Most people don’t think about backing up their Mac until after disaster strikes; by then, it’s too late. Don’t let this happen to you. Instead of waiting for that sinking feeling when you realize your Mac isn’t going to boot, or the terrifying sound of your hard drive screeching to a halt, be proactive. Check out all the possibilities, make a decision, and then back up your data.
Time Machine - Backing Up Your Data Has Never Been So Easy
Time Machine, the Apple backup utility included with Leopard (OS X 10.5), may be one of the easiest backup utilities to set up and use. It makes backing up your data so easy you may forget that it’s there, working quietly in the background, automatically backing up your data. Time Machine also offers one of the best interfaces for recovering a specific file or folder from a backup. ‘Time Machine - Backing Up Your Data Has Never Been So Easy’ provides a step-by-step guide to configuring Time Machine and creating your first backup.
Carbon Copy Cloner - Review of Carbon Copy Cloner 3.1
Courtesy of Bombich Software
Apple’s Time Machine is a great backup application, but it does have its faults. Perhaps its biggest fault is that it doesn’t provide an easy way to restore an entire hard drive. That’s where Carbon Copy Cloner comes in. One of the go-to applications that Mac techs have been using for years, Carbon Copy Cloner allows you to create a bootable copy of your startup drive that is essentially a clone, indistinguishable from the original.
Once you clone your startup drive, you can use the clone to boot your Mac at any time, should your original startup drive fail. Carbon Copy Cloner also offers additional backup capabilities that you may find useful.
SuperDuper - Review of SuperDuper 2.5
Courtesy of Shirt Pocket
SuperDuper 2.5 may be one of the easiest backup tools to use to create a startup clone. Like Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper’s main goal is to create completely bootable clones of your startup drive.
Unlike other cloning tools, SuperDuper provides multiple ways of creating a clone, including the very popular Sandbox method. Sandboxes are clones designed to isolate your system for the purpose of trying out new software or beta software. Sandboxes protect your system from unruly beta applications, plug-ins, or drivers, preventing them from wreaking havoc on your Mac.
Back Up Your Startup Disk
Apple’s Disk Utility includes the ability to create a bootable backup of your startup drive. Although it’s a bit more difficult to use than some third-party backup applications, Disk Utility can create and restore data from one hard drive to another.
‘Back Up Your Startup Disk’ is a step-by-step guide to using the built-in capabilities of Disk Utility to create a bootable backup of your startup drive.
External Hard Drive - Build Your Own External Hard Drive
Photo © Coyote Moon Inc.
External hard drives are a great choice for backup destinations. For one thing, they can be shared by multiple Macs. If you have an iMac or one of Apple’s notebooks, an external hard drive may be your only real choice for backups.
You can purchase ready-made external hard drives; just plug them into your Mac and you’re ready to start backing up your data. But if you have a little free time and the inclination (plus a screwdriver), you can build a custom external hard drive, using the Focus on Macs ‘External Hard Drive - Build Your Own External Hard Drive’ step-by-step guide.
Before You Buy an External Hard Drive
Courtesy Newer Technology, Inc.
Now that you’re ready to back up your Mac, you may need an external hard drive to serve as a backup destination. As an alternative to building your own, you might prefer to buy a ready-made drive. External hard drives are a great choice for backups, and something that I highly recommend for this purpose.
There are things to consider and decisions to make before you part with your hard-earned cash. ‘Before You Buy an External Hard Drive’ covers many of the options to consider before you make a purchase.
