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The best & easiest way to backup your files?

EricNau

EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Apr 27, 2005
10,732
292
San Francisco, CA
I am just looking for a simple way to backup my files to a DVD (or several DVD's), so in case of a problem I have all of my files.
Preferably, something where after I start from a new HDD, (or whatever the problem might be), I can just click and drag and everything will be just like it was.
How can I do this? Does such a thing exist? If not, how close can I get to a perfect world?

And yes...I know there are hundreds or threads out there about backing up, but I couldn't find one that had exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks for your help. :)
 
The best way would be to use an external harddrive, which would be something to consider (even though you said you wanted to use DVD's).

Toast 7 can span data across multiple dvds. You can copy all your important files and your preference files. You'll have to do some work (and keep buying dvds regularly), but it shouldn't be too difficult.
 
SummerBreeze said:
The best way would be to use an external harddrive, which would be something to consider (even though you said you wanted to use DVD's).

Toast 7 can span data across multiple dvds. You can copy all your important files and your preference files. You'll have to do some work (and keep buying dvds regularly), but it shouldn't be too difficult.
Click to expand...

I would love to be able to use an external HDD, but at the moment I can't see myself paying for one (limited budget :( ).
I'll be getting an iPod sometime soon, maybe that'll have enough space to backup my computer, but in the meantime I need to utilize these DVD's.

I was considering just burning my users folder, but would that get everything I need?
 
EricNau said:
I was considering just burning my users folder, but would that get everything I need?
Click to expand...
You could, but you'd leave out two libraries and all your applications and more..

Backuping is too much of a PITA for me. I don't understand how you copy it all, then restore it all EXACTLY the way it was. Any idea how to do this one-click style?
The other thing I'd like that is auto-backup to make the backup match the mac hd exactly, say once a week.
 
I do monthly backups of my important data to DVD. I just bought Toast Titanium 7 recently, so backing up is much easier now with the disc-spanning feature. I highly recommend Toast 7.
 
Apples own Backup utility does a really good job. It has just saved my life after a 10.4.3 update debacle.
 
epepper9 said:
Y
Backuping is too much of a PITA for me. I don't understand how you copy it all, then restore it all EXACTLY the way it was.
Click to expand...
May I suggest that it's a much greater PITA to get everything exactly how it was without a backup.
 
caveman_uk said:
May I suggest that it's a much greater PITA to get everything exactly how it was without a backup.
Click to expand...
lol, well I do have a backup, which is sort of just a copy of everything... How would I transfer it back if my internal HDD died, and was replaced with a new?
Surely dragging and dropping everything into mac hd and clicking "replace all" wouldn't be good, would it?
 
Thanks, but I don't think I can make a bootable copy when the drive has more on it than just backups. Doesn't the external drive have to be exclusively for the bootable backup to make a bootable backup?
 
If you have .mac I would reccoment downloading Backup from their website. You can choose what folders and files to backup and it is very easy.
 
If I'm backing up my files, what files should I back up?
I don't need to back up preferences or applications, just my files.
Is there anything outside of my users folder that I need to backup?
 
EricNau said:
If I'm backing up my files, what files should I back up?
I don't need to back up preferences or applications, just my files.
Is there anything outside of my users folder that I need to backup?
Click to expand...

Just back up what's important to you, things that you wanna keep. That's what I do.
 
Impression

Go to Versiontracker and download "Impression". It's a great program, and you can run it with Superuser authority to back up everything without a problem. You can select if it should split the last file of one disk to the next or not.

It's shareware, but the fee is well worth it.

:)
 
OK, I'm going to try bringing this thread back to life...

I was looking at .mac & iDisk for backup purposes, but 1 GB is just not enough (I have 4 GB of pictures alone + music + documents).

I like the idea of an off-site backup where I can just drag-and-drop files into, and can later be accessed from anywhere.

Are there any alternatives to .mac that give me more storage?
 
what about scheduled backup? you specify which folders/files need backing up and at a pre-defined day/time the software backs them up on dvd/external hdd (or wherever)..

does toast 7 do something like this? as I am considering purchasing it..
 
dalvin200 said:
what about scheduled backup? you specify which folders/files need backing up and at a pre-defined day/time the software backs them up on dvd/external hdd (or wherever)..

does toast 7 do something like this? as I am considering purchasing it..
Click to expand...


You can use Silverkeeper to do that. Free from Lacie.com
I use Dantz Retrospect to run multiple backup scripts at home and in the office...
 
dalvin200 said:
what about scheduled backup? you specify which folders/files need backing up and at a pre-defined day/time the software backs them up on dvd/external hdd (or wherever)..

does toast 7 do something like this? as I am considering purchasing it..
Click to expand...
If you have .mac, I believe Apple's Backup software does this.
 
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