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Take Control of Mac OS X Backups, Fifth Edition
Set up a rock-solid backup strategy so that you can restore quickly and completely, no matter what catastrophe arises.
In this comprehensive, 228-page book, backup guru Joe Kissell helps you pick the best backup strategy for your needs and understand the hows and whys of what you are doing, taking you far beyond the limited security of turning on Time Machine or copying a few files to CD. You'll get an at-a-glance comparison of different backup strategies (low-cost, easy, safest), advice for backing up digital photos and massive video projects, and time-tested recommendations for setting up, testing, maintaining, and restoring backups.
Looking for a faster read? Check out the 108-page Take Control of Easy Mac Backups. It helps time-pressed Mac users make effective backups.
- More Info
- Contents & Intro
- What’s New
- FAQ
- Reader Comments
- Blog
Includes coupons worth $30 off Data Backup and 10% off CrashPlan
Although the 228-page ebook is organized so you can start backing up without reading every page, the full ebook will teach you to:
Design a reliable backup system. You’ll learn how to develop a backup system that is not only thorough, ensuring that all your data is safe, but also easy to manage.
Talk like an expert. You'll understand terms like “versioned backups,” “push” and “pull” backups, “duplicates,” “server,” “client,” “incremental,” “differential,” “hard link,” “metadata,” “mirroring,” and “snapshot.”
Shop for hardware. You'll discover the pros and cons of different backup media options such as hard drives (with USB, FireWire, or eSATA interfaces—and with or without full-disk encryption), flash drives, tape drives, RAIDs, Drobo storage devices, CDs and DVDs, Time Capsules, and NAS and SAN devices.
Choose backup software. You'll learn about 14 key features and find overviews of 12 noteworthy backup products (an online appendix covers nearly 100 options). You'll also get Joe's personal recommendations to help you sort through the possibilities presented in this section.
Make backups. No matter what backup software you decide to use, Joe provides a conceptual walk-through of the entire process, offering basic information for people who've never made a backup before and savvy, real-world suggestions for making the backup process as easy as possible. He also provides specific steps for working with Time Machine.
Recover lost data. Use your backup to recover lost data successfully in the event of a hard disk crash or other calamity.
The ebook also includes an appendix aimed at people who want to create their own backups using Unix on the Mac command line, and it explains how to back up your Windows volume if you run Windows on your Mac.
Book Info
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About the Author
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Book Reviews
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 FirstThe data on every Mac should be backed up to protect you against theft, hardware failure, user error, and other catastrophes. This book helps you design a sensible backup strategy, make sense of the wide variety of backup hardware and software, and understand how to make your backups as painless as possible. This book was written by Joe Kissell, edited by Jeff Carlson, and published by TidBITS Publishing Inc. |
Introduction
Nearly everyone understands why backups are important: hard drives fail, computers are stolen or damaged, and files are accidentally deleted. Backups are insurance against all these problems and more. If you’ve ever lost data—and I certainly have, on more than one occasion—then you know what I’m talking about. (And if you haven’t lost data, you’re computing on borrowed time.)
Apple feels so strongly about the need for good backups that they built a backup feature called Time Machine into Mac OS X starting with version 10.5 Leopard. I talk about Time Machine quite a bit in this book, and all things considered, I think it’s pretty good. But it’s not right for everyone, and even when it is a good fit, it can’t do everything you may need a backup program to do. It pays to know exactly what your choices are, how to set everything up, and what sorts of pitfalls you may encounter. That’s what I aim to explain in this book: how to take control of your backups!
The options available for Mac OS X are so numerous that even the geekiest of us can find it difficult to wade through them and make intelligent choices. Which files should you back up? How often? Onto what media? Do you need to make bootable backups? How many sets of backup media do you need? Which backup software should you use? And how exactly do you restore your data if disaster strikes?
There is no single correct answer to any of these questions. However, you can follow some straightforward steps to come up with your own answers. Regardless of the details of which hardware or software you use, your biggest concern should be whether your data is safe.
What some people call a “backup” is simply copying files from your hard disk onto another volume—manually or using a utility of some kind. I firmly believe that something is better than nothing, so I don’t want to make it sound as though this type of backup is useless. But let me be candid: it’s not enough. Too many different kinds of things can still imperil your data under such a scheme. Helping you develop a well-thought-out strategy for data safety is one aim of this book.
Before we get started, however, I need to mention a few caveats:
- I do not cover in any detail command-line software such as cp or rsync, except for one appendix (Appendix A: Unix-Based Backup Systems). My goal is to make the process as simple as possible—ideally, without requiring you to open Terminal or know anything about Unix. So this book concerns itself mainly with software that uses a graphical user interface (GUI).
- This book is primarily for people who need to back up either a single Mac or a small network—not for system administrators who need to back up dozens or hundreds of machines. As a result, I say little about the high-end equipment and enterprise-grade software used for backing up large networks—focusing instead on simpler products you can purchase at a modest price.
- Because every backup system is different, I can’t give you foolproof, step-by-step instructions for setting up every combination of hardware and software you might use. But by the end of this book, you should have enough background information to determine, with the help of your software’s documentation, the preferences and settings you need in order to achieve your desired outcome.
