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Why Hate on Time Machine?

Sweener88

Sweener88

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 27, 2006
426
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Im EVERYWHERE!
Hi everyone!

I was listening to the latest episode of the MacCast and adam mentioned that some people dont liek time machine and rather use things like super duper or carbon copy cloner etc. Iv used time machine for probably 2 years now and havnt had any problems....am i missing something? why does it have such a bad reputation? :confused:
 
Sweener88 said:
Hi everyone!

I was listening to the latest episode of the MacCast and adam mentioned that some people dont liek time machine and rather use things like super duper or carbon copy cloner etc. Iv used time machine for probably 2 years now and havnt had any problems....am i missing something? why does it have such a bad reputation? :confused:
Click to expand...
It's probably more personal preference than anything else. I prefer CCC, but many like Time Machine and have no problems with it.
 
Common complaints are that it is not a bootable solution. The backup files can potentially become corrupted. If using a time capsule, the backups are packaged inside of sparsebundle files that can also become corrupted.

I personally do use it, but I also use another program with it that controls how often it actually backs up. I don't need it to backup every hour on the hour.
 
I use Time Machine all the time. Its saved my ass many times. I use it, and then CCC will back up my backup drive nightly to my other external.
 
I use Time Machine, it has saved my ass a few times if I needed to re-install OS X for some reason, or if I needed to get a single file.

it can be a pain if you run out of space often, but it backing up automatically every hour or two makes everything easy and worry-free.
 
I use Time Machine on one external HD and CCC/ SuperDuper on separate external HD. Never needed to use TM or the CCC/ SuperDuper bootable back up on this machine.

But I learned my lesson on my last computer when my HD crashed hard. I lost a lot of pictures, some legal documents and music. I'm ready this time if my HD crashes, I hope. :)

I would recommend at least using TA or CCC's/ SuperDuper to have a back up for your data. But I have been burned once, so I am sticking to having two back up systems in place, just in case. I think TA is a good program and I use it.
 
I use TM, its good at what it does. Backup/Restore incrementally, you want to restore a file from a given day, then this where TM shines. Want to restore your entire system from Time Machine, yes it can be done, but it will be an exercise in patience.

I personally use Time Machine for what I just mentioned, restoring something that was deleted or altered by mistake. I also have a couple of Carbon Copy Cloner backups for those times when I need to fully restore the system. Restoring with CCC takes me about 2.5 hours, restoring the system with TM, 8+ hours.

I mentioned I have a couple of CCC backups, well the second backup is on a portable hard drive that take offsite. Backups don't do you any good if something happened to your office or where you store your computers, i.e., theft, fire, etc.
 
Time Machine

Had my Mac OSX since September, 2010 and have been using the Time Machine, backing up to an external hard drive.

Today I decided to check and see if all my iPhoto pictures were saved. I can't open the iPhoto application. All it does is come up showing that I have it. :confused:

How can I get to the photos on it in the Time Machine? It shows that there is 416.5 MB of data on it, but I can't open it to see what is there.

The choices in the left sidebar to open items are: 1. My name (house) 2. Applications 3. Documents and 4. Desktop

All the search choices below are grayed out, including "All images"

Any ideas? Thanks.
 
I prefer time machine. Even though I know that it will take time to restore machine if it dies, I have a habit of deleting files I need again. Time Machine is brilliant for an inbuilt OS feature IMO.
 
roadbloc said:
I prefer time machine. Even though I know that it will take time to restore machine if it dies, I have a habit of deleting files I need again. Time Machine is brilliant for an inbuilt OS feature IMO.
Click to expand...

Do you have photos in iPhoto? Have you been able to open them in Time Machine and see them? I can see all my Documents and other things.....why not my photos?
 
I use Time Machine and it has saved my bacon a couple of times when I deleted some files that I shouldn't have. It's a basic way to back up stuff and it works fine for me. It takes care of me when I upgrade or reinstall OS/X and brings all my apps, preferences and files back as if they never left.
 
I use Time Machine for Files I need to get back. However I have another Firewire disk for a CCC clone weekly backup. I just feel having to constant have the current OS X install disk handy seems a deal breaker for me.
 
Personally, I prefer using Crashplan simply because it keeps my large data compressed and it looks after itself.

Time machine is not bad, its just not as good as some of the other apps.. Carbon Copy Cloner is amazing, but doesn't really do versioning (to my knowledge) whereas TM and Crashplan do. TM doesn't do any self checkups or self repairing, whereas Crashplan does.

Its all a personal choice, whatever fits your needs... :D
 
I'm just using CCC for the first time, and I'm wondering..

