Ok - help for Dummies again - adding HD or using external to mid-2010

[ssledoux]

I'm thinking MAYBE I'll just try operating this 2010 from an external drive, but I have NO CLUE how to do this. Here's what I want to do, and I need someone to tell me how practical, easy (cuz I'm seriously clueless here) and inexpensive this would be. I'm thinking for my needs at this time, this might just be the way to go, even though those new retina displays are calling my name...

Anyway, to truly weigh my options, I just want to know how complicated this would be and how much of a pain on a daily basis to run the computer this way. I'm a turn on and go kinda gal, so if it's a pain, I'd rather just get a new iMac.

Priority is backing up the photos/videos stored on this hard drive.

Then, either use computer as-is till hard drive dies,

OR

update it as much as I can (currently running Yosemite) and then copy OS over so I can boot from an external drive (need to know exactly what this entails when booting it up),

OR

Try to change out the hard drive inside it, which scares the bejeezus out of me.

Can someone explain this in the "for Dummies" version, since that seems to be the only way I can begin to understand? I've asked so many questions I'm confused as hell.

 

[Fishrrman]

You're really not going to reap too many "speed benefits" by running a 2010 iMac from an external drive, even from an SSD.

The 2010 has USB2, and that's "the roadblock". Even an SSD can't overcome that.

However --
You DO want to back up to an external drive. You NEED "a backup", especially for an older computer.

What size is the internal drive?
Get an external USB3 drive (can be a platter-based hard drive, they're cheap), and use Time Machine, CarbonCopyCloner, or SuperDuper to create a backup.

Then you've got some protection for your files if anything goes wrong with the internal.

I ALWAYS recommend either CCC or SD (not TM), because in the event of an internal drive failure you can just plug in the backup and boot and run from it, just as you would from the internal drive.

Both CCC and SD are FREE to download and use for 30 days.
SD will run FOREVER "in free mode", but you have to register in order to do incremental backups.

 

[ssledoux]

You're really not going to reap too many "speed benefits" by running a 2010 iMac from an external drive, even from an SSD.

The 2010 has USB2, and that's "the roadblock". Even an SSD can't overcome that.

However --
You DO want to back up to an external drive. You NEED "a backup", especially for an older computer.

What size is the internal drive?
Get an external USB3 drive (can be a platter-based hard drive, they're cheap), and use Time Machine, CarbonCopyCloner, or SuperDuper to create a backup.

Then you've got some protection for your files if anything goes wrong with the internal.

I ALWAYS recommend either CCC or SD (not TM), because in the event of an internal drive failure you can just plug in the backup and boot and run from it, just as you would from the internal drive.

Both CCC and SD are FREE to download and use for 30 days.
SD will run FOREVER "in free mode", but you have to register in order to do incremental backups.

Yeah I wasn't really expecting to get speed. I think logically I should just back up files and then use this til the hard drive dies.

The internal drive is 500gb.

Not positive what a USB3 is, nor what platter-based means (told you I was clueless), and I don't really have any idea how to create a backup. I mean is it backing up my entire drive, OS and all? I think all I really need to do is save the photo and video files. I don't know what would happen if I had a full on backup and then switched to a new computer - could I then just copy photo and video files to the new computer?

I'm telling you - zero clue. I probably shouldn't even own a computer when I can't do things that are this basic. I've just never really had a need to do this. I mean I've copied photos to USBs for myself from my old iMac, but other than that, I've never really saved anything. My computer usage is fairly basic.

 

[ssledoux]

Okay, so I'm just gonna skip the whole functioning with the older Mac. It's not mine, and in order for me to get it where I want it I'll have to spend a LOT of time and money.

I'm gonna just order my iMac today and be done with it.

I still need to do SOMETHING to get these photos and videos backed up, and I'd like the cheapest, easiest option if anyone can help with that. I don't need to back up the entire hard drive; just photos and videos.

 

[aman88]

Okay, so I'm just gonna skip the whole functioning with the older Mac. It's not mine, and in order for me to get it where I want it I'll have to spend a LOT of time and money.

I'm gonna just order my iMac today and be done with it.

I still need to do SOMETHING to get these photos and videos backed up, and I'd like the cheapest, easiest option if anyone can help with that. I don't need to back up the entire hard drive; just photos and videos.

You can get a 1tb SSD drive for very cheap online... I got one from Seagate... I just bought a brand new 2019 27 inch imac and I used it to transfer all the data I wanted over from my old 2010 imac... I also use it as a back up for important information.