I’ve been writing about Macs for well over a decade and using them for much longer than that. During that time, I’ve experimented with a variety of backup systems for my own Macs, and as a consultant, I’ve installed backup systems for individuals and businesses. I’ve also spent long hours researching backup software and hardware and discussing backup strategies with my colleagues. These experiences have led me to form some strong opinions as to what constitutes a good backup system. I don’t pretend that the method I use for my own Macs is the only one that will work, or that it’s ideal for everyone. Rather than explore every alternative exhaustively, though, I’m going to guide you gently but firmly into a fairly narrow set of options that should yield excellent results for the vast majority of Mac users.
This book covers backing up Macs running Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or later. Although much of this material applies generally to machines running older versions of Mac OS X, I don’t spell out any differences. In addition, although I don’t cover Windows extensively, do see Windows Files and Volumes, which discusses backing up Windows when it’s running on your Intel-based Mac.
Quick Start to
You can read this book in any order, but I suggest starting with Decide on a Basic Backup Strategy in order to understand the rationale behind the hardware, software, and setup advice I give later. Here are the components of a solid Mac OS X backup plan.
Decide on a backup strategy:
- If you already have a backup system in place based on what you read in an earlier edition of this book, begin by reading Reassess Your Backup Strategy to find out what’s new and how to evaluate whether any changes are in order.
- Understand the crucial differences between a duplicate (a complete and usually bootable copy of your hard disk) and a versioned backup (containing multiple copies of files as they existed at various points in time)—and why a good backup strategy includes both. Read The Duplicate and The Versioned Backup.
- Learn the value of using a single system to back up all the Macs in your home or office. See Backing up a Small Network.
- Find out how to deal with backup needs that don’t fit neatly into the duplicate or versioned categories in Consider Special Backup Needs. As appropriate, read about Dealing with Huge Volumes of Data, Version Control, Backing up While on the Road, and Windows Files and Volumes.
Choose your hardware:
- Learn the pros and cons of each media type (from CD-R to hard disks) and how to estimate the amount of storage space you’ll need. See Choose Your Hardware.
- Discover what’s new (and newly affordable) in the world of Internet Backup Services.
Choose your software:
- Find out what to look for when comparing backup applications. See Choose Your Software for a feature overview, and then consult the Online Appendixes for details and sources (http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/resources/0014/).
- If you’re tempted to eschew commercial backup tools and create your own command-line backup script, read Appendix A: Unix-Based Backup Systems for a reality check.
Set up your backup system:
- Make a bootable copy of your hard disk and test it to make sure it works with the advice in Set Up and Create Your First Duplicate and Test Your Duplicate.
- Configure a versioned backup for your most frequently used data files, and verify that you can retrieve stored files. See Set Up and Create Your First Versioned Backup and Test Your Versioned Backup. (If you’re using Time Machine for versioned backups, read Configure and Use Time Machine.)
- Put your backups on autopilot so your files are protected even when you aren’t paying attention. Refer to Automate Your Backups.
- Learn how and where to store backup media, and discover what to do with the media when it gets full. See Mind Your Media.
- If disaster strikes and you need to recover files, be sure you’re familiar with the steps in Restore Data from a Backup.
What's New in the Fifth Edition
The fifth edition of Take Control of Mac OS X Backups is a major revision from fourth edition, with extensive modifications throughout. The biggest changes are these:
- Removal of information about versions of Mac OS X older than 10.5 Leopard, as mentioned in the Introduction
- An entirely rewritten section, Do You Need Versioned Backups?, and corresponding modifications to The Versioned Backup, which I hope will eliminate some confusion on the topic of what problems this type of backup can solve
- A brand-new, eight-page section titled Reassess Your Backup Strategy that should be the starting point for people who already have a backup strategy—especially those who have read earlier editions of this book—and provide a useful reference as your backup needs change over time
- Information about a new program called ForeverSave that has features resembling a version control system
- In the context of backing up while on the road, a reworked section, Local Backups, that now has more, and kinder, things to say about flash storage; additions to the Remote Backups topic about services such as Dropbox and SugarSync; and information on using an iPad Camera Connection Kit in Backing up without a Laptop
- Completely reorganized (and almost entirely rewritten) instructions for backing up Windows Files and Volumes
- New information in Choosing a Hard Drive about USB 3.0 and eSATA, along with updated examples of hard drive models
- An expanded section, now called RAIDs and RAID-like Tech, that includes discussion of geek terminology such as JBOD, concatenation, and BeyondRAID—the latter of which is covered in more detail in a completely revised discussion of Drobo Storage Devices
- Thoroughly revised discussion of Optical Media, noting that both Apple and I are in the process of deprecating this type of storage
- Addition of several third-party NAS devices compatible with Time Machine in the discussion of Time Capsule
- Fully up-to-date and expanded information on services and pricing in Internet Backup Services
- Revised discussion of flash drives, and new information on SD cards, in Hardware You (Probably) Shouldn’t Consider and Why
- A new discussion of pruning (see Versioned Backup Pruning), which replaces my previous coverage of “rolling versioned backups”
- Updated information on the latest versions of Apple Backup, Jungle Disk, Retrospect, and SuperDuper
- A new sidebar that addresses a common misconception about restoring data, Restore the Data, Not the Application
- Updated information about what you should (or need not) exclude from Time Machine, in Items to Consider Excluding
- Instructions for restoring GarageBand projects using Time Machine, in GarageBand
- An entirely rewritten section about migrating data from one Time Machine destination to another, which now covers not only Time Capsules but also local and network volumes, in Migrate to a Larger Time Machine Disk
- A new tip about how to Encrypt Time Machine Backups
- Removal of outdated information about obsolete rsync versions in Appendix A: Unix-Based Backup Systems
- A few new terms in the Glossary
What Was New in Previous Editions
The fourth edition became Snow Leopard savvy, while also providing specific advice for Leopard and Tiger users. It entirely covered Time Machine (in Leopard and Snow Leopard), but it also explained why Time Machine might not be the cat's pajamas for making a complete backup and looked at mixing Time Machine with other options for a better backup strategy.
