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Home Backup System vs Online backup System

Rhobes

Rhobes

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 28, 2004
357
7
Bigfork, MT
Hi All-

I just can't educate myself enough to decide what to do for a backup system. The more posts I read the more confused I get, you wouldn't think it was so hard.

Background: Buying a new 27" iMac quad i7, 2TB HD(FGM) & 8GB Ram. I have lots of RAW images, use PhotoShop, & build websites. Primary photo/graphic work.

I don't want to be stupid but feel I'm pressured to take an easy way out. I'm thinking go with 1TB Time Caps because it's Apple & I can be brain dead to use it (although I still don't understand it). All I hear is Time Cap lasts 18 months then dies.

All the other multitude of probably better & cheaper(compared to Time Cap) solutions just escape me for how to setup & run. Many, many suggestions but no one with what they thought was good enough, it was backed-up backups, really? I don't want to have my backup, backed up; enough is enough.

Not uncommon for people to elaborate on their 3 systems of Backup; The backup, backup to the backup (if the backup fails), and of course a backup for the backups backup(gotta have that). Now, if you can dream up a brand name you can place it anywhere in the mix, as well as mix & match.

Which brings me to the idea of on-line backup, I can't name them off the top of my head, but they advertise on T.V. For what seems to be a nominal fee they back you up, seems like just as good a bet & probably far cheaper, and gotta be as mindless as it gets-

I have to admit I feel bad about posting (AGAIN) on this backup issue. Many have previously replied to older posts, and at length, yet I consistently fail to grasp from all those replies what to do. At the same time, all those who reply seem to still be searching themselves for thee system.

Whats with this on-line backup? Any input/suggestions appreciated-:cool:
 
Rhobes said:
Hi All-

I just can't educate myself enough to decide what to do for a backup system. The more posts I read the more confused I get, you wouldn't think it was so hard.

Background: Buying a new 27" iMac quad i7, 2TB HD(FGM) & 8GB Ram. I have lots of RAW images, use PhotoShop, & build websites. Primary photo/graphic work.
Click to expand...
nice choice of machine mate - it truely is a GREAT machine.

I don't want to be stupid but feel I'm pressured to take an easy way out. I'm thinking go with 1TB Time Caps because it's Apple & I can be brain dead to use it (although I still don't understand it). All I hear is Time Cap lasts 18 months then dies.
Click to expand...
the OLD model of Time Caps do that, due to the capacitors overheating in the PSU and blowing out. its an easy fix for somebody who is electrically minded. the new ones do not have this problem though, the PSU was revised.

Whats with this on-line backup? Any input/suggestions appreciated-:cool:
Click to expand...

online backup is pretty darn secure, but you wouldnt invest all your hopes and dreams, even they may have problems. online backup sis the kind of thing that you leave the main things on - you might save to it once a week, as its quite slow and depends on your upload speed. to do an entire backup of your computer may take days initially.. i dont opt for online backups as i have data caps (50GB per month). its just not feasible for me.

personally, i think you should opt for a 2 tier backup solution
1. an external hard drive of sorts (or Time Capsule) to backup using Time Machine - this is apple's built in backup software. they files are backed up every hr i think.

2. as well as having the Time Machine going every hour, you should implement some type of cloning drive, a clone is an exact copy of a hard disk. you could do this every hour, every day, every week, whenever you want. there are lots of tools to do it and some (im sure) can even be scheduled to run whenever you choose.

had you considered a custom made (i.e. you choose hard drive enclosure + hard drive) dual bay enclosure in RAID1 (mirrored)? it adds extra redundency of your backup drive, if drive 1 dies then you can still access the backups from drive 2 (provided that they arent dropped of course or something).

just something to think about...

goodluck!
 
Online backup is VERY slow but also very reliable and files can be accessed from any computer. DropBox is pretty popular but I'd check out Mozy, they offer unlimited space for 5$ per month.

