Time Machine disaster

[Speed38]

It is truly fascinating to see all the different stratagems folks use to back up their data.

 

[iMac2019]

This is indeed a very simple and effective solution that I practice religiously! For example, I created a filemaker database named "accts" about 30 years ago to manage all my personal finances. I was using a PowerBook Duo 210 and Mac IIcx as my primary computers at the time! I simply append a number and increment it each time I make ANY change.
[...]
This has really saved my butt more than once. But I also use Time Machine backups to a shared network volume, regular Carbon Copy backups to dedicated external SSD's and Backblaze. I started with an Apple ][ in 1978, got my first Mac in 1985. I still have files going back that far and wouldn't want to lose any of them.

it smells of experience

 

[Le Big Mac]

I was using a PowerBook Duo 210 and Mac IIcx as my primary computers at the time!

Shout out to those two computers, which I was for a brief period running simultaneously as well!

Never took full advantage of the DuoDock concept though . . .

 

[gregmac19]

This is indeed a very simple and effective solution that I practice religiously! For example, I created a filemaker database named "accts" about 30 years ago to manage all my personal finances. I was using a PowerBook Duo 210 and Mac IIcx as my primary computers at the time! I simply append a number and increment it each time I make ANY change.

View attachment 2399005

Also do this with all my other important files, it's become second nature to me. I have folders named "old" wherever there are important files, and I just drag all these numbered copies there. Every so often, I do housecleaning and delete the older files.

This has really saved my butt more than once. But I also use Time Machine backups to a shared network volume, regular Carbon Copy backups to dedicated external SSD's and Backblaze. I started with an Apple ][ in 1978, got my first Mac in 1985. I still have files going back that far and wouldn't want to lose any of them.

I don’t if you have automated this process, but it would be easy to do with Hazel (https://www.noodlesoft.com). You could specify which files you wanted to “version”, have it check to see whether those files have been updated, and have a date, time, and other information added to the filenames of the copied files. Additionally, you could have Hazel move the files to other folders and delete them after a specified time if desired.

I love Hazel as is saves me a great deal of time!

 

[tonmischa]

It is truly fascinating to see all the different stratagems folks use to back up their data.

Here is another one:

Look at this folder:
<Boot Disk>/Users/<your user name>/Library/Mobile Documents
Thats the folder where the Mac stores the local copy of your iCloud Data. Whenever a file in the cloud is changed, the changes are downloaded to this folder.

This folder is also included in a TimeMachine backup. (So you might have found your missing file in there.)

But just to be on the safe side, I have created a separate CCC backup plan for this folder.

 

[gilby101]

This folder is also included in a TimeMachine backup. (So you might have found your missing file in there.)

Yes, <Boot Disk>/Users/<your user name>/Library/Mobile Documents folder is included in Time Machine backups. But, TM only backs up files that are resident on your Mac. It does not backup files which, at backup time, are cloud only. I guess most people don't know that until too late. CCC has an option to download cloud only files for backup.

My iCloud backup strategy:
1. CCC (with option to download cloud only files) to a volume on an external disk.
2. Arq to backup that volume to OneDrive and Google Drive.
Gives me complete backups including past history on both local CCC volume and my Arq backup set.

 

[tonmischa]

But, TM only backs up files that are resident on your Mac. It does not backup files which, at backup time, are cloud only.

That is correct.
But - afaik - all iCloud files are always downloaded to your Mac, unless you specifically choose to "Optimize Mac Storage" in the iCloud preferences.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I recall one backup thread having someone doing a mixture of TM and SD backups to more than a few drives. More backups is better than fewer, so if one has the storage, more power to them.

It might have been me trying to decide between DAS or a NAS solution for the MBP?

I ended up with NVMe's in TB4 enclosures. One larger TM drive and 2 x SD, one kept offsite, and a HDD if I'm feeling fancy. And as things turned out, 2 hrs after a backup, I drowned the MBP destroying all but the lower cover.

I used TM to get me going to the previous state but if that hadn't behaved it was good to know that there's also a clone available also.