It’s nearly two years since we splashed out on an iMac – and it has been a joy to use after a Microsoft pc. That said, I’m only interested in what a computer can do for me – I don’t really understand its workings, and I don’t wish to spend time ‘under the bonnet’ as my mate puts it.
I’ve been backing up, as advised, using 'Time Machine' and keeping the Mac constantly linked to an Intenso expansion drive via a usb port. However, I’m not really sure what I’m backing up with Time Machine – is it backing up everything including data and picture files?
I’ve got another external drive for separately backing up data files and pictures etc – but is there any real need for this – or will it give me a comfortable belt and braces security?
Any guidance will be gratefully received.
|
|
I too would be interested in an input from one of our learned friends as I don't understand the concept either :S
|
The Time Machine backup will be backing up everything - including the operating system and applications. And as long as there is space on the drive, it keeps older versions of files - i.e. you could restore an older version of a file if you wanted. You can even use a Time Machine backup to rebuilt/restore a Mac by running the installer and selecting Time Machine backup to restore it.
I've tried it out and it works.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sat 15 Feb 14 at 18:52
|
You're backing everything. You can look at your desktop as it was one month ago, look at the emails you had at that time, the projects you were working at that time, the fonts you had activated, what tunes you had. Everything. You can keep flicking back through the dates until you got back to when you started using Time Machine. A year ago or 25 minutes ago. It's a heaven-sent tool. It's saved me plenty of times, but usually it's a client who has changed his mind and I revert back to a project as it was yesterday.
I think I've got about 2 years of Time machine back-up. Sometimes as your external drive back-up starts to get full, Time Machine warns you so, for example, you can delete the very first month's data.
But - I don't use Time Machine to systematically archive my work and personal files. I do that my own way on a separate external drive.
|
>> ... usually it's a client who has changed his mind and I
>> revert back to a project as it was yesterday.
BBD - IIRC you do graphic design? I write software, and we use version control software to keep track of changes in files. You can do stuff like track differences between versions, do updates on a 'branch' separate from the main version, merge branches back to the main version (or just drop them), and go back to previous versions if required. We use git, which is free; Google and Microsoft are 2 other users.
Might be totally inappropriate for your line of work, but I'm curious as to whether it's something you've ever considered? Or would it be OTT?
|
I have my own little ways and habits I suppose - as I'm working, I get to a point where I make a copy of the file. Every hour or so, or after I've moved into a different direction, I copy it, label it and store it in a folder within the project. I can refer to the project at any stage, go back in the original direction etc. As the project comes to a close, I dump all those progressive files and archive it. Time Machine does that anyway of course, but I can just do it quicker my way. But once I've dumped the garbage, I'm relying on TM completely.
I have to say, I've little interest in computers, my job is to make things pretty and it's wifey who does all the IT. A new client meant I had to buy a new Quad-core Mac before Christmas so I can run CS4, 5 and 6 at the same time. It can be a nightmare, it's taken two or three months to put this Mac the way I liked the last one. I feel like I'm leaving Fleet Street and moving to Wapping. And as for Adobe and what they've done to Indesign and Photoshop 6 - well I'd like someone there to answer some of my questions... but perhaps I'd rather not lift my boot off his throat.
|
|
I have one to back up the Macs - great.
|
>> I have one to back up the Macs - great.
You can use any USB attached drive for this - someone might read your comment to read like you need an Apple provided device. Which they do of course. I could also use the Time Machine facility on my NAS. But I just have a 500GB 2.5" drive plugged into the iMac all the time. With a 320GB drive in the iMac, this will limit how many versions of files it will hold.
I am surprised that BBD didn't just restore a lot of his apps etc. to the new machine from his Time Machine backup using the Migration Assistant.
And I also backup the Mac to the NAS (only my files not everything) and sync the NAS to another USB drive occasionally. And now also send files to Amazon Glacier to see how that will work out for costs. About 100GB on there at the moment.
|
>We use git, which is free; Google and Microsoft are 2 other users.
And all of the Linux kernel devs.
|
Time Machine and a Mac? - Fullchat