IMO best setup is one backup in external HD at home and online backup. I wouldn't get TC though, you can get 1TB for less than 100$
 
Hellhammer said:
Online backup is VERY slow but also very reliable and files can be accessed from any computer. DropBox is pretty popular but I'd check out Mozy, they offer unlimited space for 5$ per month.

IMO best setup is one backup in external HD at home and online backup. I wouldn't get TC though, you can get 1TB for less than 100$
Click to expand...

they offer unlimited but it still depends on the actual dataplan that you get from the ISP. just keep that in mind OP :)

i also recommend your own external HDD.
 
Thanks for the swift replies everyone-

So, right now I have a single external 200GB HD which has (apparently) everything backed up. I'll say this, when I boot it up it has all my pics on it, that's all I care about, I'm sure I'm suppose to care about more-

I've never had a crash and lost anything, so it's still hard to believe it will happen to me, but I'm trying to do it right.

O.K., If I went with the Time Capsule thing and kept my same external maxtor HD do you think I'm good ? My ext HD is only used maybe once a month unless I got more going, I turn it on to record then shut it off. The Ext HD is never left running.

That's what bothers me about Time Machine, it has to be on 24/7 & backups every hour which is just 24 hours of wasted spent time wearing itself out.

Oh well, this is America, land of the throw away society and lots of waste & I want to fit in. Will 1TB TC and my Ext HD be sufficient as I outlined:confused:?
 
Rhobes said:
Thanks for the swift replies everyone-

So, right now I have a single external 200GB HD which has (apparently) everything backed up. I'll say this, when I boot it up it has all my pics on it, that's all I care about, I'm sure I'm suppose to care about more-

I've never had a crash and lost anything, so it's still hard to believe it will happen to me, but I'm trying to do it right.

O.K., If I went with the Time Capsule thing and kept my same external maxtor HD do you think I'm good ? My ext HD is only used maybe once a month unless I got more going, I turn it on to record then shut it off. The Ext HD is never left running.

That's what bothers me about Time Machine, it has to be on 24/7 & backups every hour which is just 24 hours of wasted spent time wearing itself out.

Oh well, this is America, land of the throw away society and lots of waste & I want to fit in. Will 1TB TC and my Ext HD be sufficient as I outlined:confused:?
Click to expand...

Yeah, they are okay. Time Machine does not have to run 24/7, I backup mine like once in 10 days. You can still use the TC HD when it fails though
 
Hellhammer said:
Yeah, they are okay. Time Machine does not have to run 24/7, I backup mine like once in 10 days. You can still use the TC HD when it fails though
Click to expand...

Well then, thanks for all you advise (as well as everyone else). I'm going to get the 1TB Time cap and still use my ext HD separate from TM. That only took months to conclude...:rolleyes:
 
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I still think the cloning option is the best way to go.. along side time machine of course

But yes I think 2x backups are the minimum.

Goodluck!
 
The advantage of Time Capsule is that it is wireless, so people with a MacBook or MacBook Pro or two will be backed up automatically without having to plug in their computers. You have an iMac, you don't need a Time Capsule. Any cheap old 1TB USB drive, permanently attached to your iMac and turned on all the time, will do just fine, and Time Machine (that is the software; Time Capsule is the hardware) will backup all your data on it, all the time, without you ever noticing.
 
"All the other multitude of probably better & cheaper(compared to Time Cap) solutions just escape me for how to setup & run. Many, many suggestions but no one with what they thought was good enough, it was backed-up backups, really? I don't want to have my backup, backed up; enough is enough."

Are those photos and graphics important to you?

