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How to backup your data on a L4L (MacBook)

Haruna Hosokawa Updated by Haruna Hosokawa

When and why should I backup my computer?

  • Laptop return: You should back up your data when preparing your laptop for return so that you do not lose data and can transfer data to your new laptop. 
  • Free up storage space on your laptop: Your laptop will slow down if it is low on memory. Backup and delete unused files regularly to keep your laptop running smoothly. 
  • Routine backup: You should back up your data on a regular basis to protect against unexpected data loss due to hardware failure, file corruption, device loss, and/or accidental data deletion. 

What options do I have for backup?

Depending on the amount of data, you have a few different backup solutions.

  • [Recommended] Google Drive: Your BPS Google account has nearly unlimited storage capacity, making it an ideal solution for backups. If using Google Drive, we recommend you create a folder in your Google Drive dedicated to L4L backup so that you can easily locate the files later. 
  • USB Flash Drives (i.e., thumb drives, jump drives): Various sizes available, up to about 256GB of storage. In most cases, this is adequate for backing up files on your L4L. This is the recommended method for files such as personal photos that you may not want to put in your BPS Google account. 
  • External Hard Drives: Typically hold between 500GB to 2 terabytes (TB, 1 terabyte is 1000GB) of storage. Recommended if you are using Time Machine for automated routine backup.

How do I backup files?

Most of your files will be located in your user folder (the house icon), indicated by your ID number. Click on the Finder icon on the dock and select the house.

Screenshot of mac Finder window

Copy the following folders to your external drive or Google Drive destination folder by dragging them to your backup location.

  • Desktop (Files that are on your desktop)
  • Documents (Files in your Documents folder)
  • Downloads (Files that you have downloaded)
  • Movies (iMovie library)
  • Music (Music, including Garageband and Apple Music library)
  • Pictures (Photos, including your Photos library)
Copying files may take some time if you have a lot of files to backup. Plan to do this overnight or over the weekend so that it does not disrupt your instruction time. 

While most applications will save to one of these folders by default, you may have files saved in other locations on your computer. Be sure to back up those files as well. If you have particularly important files, perform a search on your backup drive to verify that the file has been copied over. 

How do I restore the files on my new L4L?

Drag the files from your backup location into the respective folders on your new computer. This is also a good time to evaluate the contents of your folders (especially Documents and Downloads folders) and only transfer files that you still need to your new computer. 

If you have been performing routine backups using Time Machine, these files can also be retrieved from your Time Machine backup. When using a Time Machine backup to transfer files to a new machine, manually drag the contents of the user folder (the house icon) to the new machine. Do not use the Restore from Time Machine tool. 

Automated Time Machine Backup
Time Machine is a tool on Mac that will automatically backup your computer on a regular schedule. Routine backup prevents data loss due to hardware failure, file corruption, device loss, and/or accidental data deletion. If using Time Machine, exclude all system files from backup. For more information and instructions, visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/104984. 

How do I backup browser bookmarks?

Most modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) have “profiles” to save and sync bookmarks and settings across devices. If you are logged into your browser and have enabled sync, you no longer need to back up your bookmarks. Simply log into your profile on your new computer to restore all of your bookmarks and settings. 

In Chrome, you can check if you are logged in by going to Profiles on the toolbar and checking if your Google account appears. You will also see your profile to the right of your address bar at the top of your Chrome window. 

If you are not logged in to your browser, browser bookmarks are stored locally on your computer and must be manually backed up and transferred to your new computer. 

  • Chrome:  Go to Bookmarks → Bookmark manager → click on ፧ on the top right corner and select Export bookmarks.  
  • Safari:  Go to  File → Export bookmarks. 
  • Firefox: In the toolbar, go to Bookmarks → Manage bookmarks → click on ⇵ icon and select “Export bookmarks to HTML”. 

Transfer the exported bookmarks file to your new computer by uploading them to Google Drive, using an external drive, or emailing the file to yourself as an attachment. Once on the new computer, repeat the steps above to import the bookmarks.

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