Match all files from drive A to drive B?

[H.Finch]

Hi all,
Quick question:

I have an external drive with all my work-related files. Call it ‘disc A’.
I have a second external drive, to backup that fist one. Let’s call it ‘disc B’.

I usually tag the new files on disc A so when I connect my backup drive B, I can select those and copy them (manually) to drive B.

But… I was wondering if there isn’t a little app somewhere in which I can say: Drive A is my master drive, Drive B is a slave-drive, and let this app scan both and match the files from Drive A to Drive B. So that I never overlook something.

I hope I’m getting this across

Does anyone know such an app? Doing it manually in Finder by dragging the new files and folder from A to B every week seems very archaic.

Any tips or insights would be very welcome!

 

[hfg]

You might check out Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC)

https://bombich.com

You can start it manually, have it start on a schedule, or have it start when it sees the external drive connected.

 

[H.Finch]

I've seen that app... but I thought that was 'only' for bootable backups... In essence I need an app that builds an index of drive A, and an index on drive B, and matched index A to B...

 

[hfg]

I've seen that app... but I thought that was 'only' for bootable backups... In essence I need an app that builds an index of drive A, and an index on drive B, and matched index A to B...

Yes, it will make a bootable backup if that is what you want. I use it to "update" my backup disk such that it only copies the new files (deleting the old version if desired ... program option) and doesn't waste a lot of time copying files which haven't changed. I suspect it does internally something similar to that which you described above.

I run CCC automatically once a night for desktop machines with attached backup drives. For laptop computers, it runs automatically whenever I attach the external portable disk drive.

Of course, the OS X built-in Time Machine will also do what you want, and will save historical versions in the event you want to roll-back a file, folder, or the whole disk. This does take a larger backup disk ... recommended 1.5 to 2 times the original data size. After the initial backup which can take some time, the incremental backups usually only take a minute or so and I don't even notice them happening in the background.

 

[mpainesyd]

I have been using Goodsync for a similar purpose (synchronising folders on an iMac and Macbook). It works well. It will ask for instructions if it comes across a conflict such as newer files on both disks.

 

[chrfr]

Hi all,
Quick question:

I have an external drive with all my work-related files. Call it ‘disc A’.
I have a second external drive, to backup that fist one. Let’s call it ‘disc B’.

I usually tag the new files on disc A so when I connect my backup drive B, I can select those and copy them (manually) to drive B.

I use ChronoSync for this.
https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/overview.html

 

[H.Finch]

Thanks a lot guys! I will look into CCC, Goodsync and Chronosync! I'm sure one of those 3 will be exactly what i need...
PS. This won't be complicated by the fact I have filevault turned or will it? (propbaly not was my guess)

 

[MacUser2525]

Thanks a lot guys! I will look into CCC, Goodsync and Chronosync! I'm sure one of those 3 will be exactly what i need...
PS. This won't be complicated by the fact I have filevault turned or will it? (propbaly not was my guess)

If you are not scarred of the command line and want to use a builtin OSX tool then open Terminal and type in and hit enter key.

rsync -avP /Volumes/disc\ A/* /Volumes/disc\ B/

This will do the same as any of the tools mentioned using the same program they are going to use to do the job graphically. Add --delete after the -avP if you want rsync to delete files on the disc B that are no longer present on the disc A and a --dry-run added in will do test run to show you what will happen before you remove it to do the actual operation.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I use ChronoSync for this.
https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/overview.html

Chronosync is dazzling great and so easy to use for this very kind of thing.

 

[twinthumbs]

rsync is the cheapest (free) native option. ROBOCOPY does it too if/when you switch to and/or use Windows.