
https://www.mac-help.com/t211710-backup-your-mac.html