In case of system failure?

[madfi42]

Call me paranoid, but well. I fear system failure more than breaking an arm. Priorities.

I've always been a Windows user, and I used to make a system image backup file that I'd write on a CD and store in case of disaster. Now with mac (running OSX 10.9.4 on late 2013 MBA), I'm not too sure if something like this is required. The only backups I have done and have been doing regularly are with Time Machine, and I thought Time Machine did the system image thing on the first backup too, but I learnt recently that this is not the case, that it only backs up my files, and that I cannot boot from a Time Machine backup.

I know that I can do a system restore from startup, and I also know there are apps out there that can create a bootable backup for me on an external drive. Thing is, since these apps are not free and I also need to buy an extra hard drive for it, I'd like to know if this type of backup is necessary, convenient, and advisable because I'm broke 🙂(). Do you consider this is a must, or is it generally not an issue with macs?

Thanks!

 

[yjchua95]

Call me paranoid, but well. I fear system failure more than breaking an arm. Priorities.

I've always been a Windows user, and I used to make a system image backup file that I'd write on a CD and store in case of disaster. Now with mac (running OSX 10.9.4 on late 2013 MBA), I'm not too sure if something like this is required. The only backups I have done and have been doing regularly are with Time Machine, and I thought Time Machine did the system image thing on the first backup too, but I learnt recently that this is not the case, that it only backs up my files, and that I cannot boot from a Time Machine backup.

I know that I can do a system restore from startup, and I also know there are apps out there that can create a bootable backup for me on an external drive. Thing is, since these apps are not free and I also need to buy an extra hard drive for it, I'd like to know if this type of backup is necessary, convenient, and advisable because I'm broke 🙂(). Do you consider this is a must, or is it generally not an issue with macs?

Thanks!

Use Carbon Copy Cloner to make a bootable backup.

For me, I only backup all my files and the installers of all my apps.

In case of a drive failure, I just do a clean install on a new drive.

 

[Weaselboy]

The only backups I have done and have been doing regularly are with Time Machine, and I thought Time Machine did the system image thing on the first backup too, but I learnt recently that this is not the case, that it only backs up my files, and that I cannot boot from a Time Machine backup.

This is incorrect. Time Machine backs up everything including the OS unless you have specifically excluded folders from being backed up in the Time Machine options.

So lets says your drive dies and you get a new drive put it. You attached your Time Machine USB external disk then option key boot to it. A recovery screen will start and from there you use Disk Utility to format the new disk then quit Disk Utility and click "restore" and everything including the OS and all your apps and data are put right back like there were in the new drive.

The only advantage to tools like CCC yjchua95 mentioned, is a CCC clone can be used to boot to and actually run the machine off the clone, whereas a Time Machine backup would need to be restored to a new disk before you could operate the computer.

If this is not a feature you feel you need, then all you need is the Time Machine backup.