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Take Control of Easy Mac Backups
Your guide to making easy and reliable backups in Mac OS X!
Backup guru Joe Kissell teaches you the fastest and easiest way to create a complete Mac backup system in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or 10.6 Snow Leopard from which you can restore your data after an accident or disaster—including versioned backups, an all-important bootable duplicate, and an offsite backup.
Joe walks you through these important steps:
- Identifying backup hardware that matches your needs and budget
- Understanding the pros and cons of Time Machine, including nine situations where you'll want to go beyond Time Machine
- Setting up your backup drive (or Time Capsule)
- Configuring Time Machine
- Making a bootable duplicate
- Storing a backup offsite
- Recovering your data
You'll also get tips for setting up ChronoSync, CrashPlan, Data Backup, QRecall, Retrospect, and Synk; find out how an online sync is (and isn't) like a backup; and find coupons for 10% off CrashPlan and a $30 discount on Data Backup.
For more comprehensive backup info, see Take Control of Mac OS X Backups.
- More Info
- Contents & Intro
- What’s New
- FAQ
- Blog
In this book, you'll find answers to questions such as these:
- How can I get the maximum benefit from Time Machine?
- What features should I look for in an external backup drive? And, should I use a Time Capsule, Apple's all-in-one Wi-Fi router and backup appliance?
- Should I use an online "cloud" backup service, such as Backblaze, CrashPlan, or JungleDisk?
- Should I use USB or FireWire to connect my backup drive?
- What's a versioned backup, and why should I care?
- Why is having a bootable duplicate important?
- How can I easily and effectively keep an offsite backup?
- Time Machine is acting strangely. What should I do?
- How do I migrate existing backups to a Time Capsule?
- What's the difference between an online sync and a backup?
- How do I restore a file from TimeMachine?
Book Info
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About the Author
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Book Reviews
Reviews of Previous Editions
Author Interviews
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Joe Kissell has written numerous books about the Macintosh, including many popular Take Control ebooks. He's also Senior Editor of TidBITS and a Senior Contributor to Macworld, and previously spent ten years in the Mac software industry.
Table of Contents
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Read Me FirstGood backups protect the important information on your computer from many dangers. This book describes an easy yet reliable strategy for backing up your Mac, of which Mac OS X's Time Machine feature may be one component. This book was written by Joe Kissell, edited by Jeff Carlson, and published by TidBITS Publishing Inc. |
Introduction
A couple of hours before I sat down to write the first edition of this book, I had a surprising experience. I had just downloaded a file from the Web, and when I double-clicked it, the wrong application opened. When I tried to open it with the right application, I found that the application itself was missing. In fact, a whole folder full of applications was missing that had definitely been inside my main Applications folder a day or two .
I have no idea where the folder went. Obviously I must have done something to delete it inadvertently, but since I didn’t notice myself doing it at the time, I don’t know what that was or when it happened. But—and here’s the happy ending—I was able to restore the missing folder, using Time Machine, in exactly four clicks. I’d been testing Time Machine for a long time, but it just so happened that on the day I was to begin writing a book that covers it in detail, I had my first experience of using it to recover something I’d lost in real life.
My point isn’t to say, “Oh look, Time Machine actually works!” (though that’s true as far as it goes). The point is, the experience of randomly and surprisingly losing an important file can happen to anyone, even to a computer geek like me. That file might be an irreplaceable photo of your child, the song you’ve been composing for the last month, or an email message from a celebrity. It was that last one that jarred me out of my complacency about backups years ago: a disk crash wiped out all my saved email, including a coveted piece of correspondence that I can now never, ever get back or even prove existed.
By including Time Machine as part of the operating system starting with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Apple has made it easier than ever to back up and restore files. I couldn’t be happier to see this crucial issue addressed as part of Mac OS X, and if Time Machine gets millions of people to back up their computers who had never done it before, the world will truly be a better and happier place.
But…
Well, there are a few “buts” here. First, Time Machine, nifty as it is, is not for everyone. Many Mac users have found that, for any of several reasons, they need something different to meet their backup needs.
Second, Time Machine has a few—how can I put this delicately?—curiosities. Some important features are missing, some are hidden, and some don’t work the way one might expect. Even the features that do work properly aren’t explained well in Apple’s documentation.
And finally, although Time Machine elegantly solves certain backup problems, it doesn’t solve every backup problem. It is not a complete or foolproof system, and therefore I don’t recommend it as the sole means of backup for anyone.
All of which brings us to the reason for this book. Time Machine needs some further explication, without a doubt, and I provide that here. But this isn’t just a Time Machine book. It’s a simplified look at all the important aspects of backing up your Mac.
Among the many things I’ve written about backups is Take Control of Mac OS X Backups, which aims to be a comprehensive guide to the many choices for a Macintosh backup strategy. That book is about twice the length of this one, and although I think it’s quite good (if I do say so myself), sometimes comprehensive isn’t what you want. Perhaps you’re a busy person, and understanding the intricacies of backup technology isn’t your idea of a good time. You want someone to say, “Look, just do this.” Well, in the book you’re now reading, I cut to the chase and show you exactly how to make sure you have excellent backups. Not every way to do it, just one very good way.
This book shows you how to get easy and reliable backups, with a minimum of fuss. Time Machine may be an important part of your backup plan, and because I think it’s so cool and useful, I’ve included quite a bit of information about it. Whether or not you use Time Machine, though, your backup strategy needs other components, and I walk you through all of those here—with just enough background information and theory to get the job done.
This book is for people running Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or 10.6 Snow Leopard. Although parts of it also apply to other operating systems, including earlier versions of Mac OS X, I focus on software and strategies appropriate for Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.
