Comments on: MPU 008: Backup!

By: My Hardware « Moving to Mac

My Hardware « Moving to Mac — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:49:50 +0000

[...] of the things I did even before buying my Mac was to look for some advice on backup. I found the Mac Power Users and Maccast podcasts very helpful in this regard. I bought a MacAlly external drive enclosure and [...]

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 19:33:24 +0000

Great show, lots of useful material.

Time machine buddy was mentioned but not listed in the links:

http://www.bluedog.com.au/default/Time_Machine_Buddy.html

If you’re just getting started w/a backup plan consider mac mini server; not only does it provide a time-machine server that’s easy to setup, you can also use the server as your ‘regular computer’ should something happen to one of your computers. Buy an inexpensive router, an appropriately sized hard drive (or just use it’s 2nd built-in 500GB hard drive) and you’re good to go.

By: mashby

mashby — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:24:30 +0000

I’m a recent fan and I’ve been power listening to all your shows from the beginning.

Just listened to the Backup show and thought I’d mention CrashPlan. Phil Simonson in an earlier comment mentioned the feature to sync between computers, which is excellent.

However, I use it primarily as an off-site backup through their CrashPlan Central service. I found that with the family plan, I can backup all my computers as well as my family’s computers for $100 per year, which is well worth it. So now I don’t have to worry if my Mom has done her backup, or my sister-in-law forgets, CrashPlan handles it in the background.

In addition, I have had zero family tech support calls on the software or the service. All-in-all CrashPlan has been a very reliable, flexible and cost effective backup solution for my entire family.

By: T. J. Lahey

T. J. Lahey — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:32:38 +0000

I should mention how I monitor my SuperDuper! backups.

Dr. Drang has a really nice method that I use,

http://www.leancrew.com/all-this/2007/04/superduper-reports-with-geektool/

Basically, use a scheduled backup to regularly back up the drive. With GeekTool, the important parts of the SuperDuper! log shows up on the desktop so you can see at a glance if there are problems. GeekTool is very handy.

By: T. J. Lahey

T. J. Lahey — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:13:06 +0000

I used to use Mozy but ran into many problems with it. It would regularly forget which things have been backed up and then start backing up everything which was many GB. I’ve since switched to Backblaze and I now have about 370GB backed up through them (which includes my iTunes library on an external drive). The only caveat is that it doesn’t back up the system folders or any files greater than 4GB in size.

I end up with several backups: Time Machine, SuperDuper!, Dropbox, and Backblaze.

By: Wayde Gutman

Wayde Gutman — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:44:44 +0000

I am having an unhappy time putting together a backup program. Part of the problem is the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive (1-TB). Time Machine hates the Iomega drive, Retrospect 6.1 does not even see the drive (this app came with the drive !), and Carbon Copy Cloner does not see the Iomega as well.

The Iomega drive is shared by two Macs (eMac and a iMac), plus Mac Mini Media Center. Each computers sees the Iomega.

Any suggestions/advise for me ?

By: Keith Auerbach

Keith Auerbach — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:33:21 +0000

Hey David and Katie,

Thanks again for your podcasts! Looking forward to the upcoming security show and hope you will address (perhaps re-address) time machine and if it’s secure as is…I was told by apple that it would be very difficult to retrieve data without it plugged into the mac it was backing up and the mac’s password???

Also, would like it if you address (perhaps re=address) having two macs, trying to keep them in sync, and if they are synced with the same data, is this a form of backup?

As I type (on my iMac), I’m “superdupering” my 80 gb macbook to a just purchased 500gb internal seagate drive via usb and an inclosure. When done, I want to swap the drives. Can I do this, or is superduper not meant for this?…first time trying it.

I guess I could have waited until I purchased a larger external hd which I need to get anyway, backed my 80 gb macbook to that, swap the blank 500 seagate internal drive into the macbook and start from scratch. My thinking was to get up and running quickly, and later do an erase and install when I eventually buy snow leopard once I believe it works w/ all my software.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for your feedback…I realize you both are not technical support, I actually called apple but they were closed and thought you might want to comment on the question.

