Backup 3: Backing up to your Mac's HDD?

[asherman13]

Hey all,

So I'm toying around with Backup 3, Apple's backup software (until Time Machine comes with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard), and I was wondering:

Is it possible, and a good idea, to back up files onto another part of your computer's HDD?

The reason I ask is because I use Filevault (I'll be stopping soon) and I want to try to back up my important stuff to a non-Filevaulted user so that if Filevault craps out on me, I can "restore" everything from a backup folder in another user's Home.

Does this sound possible, reasonable, and like a good idea? Thanks!

 

[iGary]

Another HDD - or a partition of the existing?

 

[asherman13]

Another HDD - or a partition of the existing?

I hadn't thought about another partition...is that possible?

I don't (yet) have another HDD to backup to; I'm wondering if I can backup to a non-Filevaulted user's Home, or a folder in their Home.

 

[Queso]

I would use an external drive for this. Just get a cheap one that'll take your Home folder if you don't want to pay too much.

Otherwise, if you're copying your encrypted data to a non-encrypted area on the same drive, you're stripping out all the security. You may as well not use Filevault at all. Although I'm not sure if this isn't exactly what you are trying to do.

 

[asherman13]

I would use an external drive for this. Just get a cheap one that'll take your Home folder if you don't want to pay too much.

Otherwise, if you're copying your encrypted data to a non-encrypted area on the same drive, you're stripping out all the security. You may as well not use Filevault at all. Although I'm not sure if this isn't exactly what you are trying to do.

Believe me, I don't want to be using Filevault. I enabled it when I was young and naive, and thought that I should protect my stuff with something that would "never fail". One Filevault crash made me learn my lesson, and now I'm trying to back up.

As for the external drive, I wish it were so easy. I'm studying abroad and it's hard to find a decently priced external HDD, so I have to wait until somebody comes and brings me one. As soon as that happens, I'll be doing a full MANUAL backup and then disabling Filevault.

A bid of a side note: Is it safe to back up stuff via Backup 3 while I have Filevault enabled? I might just buy some blank DVDs to back up my stuff so I can disable Filevault, and the specific stuff that Backup 3 backs up looks good to me...Would anything bad happen if I were to do that?

EDIT Is it safe to backup my entire Home folder through Backup 3 to DVDs when Filevault is enabled?

 

[asherman13]

Anybody?

 

[jeremy.king]

possible...yes
good idea...NO

The whole point of a backup is in case of failure, right? If the hard drive takes a dump, all the partitions get crapped on...So I will recommend you use an external drive (or another machine) at a minimum.