Quick Start to
This book is best read in order, as I begin by explaining the strategy I recommend and progressively work through each part of a complete backup system. Even if you choose to skip around, be sure to read Understand Joe’s Basic Backup Strategy (just ahead) first.
Get your bearings:
- Learn the three essential parts of a complete backup plan, and find out what decisions you must make in order to carry it out. See Understand Joe’s Basic Backup Strategy.
- Time Machine is fantastic, but not ideal for everyone. Read Decide If Time Machine Is Right for You to determine if you’ll use it.
Set up your hardware:
- One way or another, you’ll be storing your backups on a hard drive (or maybe more than one). Learn what to look for when buying a drive for backups in Pick a Hard Drive.
- In some situations, you may need to partition or format your backup drive. Find out how in Prepare Your Hard Drive.
Configure your backups:
- If you’re using Time Machine, learn all you need to know about configuring and using it in Set Up and Use Time Machine.
- If you’re using other software for versioned backups, get setup advice in Use Other Versioned Backup Software.
- Bootable duplicates are an essential part of a complete backup plan. Read Create a Bootable Duplicate for instructions.
- Backups are useless if they’re destroyed or stolen. Find out how to keep them safe in Store an Extra Backup Offsite.
Recover lost data:
- How do you get your data back when you need it? Learn the steps you’ll follow in What to Do When Disaster Strikes.
What's New in Version 1.1
The previous version of this book, Take Control of Easy Mac Backups version 1.0, was essentially a second edition of Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard, and featured extensive modifications. Version 1.1 is a much smaller update, focusing on new developments in the year or so since version 1.0. The biggest changes are these:
- A new section about a synchronization and backup program called Synk
- Updates to the discussion of hardware-encrypted drives in Consider Other Factors and NAS devices in Should You Buy a Time Capsule? to cover new hardware options
- Assorted modifications to the chapter Set Up and Use Time Machine, mainly involving third-party products and services
- A new sidebar called Restore the Data, Not the Application
- Information on how to restore data from GarageBand using Time Machine
- A new section on how to Restore a Disk Using Time Machine
- A vastly expanded discussion about what to do when your Time Machine volume runs out of space—Migrate to a Larger Time Machine Disk
- A tip about how you might be able to Encrypt Time Machine Backups
- A few Synk Tips for those using Synk for backup
- Information on the new Dolly Drive service
What Was New in Take Control of Easy Mac Backups 1.0
Take Control of Easy Mac Backups has a new name, but it is essentially a second edition of Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard with extensive modifications throughout. The biggest changes are these:
- Updates to account for the (few) differences in backup behavior between Leopard and Snow Leopard
- New and improved terminology throughout the book for several common backup features (see the Introduction, p. 8, for details)
- A new section about ChronoSync and updated details on CrashPlan
- A completely new discussion of Retrospect, which covers version 8.x
- An expanded and updated section, Pick a Hard Drive, with new information on FireWire 800, pocket-sized hard drives, hardware-encrypted drives, and full-disk encryption software
- Updated information on using Time Machine with some third-party NAS devices in Should You Buy a Time Capsule?
- An updated and expanded discussion of Time Machine (Set Up and Use Time Machine, p. 48). In particular:
- A new section about how to Set Up Your Time Machine Hardware
- Details about utilities that provide more information about what Time Machine is doing in Find Out What Time Machine Is Really Up To and let you change its behavior in Modify the Hourly Backup Interval
- New ChronoSync Tips and a revised list of Retrospect Tips
- New or updated information about various online backup services: Backblaze, CrashPlan, Jungle Disk and MozyHome
- A new sidebar (Online Syncing: Almost Backup, p. 95) that discusses Dropbox, iDisk, and SugarSync
If you've already used the first edition of this ebook, Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard, to set up a working backup system, there's no need to reread this entire book or totally revamp your setup, because my overall strategy remains essentially the same. My advice is to focus on the sections referenced in this list that describe new or updated backup software, devices, and services, as they may be able to save you some time, effort, and money in the future.
Does the book have in-depth coverage of Time Machine?
Yes, it certainly does.
What if I want to go beyond Time Machine?
The ebook also discusses other programs that address areas where Time Machine isn't currently a good choice.
Does the book cover backup strategies for large organizations?
Nope. It focuses on backup strategies for single computers and small networks but does not cover the specific needs of large, institutional networks.
I want a more comprehensive ebook about backups. Can you help?
Yes! Our best-selling title, Take Control of Mac OS X Backups, is extremely comprehensive. Almost frighteningly so.
Can I read this ebook on an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Kindle?
There are lots of great ways to read our ebooks on these devices. For more details, please read our latest Device Advice.
Ask a Question
Feel free to ask us or post on our GetSatisfaction site if you have a question about this book!
Send Us Your Comments!
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Update Plans
September 2011 -- Although we do not intend to update this particular ebook again, Joe continues to write about making backups for the Take Control series. His latest, released in September of 2011, is Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac.
—Adam Engst
Get Inspired to Make Better Backups in 2010
January 12, 2010 --
In MacVoices Podcast #1003, Take Control author Joe Kissell chats with host Chuck Joiner about many aspects of making successful Macintosh backups. Joe talks at length about deleting un-needed files and about how you determine if a file is no longer needed. He also talks about the many reasons to make backups and provides insight on the latest trends and techniques for backups, including his thoughts on USB 3, hardware encryption, and online backup services.
This podcast comes in conjunction with the release of Take Control of Easy Mac Backups.
—Tonya Engst
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