App Backup

[oldvictor]

Hi there, as a new user of a Macbook can anyone please tell me how to backup my downloaded apps on the MacBook please ? ( from the app store and where they are locally stored )

Do I simply go to applications and backup to an external source the file so I can reinstall them from the packaged file ?

Sorry I apprichate it's a dumb question, just very new to this great computer.

 

[davidinva]

Get an external hard drive and make regular backups of your computer. I use a program called SuperDuper as it not only makes a backup but can be used as a startup disk in case something happens to your Mac. I also use Time Machine which goes to a different external drive. Had to restart from SuperDuper backup one time so was glad I had it.

 

[oldvictor]

Thank you, I will look at that tool.

Can you confirm tho, that when say I want to fully backup an application by hand I can go to finder, go and select applications.

If I make a copy of any one of the apps there, is that the entire package that I can then reinstall if I do a rebuild of the machine?

Are these effectively where the App Store would store the files once you downloaded them?

Thank you.

 

[robgendreau]

No, you cannot back up applications by just copying them from the Applications folder (well, some you can, but not its preferences, and results may not be satisfactory).

You can use Time Machine, which will back up those applications, their preferences, settings, etc. If your machine goes kaput you can then restore them or migrate them to a new machine.

Or use SuperDuper to make a clone, as suggested.

If you don't care about losing your preferences for these applications, then you can just keep the installers. For downloaded applications, just copy what you downloaded to your backup site. You don't need to do that with the Mac App Store, since you can redownload from there and then reinstall (but if you like an old version of the application watch out, cuz the App Store only has the most recent versions). And of course you can keep the DVDs of software that you purchased in that form.

The app store downloads to a temp file, and I expect they're gone once installed. But again, Apple is doing you the favor of keeping copies in case you need to reinstall.

Rob