I've been using Time Machine but was curious if it really will do what I need it to.. I back up daily, and Incase I have hard drive failure I would want to be able to put in a new hard drive install it to exactly what it was before the failure.. can I do this or is there something better for my files?
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TimeMachine or something else??
- Thread starter thriii
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SuperDuper or CarbonCopyCloner are great. They both make exact clones or your hard drive (Even bootable versions) that you can use to restore your computer from if you have a failure. 
Yes, Time Machine will allow you to do this
Other alternatives? Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper
They make bootable clones (something Time Machine doesn't do)
Woof, Woof - Dawg
Other alternatives? Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper
They make bootable clones (something Time Machine doesn't do)
Woof, Woof - Dawg
Time Machine lets you sift back in time for files that you may have destroyed or changed that you want to revert. As a full backup strategy, it pales in comparison to the efficiency of SD or CCC.
I'm using carbon copy cloner - easy to use and works great, especially the bootable clone option is very nice.
I use both as a backup strategy... best of both worlds
Time Machine will let you go back in time and find files you may have deleted or have become corrupted, etc. It will also let you restore your whole system at different points in time in case of corruption, etc. But it isn't bootable.
CCC and SD make a bootable clone or your system right now. If you have a catastrophic failure, you can just boot from the clone.
Woof, Woof - Dawg
Time Machine will let you go back in time and find files you may have deleted or have become corrupted, etc. It will also let you restore your whole system at different points in time in case of corruption, etc. But it isn't bootable.
CCC and SD make a bootable clone or your system right now. If you have a catastrophic failure, you can just boot from the clone.
Woof, Woof - Dawg
however the implementation of Time Machine is very easy when used in conjunction with Time Capsule or another external HD - good for the less technologically advanced.
OP i think your current backup scheme is fine, no need to be worrying about making a clone of the disk every so often, it would require quite a large chunk of data too. not to mention the time required (enough to be annoying).