Selling computer, Time Machine with New MBP - Please help

[grahamtearne]

Hi there. Shipping out my old computer today and just sorting out my data. I have a HDD connected with Time Machine set up and don't have anything set to not be backed up. Am I correct in thinking it is safe to just wipe this computer and rely on the fact Time Machine has it all and I can just do a restore from Time Machine thing on my new computer? Really don't want to lose any photo's.

Can I do a final Time Machine backup and rely on it?

Graham

 

[irishgrizzly]

Don't know about the reliability of TM, but I'd have a separate back-up on a different drive just in case.

 

[Blue Velvet]

I'd have a separate back-up on a different drive just in case.

Agree. I'd probably also do a clone with SuperDuper or make a disk image of the drive, which I've done before... or even burn some DVDs of your home folder. I'd be slightly nervous in relying solely on an untested Time Machine backup.

 

[grahamtearne]

I see what you guys are getting at. I would if I could but I only have the one external drive. I guess what I am worried about is not TM 'failing' as such, but it not having backed up all the data like it is advertised to do.

I think what I shall do is burn my iphoto library to a DVD so even if TM does 'fail' I have my photos and my music is on my iPod. Most important thing to me is the photo's, they can't be replaced.

Graham

 

[Blue Velvet]

Sounds good although I'm usually picky about emails as well. They've got all sorts of registration info that would be hard to retrieve.

I'm always curious about reading about Time Machine restores; I haven't quite got all my backups sorted out properly at the mo after getting rid of some drives so my main current and single backup is a Time Machine drive on FW800 from my MBP. So, let us know how you get on.

When are you getting the new MBP, by the way?

 

[sclough]

I would agree that I'd want to have a second backup at least of my home drive if possible.

That said, I have used the option on a Mac that had been pretty messed up by the user to restore it from the last good Time Machine backup. It wiped the disk and then set it exactly to what it was at the last backup. Worked like a champ.

My only question would be if you're restoring from Time Machine onto a different machine, I don't know if there's any issues since Apple sometimes issues patches and such that are only installed on specific machines. That may or may not be a factor.

 

[grahamtearne]

That is excellent advise. I totally forgot about all the reg info in my emails. However as a MobileMe subscriber when I set up my new Mail.app wont it retrieve everything from the servers again?

I should point out that its not the NEW MBP. My flat mate wants the new one and he is selling me is 4 month old 2.5ghz previous gen MBP. Still an upgrade over what I got and I decided to go this route instead of new MBP as this way I can afford a new 23-24" monitor to go with it (not sure if to go Apple or Dell).

Graham

 

[wordmunger]

Isn't that the whole point of Time Machine? I haven't ever had to do it but I've heard of lots of people doing Time Machine restores. As long as you have TM set to back up everything there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[irishgrizzly]

I see what you guys are getting at. I would if I could but I only have the one external drive. I guess what I am worried about is not TM 'failing' as such, but it not having backed up all the data like it is advertised to do.

I think what I shall do is burn my iphoto library to a DVD so even if TM does 'fail' I have my photos and my music is on my iPod. Most important thing to me is the photo's, they can't be replaced.

Graham

Could you not borrow a friends external for a few days?

Like Blue Velvet, I used a similar program to Super Duper (carbon copy cloner) when my HD was failing. Was surprised how well it worked installing on my new HD – there was no fiddling about just a long file transferring wait and it was as if nothing had happened.

Failing have another external HD as a fail-safe, I'd definitely buy a stack of DVDs and burn copies of all my files. Even if everything goes fine with TM, you'll still have an good archive of your files.

this way I can afford a new 23-24" monitor to go with it (not sure if to go Apple or Dell).

Dell everytime unless you're anal about have the Apple logo on everything.

 

[Blue Velvet]

As long as you have TM set to back up everything there shouldn't be a problem.

Personally, I like to have multiple backups in a case like this. Also, I find Time Machine a bit flaky at times, occasionally failing its hourly backup. Better safe than sorry, I guess, with work and correspondence going back 7-8 years or so.

However as a MobileMe subscriber when I set up my new Mail.app wont it retrieve everything from the servers again?

Probably, although I delete all my mail from the server. I'm just old-fashioned, I wouldn't trust MobileMe either.

 

[D.M.S]

Never used time machine but is it similar in the way you can only sync your ipod with one computer at a time?

 

[vista.john]

I've used TM to back up my entire driver from a Macbook to MBP before. I don't see a problem here. But of course, extra caution doesn't hurt... I would do double back up always...

 

[D.M.S]

Was that during the intial setup where it asks if you want to import an existing user account ect?

 

[FCDP]

TM back should work just fine. I used it when going from my old SR MBP to a GBP. I would have used the migration tool with FW800, but the SR MBP was away for repair (logic board replacement).

Worked just fine, though I still made a manual backup to a second drive. Only issue I had were certain programs required an activation check, not a real problem though.