In that case, you need them in THREE places:
- On your main hard drive (assuming you wish to keep them there)
- On a "local" backup drive (one that is "within reach")
- On an "offsite" backup drive (one that is stored at a location OTHER THAN where the main computer is)

Here's how to do that easily, quickly, cheaply:

1. Download CarbonCopyCloner (free!) from:
http://www.bombich.com/

2. Order a USB/SATA "docking station" like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Syba-Connecla...?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1253062702&sr=1-22
(NOTE: there are many others available, the one shown is the one that I use. There are firewire versions available too, but they cost more)

3. Order TWO "bare" SATA drives from a place like newegg.com:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150014 103530090&name=1TB and higher
(NOTE: I showed Seagates because they're my "drive of choice" right now)

You now have the hardware and software you need to create an effective personal backup routine.

Use CCC to "dupe" the contents of your internal drive to each of the bare SATA drives, using the docking station.

Keep the first backup "close by". It will be ready for immediate use if you need it. You can BOOT FROM IT, too -- you CAN'T boot from a Time Machine backup in a moment of need.

Find a case that fits the second bare drive and store it SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN where the computer is. By "somewhere other than", I mean a different building. That way, if you have a fire, serious theft, etc., loosing both your computer and primary backup, you still have your "secondary backup", so you won't lose everything.

DON'T buy a "Time Capsule" -- they are disasters waiting to happen, with a "proven track record" of failing after roughly 18 months of use.

DON'T use Time Machine -- from many reports posted here, it has a record of giving users problems at exactly the moment they need it the most.

You do have to develop the self-discipline to run your CCC backups at regular intervals on both your primary and secondary backups. It really takes only a few minutes for most incremental backups (the first time will take longer because EVERYthing gets backed up).

Do these things, and you'll be better-protected than the majority of personal users out there....
 
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Fishrrman said:
Here's how to do that easily, quickly, cheaply:

1. Download CarbonCopyCloner (free!) from:
http://www.bombich.com/

2. Order a USB/SATA "docking station" like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Syba-Connecla...?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1253062702&sr=1-22
(NOTE: there are many others available, the one shown is the one that I use. There are firewire versions available too, but they cost more)

3. Order TWO "bare" SATA drives from a place like newegg.com:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150014 103530090&name=1TB and higher
(NOTE: I showed Seagates because they're my "drive of choice" right now)

You now have the hardware and software you need to create an effective personal backup routine.

Use CCC to "dupe" the contents of your internal drive to each of the bare SATA drives, using the docking station.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this info. Fishrrman-

So you take one of the SATA Drives and it plugs into the docking station when your about to back it up? Then they are removed from the dock, to be replaced whenever you backup?

It looks like all the info is available on the CCC website for the use of that software.

The SATA dock, how do you know if the drive you buy is compatible with it?
 
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Fishrrman said:
DON'T buy a "Time Capsule" -- they are disasters waiting to happen, with a "proven track record" of failing after roughly 18 months of use.
Click to expand...
have to correct you here, you are spreading incorrect information! the old TCs did have faulty PSUs. and the failure rate after 18months is not even above 10%. the new TCs do not have this problem.

DON'T use Time Machine -- from many reports posted here, it has a record of giving users problems at exactly the moment they need it the most.
Click to expand...
record? really? show me the article where there are massive amounts of people having problems? sure, im not denying that time machine has stuffed up for individual users, but its not an issue to worry about.

Rhobes said:
What do you think of this :

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Seagate/FWU2ESHDK15T/

Then I also have my Maxtor external 200GB drive
Click to expand...

why you are getting one of those i have no idea - but it looks ok - it will just be a complete pain in the a$$. i do not like seagate hard drives though.
 
DoFoT9 said:
have to correct you here, you are spreading incorrect information! the old TCs did have faulty PSUs. and the failure rate after 18months is not even above 10%. the new TCs do not have this problem.
Click to expand...

Do you have any proofs about that?
 
DoFoT9 said:
no lol, because they havent been out for 18 months yet :p but apple has stated that the problem is fixed, and the PSU has been modified and the unit runs alot cooler.
Click to expand...

Any proofs of that? :p Apple said like 100 times iMacs are fine but they weren't... TC is still overpriced IMO
 
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