Is it OK to copy home folder and/or back up with SuperDuper while working?

LABachlr

LABachlr

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I was wondering if it's OK to copy my home folder to an external drive or clone the drive via SuperDuper while I am working. I'm pretty much just browsing websites, sending email with both Entourage and Mail, working with Word docs, and listening to iTunes.

What's your advice?
 
I can't speak for Microsoft Office files as MS tends to be more sensitive about open files. To the best of my knowledge, though, Mac OS X is general fine with open files being copied. Just know that the current state of any open, unsaved files will not be backed up; only the most recently saved version.
 
Also be aware that if you are in the middle of some sort of Mail.app process (deleting/fetching/moving email) while the backup is taking place, then you are at risk of backing up an inconsistent set of files that may not be able to be restored properly.

It's best to take backups of these kind while no activity is occurring, but like others have said, it is possible.

I think it's borderline "dangerous," but hey, some backup is better than none backup.

Are you using Time Machine? Would it be too much trouble to simply set up Time Machine to back everything up, and simply exclude all folders other than the home folder? Time Machine seems to make pretty consistent backups even while using the system, plus it's a "set-it-and-forget-it" type situation where you wouldn't have to schedule nor launch any backup routine.
 
My thoughts are if this is the first full backup, leave it alone and let it do its thing. If its just a regularly scheduled incremental backup, then it probably doesn't matter.
 
I do have a backup of it, but it's quite dated. I'm always on the computer lately, so that's why I'm asking.

I figured it was not good, but I thought I would ask. I know that a while ago, I'm not sure if I asked the SuperDuper developer or asked someone else, but they said that if you're doing light things (browsing the web, for example), then it's OK. But don't have your email app open. But that was with SuperDuper. I did not know how copying the home folder would be affected.

How large does the external that you're using for Time Machine have to be? I've heard at least double the size of the internal, since it is always adding and never deleting.

I have a 120GB in my black Macbook, but I will be upgrading to 500GB. A tech at the Apple store said that if you put a large HD in the Macbook, that it will shorten its life. I don't buy that. It's just more space. It's not like the computer is going to have more apps open or be taxed more because of the large HD. Any thoughts on that? It would be a 5400RPM one, because the ones that I looked at that were 7200RPM did not have good reviews.

I use SuperDuper so that if I have to bring in my Macbook for repair (I still have to get the bluetooth module replaced), or something happens, I can just boot up with the clone on another Mac and keep working. You can't do that with a Time Machine backup, right? You can only restore it onto another computer, as far as I know.
 
LABachlr said:
I have a 120GB in my black Macbook, but I will be upgrading to 500GB. A tech at the Apple store said that if you put a large HD in the Macbook, that it will shorten its life.
Click to expand...

WTF!:rolleyes: I am a professional tech (not Apple genius) and have never heard any non-sense like that! Is that what Apple is telling their people to tell customers to keep over priced Apple branded parts in their machines?
 
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