Long backup times

[Live Steam]

Not sure if this is the correct place to ask, but why is a backup I am performing taking so long? Imac 2.4 backing up to a MaxtorMini4 250GB. I'm using the free Lacie software SilverKeeper as the software that came with the Mini doesn't work - well I cannot get it to work and their support sucks. I tried using CCC, but I didn't like looking at the ads they obviously need to display to pay for their efforts, so I am now trying the Lacie software. Time Machine is nice, but is uses all of the available space and the says it's out of space. Maybe there are better settings for this too.

Well does anyone have any advice or is it typical for 135 gigs to take 24 hours to complete? Any advice is welcome.

 

[Live Steam]

Well after reading some of the other threads on Time Machine, I figured out why any backup I performed took so long - I recently installed VirusBarrier X5 from the MU bundle. It was running in the background and looks like it slowed the backup in order to scan in real time. I disabled it and the backup is moving along pretty swiftly now.

It's pretty ironic that this was the type of problem that caused me to move away from that other OS. All of the stuff it required to be running in the background to keep the OS safe was also what caused it to run like crap. I'll perform a virus check manually from time to time, but real time isn't necessary IMO.

So for anyone else who experienced similar problems, turn of any real time scanning and you should be fine.

 

[DoFoT9]

why you would even have virus protection i dont know. you dont need it.

SilverKeeper was taking so long because it is a PowerPC application, and runs via Rosetta (thus it is emulated).

the fact that your backing up to a USB drive doesnt really help, it uses CPU as well because that is how USB works. the drive would be hitting 20MBps, so a 135gb backup would take 112 minutes, or roughly 2 hours.

when i backup i rarely ever see more than 10mbps.. the speeds you are getting are rather slow, but i wouldnt worry about it. use Time Capsule it is the best and eaiest backup solution there is.

 

[Live Steam]

Well I always assumed that virus protection wasn't needed for OS X and in the year since switching to Mac I haven't considered it. Then I read some contrarian opinions and then I purchased the bundle, so I ran it. That probably won't happen again Virus protection on a Mac is still a topic for debate as I have read different opinions on that.

As for the architecture of the software, I am pretty much a neophyte so that isn't something I would have understood or looked for. Disabling the real time scanning did help though. Pretty significantly I might add.

I tried Time Machine and evidently didn't have it configured to be the most expeditious it could be. I let it back up everything, which I now see isn't necessary. I really don't feel I have a need to clone my entire drive. I just want to save my data in case of the unexpected crash. That said, I also realize I would like to sync my desktop with my laptop, so I may look at using Chronosync. So if you or anyone has some first hand knowledge I would appreciate your input. Thanks for a well informed response.

why you would even have virus protection i dont know. you dont need it.

SilverKeeper was taking so long because it is a PowerPC application, and runs via Rosetta (thus it is emulated).

the fact that your backing up to a USB drive doesnt really help, it uses CPU as well because that is how USB works. the drive would be hitting 20MBps, so a 135gb backup would take 112 minutes, or roughly 2 hours.

when i backup i rarely ever see more than 10mbps.. the speeds you are getting are rather slow, but i wouldnt worry about it. use Time Capsule it is the best and eaiest backup solution there is.