Beyond Snow Leopard, here's the list of what was new between the third and fourth editions:
- A greatly expanded write-up about choosing a hard drive, with new information on FireWire 800 interfaces, Clickfree devices, caseless connector kits, pocket-sized hard drives, hardware-encrypted drives, and full-disk encryption software
- A significantly expanded discussion of Internet backup services
- Updated details about photo sharing services, recent Drobo devices, CrashPlan, and Jungle Disk
- A new discussion of "deduplication," which prevents your backup media from filling up with duplicated files
- Information and opinions about two additional noteworthy backup programs: Backblaze and ChronoSync
- Improved terminology for several common backup features
- A new sidebar about having a backup of your computer itself as well as its data
- A new discussion, "NTI Shadow for Ordinary Folk," which replaces the previous discussion of using Versomatic for day-to-day version control
- Simplified instructions for Boot Camp users to create and restore duplicates of an NTFS or FAT32 Partition
- Updated information on using Time Machine with some third-party NAS devices in Time Capsule
- Details about utilities that provide more information about what Time Machine is doing and let you change its behavior
- Improvements in the description of sub-file updating
- A new five-page section on the latest version of Retrospect
- An updated "Appendix A: Unix-Based Backup Systems"
I'm still running 10.4. and have noticed that the latest edition, the fifth, has removed discussions of 10.4. Is the fourth edition of the book a good choice for someone like me who still needs to run Tiger?
The 4th edition is now extremely outdated in terms of backup software, hardware, online services, and so on. Furthermore, many of those products no longer work with Tiger. On the other hand, although the 5th edition has up-to-date info, it doesn't provide any of the little tips and exceptions that are applicable only to Tiger. So, really, neither edition is a good fit for a Tiger user, and our actual advice would be to upgrade to Leopard or later if at all possible! But if it's not possible, we'd say the next best thing is to look at the 5th edition but with the awareness that some of the things discussed in it either won't work as written, or will require minor adjustments.
Does the book cover backups strategies for large businesses?
No, the book focuses on backup strategies for single computers and small networks but does not cover the specific needs of large, institutional networks.
Which versions of Mac OS X does this ebook cover?
The ebook specifically covers Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, as well as 10.5 Leopard.
Backups shouldn't be so complicated! Do you have anything that explains backups in a shorter, simpler way?
For folks who would prefer to not explore as many options, we have Take Control of Easy Mac Backups, also by Joe Kissell. It takes a focussed look at backups in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and 10.5 Leopard, covering Time Machine in detail, but also providing guidance if you need a backup feature not offered by Time Machine, such as a bootable duplicate.
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!
Robert Bowman writes:
This was just about the best money I ever spent... Joe's ebook gave me just what I needed.
Tad Taylor writes:
An excellent resource for figuring out the best backup strategy for myself and my family. I really appreciate Joe's opinions on tradeoffs and choices. It makes the whole thing much more useful.
Send Us Your Comments!
How could we not publish such kind words? If you'd like to send us your comments (good or bad, though we hope they're all good), just click the Feedback link on the cover of your copy of the ebook. Be sure to let us know if we can publish your comment. Thanks!
Update Plans
September 28, 2011 -- This ebook has helped thousands of readers avoid backup catastrophes through five editions. However, earlier this year, when Joe once again embarked on a major revision, we decided to change the title. The previous title, Take Control of Mac OS X Backups had "Mac OS X" in it to clarify that the ebook did not cover Mac OS 9! The new ebook is called Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac. The new ebook discusses backups not only in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard, but also in 10.7 Lion.
—Tonya Engst
Free Web Content: Joe Kissell Compares Over 100 Backup Programs
January 10, 2011 --
In honor of the release of the fifth edition of "Take Control of Mac OS X Backups," Joe has once again thoroughly updated the online appendix that goes with the ebook. The Web-based appendix includes feature comparisons of well over 100 Mac backup programs. I expect that Joe will continue to periodically update the appendix as time goes by.
—Adam Engst
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