Keith

By: Teri

Teri — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 03:14:15 +0000

This was a great show and I learned a ton. I have since purchases SuperDuper and am using it to clone both my iMac and my Macbook. I’m also using Time Machine on the same drive once you both taught me how to partition a drive. It worked great. I’m looking into Mosey as an offsite backup but might opt to use a safe deposit box that I’m already paying for. Might as well put that to good use. I have a question, and since I’m not yet a power user, you’ll forgive me if this question is too newbish. If you have a failure how exactly do you use your back up to recover. I’m assuming if your hard drive is toast you install a new drive and do a “reverse clone” to rebuild the new hard drive. Where exactly does the information on Time Machine come in?

Also, I’m now using 1 Password and loving it. Now I’m importing data manually, but is there a way to find your license for older software? I’m assuming it is somewhere buried in the system. Or am I wrong and you have to rely simply on the packaging or emails sent by the company/developers?

As I said I love the show. Keep them coming and I’ll be listening note pad in hand.

By: CrashPlan - I, Blog

CrashPlan - I, Blog — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:32:30 +0000

[...] finally decided to get serious about this after listening to the backup episode of the Mac Power Users podcast and having it brought to my attention yet again that I was failing [...]

By: Phil Simonson

Phil Simonson — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:27:44 +0000

Thanks for a great podcast. Always informative. I was, however, disappointed that you brushed over Crash Plan as a backup alternative. CrashPlan’s free services solves all of the problems mentioned about off-site storage. It would be the perfect solution to David’s off-site/sister-in-law backup plan.

First, it lets you backup your drives locally, to an external hard drive — no waiting for the trickle of upload normally associated with online backups.

Then, David could take that drive and hook it up to his sister-in-law’s computer, and from then on, CrashPlan just uploads the updates.

If the data was ever needed, you do not have to wait for the backup company to send the drive, just go pick it up.

I use this to backup my mother’s drive, my wife’s laptop. Crash plan keeps track so I know when it has been a few days or a week between updates. I also took an old PC off the pile at work, hooked up some old hard drives, and now backup all of my iMac data, photos, videos, etc. to that machine that sits in the server room at the office. None of this costs me a single dime, as CrashPlan offers it for free. You ONLY pay if you want them to store your data in which case it works like Mozy, Carbonite, or Backblaze.

CrashPlan works without a hitch on all my Mac and PC computers, something I could not say for Carbonite, which I use to backup my work laptop. Crashplan has a really unique approach and tools that I think should have been discussed a bit more on your backup-themed podcast.

Thanks for all your work on the show(s),

Your Fan, Phil

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:59:13 +0000

Awesome show. I listen to a lot of mac podcasts but this and the roundtable are the ones I learn the most from. I listen to podcasts at work and with this one when I’m working often times I’ll skip back and listen to make sure I catch anything or I’ll have the app open like launchbar, which I now use instead of quicksilver at work. I really appreciate the backup issue, especially since I’m pretty paranoid about backup ever since I lost my first hard drive. Now I have a 1tb MyBook Studio in two partitions. One serves as my time machine drive and the other is a clone of my hard drive and has a few aperture vaults. I use backblaze for online backup and have my home folder on amazon s3. Now I’m looking at buying another 1tb drive to clone the other external to and update through chronosync like you all described to have an extra copy to keep in my work desk.

By: Chuck Queen

Chuck Queen — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:37:30 +0000

Just listened to the backup podcast and wanted to let you know about Spider-Oak. Kind of like Mossy (sp?) except it works with network and attached drives. Needed this for my NAS (pictures). They let you set up on multiple computers and/or NAS as they seem to look at it as space that they rent not location that it is coming from. It is $10.00 a month for 100 gigs and am not sure how that fits in the cost arena. The fact that I can back up to my rented space from my laptop, home system and work system as well as NAS and connected drives to any of these was the deciding factor.

It is not my only back up stratgy but it has been, so far fingers crossed, a good online solution.

Really look forward to all your podcasts with great anticipation. Thanks for the hard effort and work.

Chuck Queen