Back-up software ?

P

Phillips

Registered
After having a HD crash I have decided to do the automatic back-up route with a ex.HD. Now the question becomes which automatic back-up program.

In doing a quick search I found 33 different programs. What are some recommendations and experiences that you have had with the different programs? Which ones should a person stay away from?
I know personnal preferences and all but that will help?

I am running 10.4.11
Thanks
 
If you can get Leopard (assuming your machine will run it), using Time Machine is the best way to go. Whatever you'd pay for backup software is better put into OSX 10.5 anyway.

If you want a free way to do a backup, download Carbon Copy Cloner. It will take a while to do the backup and the whole backup/restore process is time consuming compared to Time Machine, but it is free.

Any way you look at it, free will cost you in time while paying for quality software will only cost you money.
 
Second recommendation for SuperDuper!. You can schedule the back ups, do "smart" backups where it only updates the changes, and, most important, it makes a bootable clone of your HD which, I believe, Time Machine will not actually do. This is helpful when your Int HD dies, because you can then boot and use your computer off of your Ex-HD while you shop around for a new one.

You can then clone the Int-HD from your Ex-HD and . . . voila!

--J.D.
 
I am a photographer with 12 years of digital images.

My Raw Archive contains over 100 GB of image files.

My Working folder contains over 80 GB.

Plus there are various and numerous project files.

My G5 has two internal drives:
Drive A @160 GB (soon to be 500 GB)
Drive B @ 500 GB

I currently do manual backups to two external 500GB LaCie drives, one for each internal drive.

My work flow often requires that I work in/out of many different folders and the manual drag/copy/overwrite dance is killing me.
Incremental backup would be sweet.

I have tried Retrospect, but the manual brought tears to my eyes and my first two trial attempts were busts.

Do I upgrade to Leopard and use Time Machine?
…Time Machine with Time Capsule?
…Time machine with LaCie externals?
…Use Lacie's SilverKeeper?
…Shoot myself now?
Etc.

I am not looking for a hobby. I need this backup process to be easy to set up and run, automatic and reliable.
Can anyone shed light on this mess?
Or should I go back to film? I know where that stuff is.

I thank you all in advance.

Cheers,

darkroomdemon

PS I also have a 1 TB external in an off site place and bring it to the studio once a month for an extended backup of everything.
 
Last edited:
Doctor X said:
Second recommendation for SuperDuper!. You can schedule the back ups, do "smart" backups where it only updates the changes, and, most important, it makes a bootable clone of your HD which, I believe, Time Machine will not actually do. This is helpful when your Int HD dies, because you can then boot and use your computer off of your Ex-HD while you shop around for a new one.

You can then clone the Int-HD from your Ex-HD and . . . voila!
Click to expand...

I only quote the magNIfIcent.

--J.D.
 
I used the Doctor's advice and purchased Super Duper (nominal cost) really not worth mentioning at all, and I works great. Auto-updates when you schedule when you want and how often, it's so simple even a cave man could do it.
 
Sounds like my kind of stuff.
Just mash it with my club until it works good, ugh.

Thanks, you guys, I'll check it out.

Someone else has suggested Data Backup 3-Mac.

Anyone else?

Happy spring.

darkroomdemon
 
One nice thing which I have had the occasion to try out after I decided to frel my volume trying something cute is with SuperDuper you can simply boot off the clone and then simple erase and restore with a click or two and your main drive is back, happy, and bootable.

In fact I started using DiskWarrior to repair what I had done and then thought the whole reason I clone to an Ex-HD is to avoid such panics!

--J.D.
 
Doctor X said:
it makes a bootable clone of your HD which, I believe, Time Machine will not actually do.
--J.D.
Click to expand...

True, though as I just discovered, the OS X installer can 'restore' from a time machine backup so if you get a new HD you just pop it in, connect the time machine drive and everything comes back as it was on the new drive.
 
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