Happy is a computer that has been backed up.
Secure is a computer user who backs up regularly.

This page is based on a presentation given in January 2007. The illustrations are from screenshots of a Mac with Tiger (OS-X 10.4.8)

CONTENTS

• Hard Drive Data Structure
• Back Up Destinations
• Setting up and using an External Backup drive
• Software for backing up
• Archiving Apple Applications
• Archiving Mail
• Archiving iCal
• Archiving Address Book

If you are using OS-X then your hard drive should have four or five folders and no data files and look something like this:

Note that you will have two additional folders if you have System 9 on the hard drive and you will have the developers folder if you have put the optional developers kit on your computer (for writing applications etc.)

Users should normally only work in the Users folder. Within the Users folder should be several folders, one for each user on the computer and one for shared data like this:

Note that the folder icon for the current user is the Home shape. Also note that you should have an 'emergency' account just in case your user account becomes hosed. Go ahead and create one if you have not done so and give it full privileges and a password that you will never forget!

Most MAGIC members will probably need to have two types of back up, one large one for everything on your hard drive to be performed every six months or whenever you significantly upgrade your operating system or applications, and the second one for the data in your data account (relphick in the example) to be done every night.

There are several possible destinations for the back up data they include:

For most members of MAGIC, the external hard drive is probably the option that is most cost effective and easiest to use. A 250 Gbyte External drive can be found on the internet for around $130.

CD, DVD, and Zip drives are generally better for archiving projects or data sets that you are no longer working on. However, re-writable CD and DVD disks can be used also for regular backups of data sets.

We recommend that an external hard drive that is at least twice the size of the main hard drive be used for back ups. i.e. for an 80 Gbyte hard drive you should purchase a 160 Gbytes or larger external hard drive.

The new external hard drive should then by partitioned such that one of the partitions is the same size as the internal hard drive. This partition will be used to make a complete bootable copy of the internal hard drive on a regular basis. The other partition(s) will be used for daily backup of just your User data (preferably two or more generations) and for temporary storage of data as required. The external disk drive can be partitioned using the Disk Utility application which comes with OS-X. Here are the steps:

1. Plug in and power up the new external drive and then hook it up to the firewire port of your computer
2. Start Disk Utility (it should be in the Applications/Utilities folder
3. Select your new disk drive on the left side of the window
4. Click on the Partition button
5. Choose the number of partitions (using the Split button) and the size of each
6. Click on the Partition button

There are many applications and tools designed for backing up your data. Here are a few that are well tested by MAGIC, most members will be able to do all the backing up with just one of them:

SuperDuper! - highly recommended

This application can provide a bootable back up. You are recommended to make the full back up of internal hard drive so that is bootable and you can boot on it in the event that your internal hard drive completely dies. Carbon copy cloner also does this but it is less capable (if you are using CCC and you are happy with it then stay with it.) SuperDuper! can be used for free, but by paying the modest fee of $27.95 the full power of this application becomes available - to each according to their purse!

By pressing on the option key you can get a new window (below) where you can choose to make a new back up or perform incremental backups of all or parts of your disk.

For more details on SuperDuper! see the Software page of this website.

rsync - from terminal (geeky but free)

rsync is a powerful unix command that will synchronize two data areas together. If the second data set does not already exist then it will be created, other wise the two will be synchronized (incremental back up). The command needs to be typed into the Terminal (found in the /Applications/Utilities folder) and has the following form:
rsync -a [fromdirectory] [todirectory]

For example, on my computer, to back up my user folder into folder called RYEBackup on an external drive called Gandalf I use:
rsync -a /Users/relphick /Volumes/Gandalf/RYEBackup

rsync - from Automator / AppleScript (less geeky)

Automator is a new system that came with Tiger (OS-X 10.4)> It was designed to make scripting easy for non programmers. It works by dragging and dropping applications and commands and editing them to achieve the required actions. Here is how to make a backup workflow and application:

1. Start the Automator application then Select the Ask for Confirmation Action
   
2. Drag the Ask for Confirmation Action to the right area and then edit the text as shown (modified to your situation)
   
3. Select the Run Shell Script Action
   
4. Drag the Run Shell Script Action to the right and below the previous action
   
5. Edit the script to include the rsync command as you would have done it in the Terminal
   
6. Save the workflow as a workflow for later editing and use, and also as an application for use.
   
7. Voila!
   

Alternatively, for members using systems before Tiger, put the rsync command into an Apple script so that you only have to run it each time you want to back up without having to remember the command each time. Open the Script Editor and then type the following:
-- Set up your info on the next three lines
set External_Drive to "Gandalf"
set Stuff_To_Backup to "/Users/relphick/"
set Backup_Folder to "/Volumes/Gandalf/RYE_Backup"
set My_Rsync to ("rsync -a " & Stuff_To_Backup & space & Backup_Folder) as string
tell application "Finder"
   if disk External_Drive exists then
      display dialog "Hey Wizard, would you like to backup now?"
      tell application "Terminal"
         activate
         do script My_Rsync
      end tell
   end if
end tell
(or get a copy by clicking here), and then edit lines 2 through 4 to the correct files, folders and volumes for your needs. Place it somewhere convenient so that you remember to use it every day! I put mine in the Scripts folder of my user Library folder and have my script menu turned on (use AppleScript Utility to do this) so that it appears in the menu for easy use.

iBackup (Free but less powerful)

iBackup is a simple to use backup/restore utility for scheduled backup of files, folders, applications and your system preferences like the dock, desktop pictures, time settings, firewall, bluetooth and system applications like AddressBook, Mail, Stickies, iChat, iTunes, and more. You can edit these preferences settings and add your own.

For more details on iBackup see the Software page of this website.

Drive Genius (Disk maintenance Application w/backup)

This application is a powerful disk maintenance tool which also happens to have a backup capability (see the Duplicate icon at the bottom of the window.) Some members may prefer to buy this application as their maintenance AND backup application. Note: Drive Genius II is now available and looks a lot different but has the same functionality (up dated of course.)

For more details on Drive Genius see the Software page of this website.

There are several Apple applications that should be archived from time to time in case something bad happens to any of them. These are:

• Mail
• iCal
• Address Book

In the Mail application it is possible to archive either one mailbox at a time or select multiple mailboxes and archive them all into one archive file. Select the folder(s) and then go to the Mailbox menu and select Archive Mailbox.

In the iCal application it is possible to archive the whole data set. Go to the File menu and select "Back up iCal...".

In the Address Book application it is possible to archive the whole data set. Go to the File menu and select "Export->Address Book Archive...".

Copyright:

©Macintosh Appreciation Group of Island County (MAGIC) 2007 last updated: 8 September 2009