Backing up is the key!
We might only realize it when we lose everything on our hard drive, but backing up is really the key in keeping our files safe and our system always up and running. There is a great free application that makes this process a lot easier. It is SuperDuper 2.1.4. They call it shareware but you can download the free version and there are only a few options that are locked. All the necessary functions for backing up are working in the free version. Once it is installed, you can choose to back up all your drive or only parts of it to either a disk image or another drive. The application is a universal binary and can be downloaded here from MacUpdate.
posted by Frederic Tremblay at
5/09/2007
16 Comments:
Disk Utility does this also and very efficiently. http://homepage.mac.com/geerlingguy/mac_support/mac_help/pages/0016-backup_osx.html
SuperDuper is not only outstanding it is easy to use and understand. Had a few questions and was most suprised to get answers fully and completely from the developer within a hour each time.
After testing I was happy to pay the few dollars to support this app. Free makes support tough.
Ventor
One question, is it possible to use this and back up on a disk? I don't have a firewire or anything like that? Any idea?
looks easy to use, but what about iBackup? are these similar?
iBackup allows you to choose which types of things you would like to backup, for example if you only want to backup music you can choose to do so. This seems great but the features are lacking on the freeware version.
Yes you can burn a CD or DVD as space requires from the individual files.
Ventor
I have a stupid question: What is the difference between Machintosh HD and Disk Image?
Ventor,
I can't seem to figure out how to burn a backup onto a disk or dvd. Care to tell me how?
David, the developer, answered an email on a Sunday evening! Now that's service.
It's worth every penny. This is a great piece of software that makes backing up super easy.
Liagaba,
You want to create a disk image. Then, select it in Disk Utility (Either spotlight "disk utility" or go to Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility). After you've done that, click on the "Burn" button in the upper left hand corner. (A yellow and black circle) It will then burn it to your inserted CD/DVD.
Lucas,
Macintosh HD is the users Hard drive. It's inside the computer. A disk image is kinda like a jump drive (plug it into your USB port) except that the data is on your HD. You then open up the disk image and it shows a removable media icon in your finder windows/desktop. You can create disk images using disk utility.
Read more about how to do that here.
Hope that helps
MacTipper
My Mac Tip Blog
This comment has been removed by the author.
Thanks MacTipper!!! That was really helpfull!!!!!
Thanks! How often should someone backup their computer?
Definitely the dumbest q on this blog, but here it goes. Do you backup to an external drive or to the MacHD? From reading this it seems to me you are backing up to the same HD so if you loose all that's on your HD wouldn't you also loose the backup???
It's OK, I will not be offended by your chuckles!!!
Thanks to all who post tips!!!
Well it is better to back up to an external drive or a second hard drive or even a DVD. Like you said, backing up on the same hard drive is useless for hard drive failure, might only be useful if data gets corrupted.
MacGeek
What I would suggest doing, is backing up your important date (Documents especially) to an external HD. And then, once every month (or every other monty) you back up your entire system to DVD's. I relize that this might seem like a waste. But, I've lost my system twice. (I dropped my laptop. :P) If you have a desktop, I would suggest backing up every other month. However, if you have a laptop, I would suggest backing up every month.
If you want to save on DVD's, you could could consider only backing up the Users and the Apps that you've bought.
About DVD's and HD's.
If you backup to a HD, your backup HD can fail. It will probably fail in about two years from when you bought it. (Or so I've read....) However, it is cheaper to backup to an HD. (In the long run.)
DVD's will last a long time. (I've read that they will last up to 10 years.) So, if you're doing a backup of your system, I would suggest doing at least one backup to DVD's every year. More if you have a laptop. (You're more likely to drop it.)
As a last comment, I would suggest that you set up iCal (Or entourage or whatever you use) to remind you to backup. Because if you don't, you'll regret it if your HD crashes on you.
Good Luck and Good Computing
MacTipper
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home