Just backed up my HD to an External HD using CCC. I selected the option to back up every time I connect my external. Now, the next time I connect it, will it back up my ENTIRE HD again, or will it recognize the changes I've made to my HD since my last backup, and simply make the necessary adjustments (erase deleted files, add new files)?

Also, I had already made a backup using the WD Software that came with my External (WD My Passport Studio - 600 GB). I then went ahead and performed a CCC on top of that. If/When I have to boot from my External (or when I transfer it to a new HD if I ever need or get one), will it create duplicates of all of my files, or will it recognize that most of the files are the same..Should I delete all the info on my External and just start fresh with a new CCC?

Sorry for how long this is..
 
JeannieE said:
Do you have photos in iPhoto? Have you been able to open them in Time Machine and see them? I can see all my Documents and other things.....why not my photos?
Click to expand...
I can see my iPhoto Library file, which contains all my photos. It is accessible (after restoring) through either using iPhoto or right clicking and selecting 'Show Package Contents.'

Click for biggeh.
1EeSI.png
 
I use Time Machine for a general backup of my computer, minus music and some other stuff. But I activate it once a month. There is a program out there that will alter the frequency of TM backups to whatever you desire.

In the meantime, I use Chronosync (really good program, but not free) to backup my music library and photos onto external drive. While school is in session, I use chronosync to sync my school folder onto mobileme iDisk for backup. That way, if my computer, hdds, external hdds all died on me, at least I have my school files to get me going...unless of course, Apple's server fail on me o_O.

I just don't like how time machine keeps old versions of the same file (then again, that is the point of TM). To me, it waste space and I don't have that much space.
 
JeannieE said:
Do you have photos in iPhoto? Have you been able to open them in Time Machine and see them? I can see all my Documents and other things.....why not my photos?
Click to expand...

Time Machine works with iPhoto for me, when you open Time Machine do you have iPhoto open and the active program?

It should work the same as with things like emails in Mail and addresses in Address Book.
 
Tyler23 said:
I'm just using CCC for the first time, and I'm wondering..

Just backed up my HD to an External HD using CCC. I selected the option to back up every time I connect my external. Now, the next time I connect it, will it back up my ENTIRE HD again, or will it recognize the changes I've made to my HD since my last backup, and simply make the necessary adjustments (erase deleted files, add new files)?.
Click to expand...
You can choose which it does. I do a complete backup, then subsequently, every time I attach the external, it's set to backup only what's changed.
 
GGJstudios said:
You can choose which it does. I do a complete backup, then subsequently, every time I attach the external, it's set to backup only what's changed.
Click to expand...

Can I ask, do you mean you do a full, bootable, clone of your HD and then subsequently backup only what's changed?

Thanks.
 
"Iv used time machine for probably 2 years now and havnt had any problems....am i missing something? why does it have such a bad reputation?"

Consider this scenario:
- You try to boot your Mac, it won't boot.
- Repeated attempts to boot end in failure
- You can't seem to find your original System Software DVD's.
- You arrive at the realization that you need to try booting from a second drive, so...
- You reach for your "backup" drive with your TM backups, and then....
- You try to boot from it.

What happens?

This is one of the most common "failure scenarios" for home computer users.

The best solution for such a problem is to have a BOOTABLE backup drive. Nothing -- NOTHING -- makes it easier to get running again.

TM cannot do this. For that reason alone, it's a horrible "answer" to the question of "backing up" for end users.

Even an OLDER bootable backup created with CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper is far, FAR more useful in a moment of extreme need than the latest TM backup, simply because you can "get going again" in VERY short order.

Time Machine looks deceptively simple in System Preferences with its "cute" on/off switch. It entices users into thinking, "hey, backup is so easy!". And, actually TM DOES make _creating_ a "backup" easy, with little thought or input from the user.

The problems arise when users -- again, in moments of extreme need -- try to GET AT the data in their TM backups. All of sudden, things can get complicated and far from "easy".

The "cloning" backup apps work almost 180 degrees in reverse. You have to "think a bit more" to create a backup using CCC or SD, and, once created, you have to think to maintain that backup. But -- if the *#**# hits the fan -- it's very easy to get rebooted again if things go wrong.

TM makes "backup" look easy when it ain't.

And that's what's wrong with it.
 
Fishrrman said:
And that's what's wrong with it.
Click to expand...
I disagree completely. I think that it's far more common for users to accidentally change or inadvertently overwrite an important file than it is for users to suffer total, catastrophic drive failure.

For the more common single-file data loss Time Machine is infinitely more useful than a full clone backup which has no incremental or historical data beyond the time of the clone. It's too easy to accidentally clone the damaged or lost file, losing it forever, especially if the user makes frequent backups.

Time Machine is revolutionary for both ease of use as well as function. It doesn't just make backups look easy, they really are easy.
 
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