Time Machine, CCC, SuperDuper, etc. After my backup disk failed and I wiped all my previous time machine backups, I have been looking for a new backup/cloning utility to use for my production machine. Post your favorite backup/cloning software
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Which Backup/Cloning Utility Do You Use?
- Thread starter noobsauce
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"Time Machine, CCC, SuperDuper, etc. After my backup disk failed and I wiped all my previous time machine backups, I have been looking for a new backup/cloning utility to use for my production machine"
Yours seems to be but one more report of Time Machine failing in a "moment of need". Numerous reports have been posted here on MR on just that subject.
I would NOT trust Time Machine as a backup. Further, you can't boot from a TM backup in a dire emergency.
I'll reckon that for the majority of Mac "home-users", that "moment of need" comes when they try to boot their computer and find..... that they can't.
Next comes fiddling and fooling (perhaps using an Apple system software or "restore" DVD).
At some point, they come to the conclusion (rightly or wrongly) that their OS has failed or become corrupted, and that they need to reach for "a backup".
And they try the TM backup -- and run into problems. Of course, they can't boot from it (a given). But they can't even "get at" their data when booted from a DVD.
ALL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED (shouting intentional) --- IF they had used either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper to generate a "bootable clone" of their internal hard drive.
With a bootable backup, you just connect, power on, hold down the option key, and pick your backup from the Startup Manager. And then, off you go.
Booted externally, you can now either "attack" the problem internal drive with diagnostic/repair software, and even if the drive itself has failed, you can "keep right on going" from the point of failure, until the internal drive is restored or replaced.
This simply cannot be done with TM.
Having a bootable backup is the key to insulating one's self against software and drive problems on the Mac. Without one, EVERYthing becomes more difficult.
At this point we're going to get the replies that "TM and CCC/SuperDuper are designed for different purposes", blah, blah, blah.
Please clarify for me:
If one keeps a bootable CCC/SuperDuper backup, and maintains it regularly (say, daily or even every few days), exactly HOW different are the backed-up files going to be from TM?
Oh, yes, you're going to reply that one doesn't have "archival copies" of "changed files", but who wants or needs 20 copies of the SAME file? I realize that a very few might need to thumb back through their "version changes", but most people don't need or maintain a backup for this reason.
Again, most folks reach for their backup drive when there's a problem with the main drive that prevents it from booting. And for this, TM is all but useless.
Yours seems to be but one more report of Time Machine failing in a "moment of need". Numerous reports have been posted here on MR on just that subject.
I would NOT trust Time Machine as a backup. Further, you can't boot from a TM backup in a dire emergency.
I'll reckon that for the majority of Mac "home-users", that "moment of need" comes when they try to boot their computer and find..... that they can't.
Next comes fiddling and fooling (perhaps using an Apple system software or "restore" DVD).
At some point, they come to the conclusion (rightly or wrongly) that their OS has failed or become corrupted, and that they need to reach for "a backup".
And they try the TM backup -- and run into problems. Of course, they can't boot from it (a given). But they can't even "get at" their data when booted from a DVD.
ALL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED (shouting intentional) --- IF they had used either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper to generate a "bootable clone" of their internal hard drive.
With a bootable backup, you just connect, power on, hold down the option key, and pick your backup from the Startup Manager. And then, off you go.
Booted externally, you can now either "attack" the problem internal drive with diagnostic/repair software, and even if the drive itself has failed, you can "keep right on going" from the point of failure, until the internal drive is restored or replaced.
This simply cannot be done with TM.
Having a bootable backup is the key to insulating one's self against software and drive problems on the Mac. Without one, EVERYthing becomes more difficult.
At this point we're going to get the replies that "TM and CCC/SuperDuper are designed for different purposes", blah, blah, blah.
Please clarify for me:
If one keeps a bootable CCC/SuperDuper backup, and maintains it regularly (say, daily or even every few days), exactly HOW different are the backed-up files going to be from TM?
Oh, yes, you're going to reply that one doesn't have "archival copies" of "changed files", but who wants or needs 20 copies of the SAME file? I realize that a very few might need to thumb back through their "version changes", but most people don't need or maintain a backup for this reason.
Again, most folks reach for their backup drive when there's a problem with the main drive that prevents it from booting. And for this, TM is all but useless.
Copy that!
Time Machine is nice for recovering files that may have been deleted accidentally, it can however not replace a one to one copy of the hard drive which is bootable.
This can be done with CCC. Best tool for scheduled backups of drives or folders and bootable backups.
Totally worth donating!
Time machine with a Time Capsule. Just bought new Western 500GB HD off of
amazon. Was on sale yesterday for $54. (learned this on 9to5 Mac). I'll use this as an extra back up for my documents and photos.
amazon. Was on sale yesterday for $54. (learned this on 9to5 Mac). I'll use this as an extra back up for my documents and photos.
I use both SuperDuper and time machine and store them on separate external drives. This gives you two separate backups in case one fails.
Sd, Ccc, Tm?
Having two internal drives in my PMG5 (a WD 250GB system drive and a Seagate 1TB for data/media files), I've used SuperDuper! to clone the system drive for potential system failure and Time Machine for select data/media folders (until now, I only had a 320GB external drive for it and didn't have the capacity to back all the data up).
Now that I got a new Seagate 1TB for external backup, I'm wondering what would be the best continuous backup method? I'm not really concerned with incremental backups, keeping older versions of files and whatnot. Personally, I'd prefer an exact copy of the data/media drive that runs once a day. I believe SuperDuper! has a way to do that but does anyone have some other suggestions?
Having two internal drives in my PMG5 (a WD 250GB system drive and a Seagate 1TB for data/media files), I've used SuperDuper! to clone the system drive for potential system failure and Time Machine for select data/media folders (until now, I only had a 320GB external drive for it and didn't have the capacity to back all the data up).
Now that I got a new Seagate 1TB for external backup, I'm wondering what would be the best continuous backup method? I'm not really concerned with incremental backups, keeping older versions of files and whatnot. Personally, I'd prefer an exact copy of the data/media drive that runs once a day. I believe SuperDuper! has a way to do that but does anyone have some other suggestions?
I have 5 drives in my MP, an SSD boot drive and four 2TB mechanical drives. I have my home folder on a 2TB in bay 1, and keep all my other stuff on a 2TB in bay 2. I use Time Machine to backup the SSD and bay 1 drive to a 2TB drive in bay 3. And I use CCC to backup the drive in bay 2 to the drive in bay 4.
Both SuperDuper! and CCC will do this. My server backs up its 1TB drive every night using SuperDuper scheduling and it's 1.5TB external (containing media) is backed up using SuperDuper! less frequently.
Wouldn't you be ****ed if there is a physical issue with your computer? Fire, theft etc?
Suppose MP is less likely to be stolen given it's size...but jsut saying/