What is the best way to backup my computer AND save data on my external HD?

[oxband]

So, once I upgraded to a newer operating system, I never fully switched my external backups of my computer to that operating system. Bottom line is this: I want to do a complete backup of my computer, minus the music, to my external hard drives BUT I want to save the documents, music, pictures, and movies i have saved on my externals since not all that data is on my computer.

What's the best way to do this? Attached is a screen grab of what my external looks like now. Should I just copy over the entire computer EXCEPT for documents, music, movies, and photos, leaving those things checked off in the list of what I'm copying (I use Carbon Copy Cloner)?

 

[Lifeisabeach]

It would make the most sense to restore your documents, music, pictures, and movies back to your computer first, then update the backup. Besides, if these files exist only on the backup, then it's not REALLY a backup. Lose the backup drive for whatever reason (fire, hard drive failure, drop it, etc), then you lose those files.

 

[codda]

Go into CCC and modify your backup preferences. Do an incremental backup with archive protecting all your previously ( and desirable ) files