Backup troubles

[shakespeare]

I'm having trouble with my daily backups. I downloaded Déjà Vu to do a daily backup for me at 2:00 every morning - I back up my user folder and my Application folder to an external hard drive. (Déjà Vu's excellent, by the way.)

The problem is that now, when I double click (say) a TXT file in the Finder, the TextEdit that opens is the one on the external drive, the backup copy. Since it's going through cables, it's not as fast as the copy on my main hard drive.

How can I automatically back up my Applications folder every night so that the system is only aware of my original Applications folder, and doesn't try to open up apps from the external?

 

[timbloom]

For lack of any better ideas, how worthwhile is it for you to backup your apps folder? I understand the users folder completely, but, in the event of a system failure, all your apps can be reinstalled from their original disks. Of course documents and personal files and such can not just be replaced.
Is it really necessary to do the apps too?

 

[shakespeare]

Hm, well, I suppose it's not necessary, per se, but I figure that if I have a crash or need to do a reinstall, it will be a lot quicker to just copy in my Applications folder from my external hard drive than to go through my shelves and find all those disks and reinstall them, or to go searching around online to find the freeware apps I lost. It's just a security blanket that would make me happy -

Is there any way I can do this feasibly?

 

[Billicus]

You could use this. I've never used it myself, but have heard its pretty good. Carbon Copy Cloner allowes you to back up all or some of your files. It also offers scheduling, and the ability to make a bootable OS X backup. In regards to not opening the correct application, select the file you want to open and choose the open with triangle. Subsequently, navigate the heirarchial menu and choose the application from the applications folder on your hard drive. Then hit the button for open all applications with this application and wa la! They will open with the app. on your local hard drive.

 

[rainman::|:|]

if your backup program supports it, you might back up to a disk image, then unmount it when done... the mac wouldn't see the data inside of the .img file, so it wouldn't use it's apps...

carbon copy cloner will do it, but i don't think you can schedule it when it's turned on...

i've been needing something that will backup to .img too, if you find something let me know!


pnw

 

[shakespeare]

I just figured out what to do, actually.

I changed the permissions on the folder of the usual place Déjà Vu backed up my apps to "Write Only" across the board. This way, it can back stuff up to it, but the Mac won't see it - and since I can change permissions, in the event of a crash, I'll go in there and drag my stuff out.

 

[shakespeare]

By the way, I've tried CCC, and I like Déjà Vu better. It is simple and does everything I need. I do use CCC when I manually back up entire drives, though, something I do occasionally.