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icafelawrence

macrumors newbie
May 29, 2009
15
1
Lawrence, KS
hmmm, you could use the MobileMe Backup.app to automatically back up your folder to your idisk. Will that help you accomplish what you're trying to do?
 

boston04and07

macrumors 68000
May 13, 2008
1,834
935
Sadly, I don't think there is - at least I've been looking for one for a while now, and have never found it. What I do now instead (which I just discovered in another recent thread) is to keep a local copy of my iDisk on my computer, and then just keep my Documents folder in there. I put an alias of that folder in my Home folder just because I always still think it should be there. Definitely not the *best* solution, but until Apple gives us anything better it works I guess!

Also, the Backup app does work well, but it only backs up your files for a later recovery - it doesn't put fully viewable files in there that you can access from other computers or your iPhone. So if you just want an extra backup it's great, but for transferring files, not so much.
 

miamialley

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 28, 2008
3,577
1,050
California, USA
Well, let's say I have a folder on my computer called "stuff." What I'd like to be able to do is anytime I change the contents of the folder 'stuff' on my hard drive, the next time I sync idisk, I want that folder to be updated on idisk without me having to drag the contents. It's annoying having to constantly drag items/folders for idisk to sync.
 

VirtualRain

macrumors 603
Aug 1, 2008
6,304
118
Vancouver, BC
Well, let's say I have a folder on my computer called "stuff." What I'd like to be able to do is anytime I change the contents of the folder 'stuff' on my hard drive, the next time I sync idisk, I want that folder to be updated on idisk without me having to drag the contents. It's annoying having to constantly drag items/folders for idisk to sync.

The way I do it that's completely transparent, is to create your preferred directory on your local instance of your iDisk... eg. "stuff" and then create an alias to that directory and put it in your documents folder. Thus when you save stuff, put it in \Documents\stuff which is actually pointing to \iDisk\stuff... same when you access files. You thus have both a local and remote copy of all your files without having to navigate an unusual directory structure to access them.

This works completely transparently for me and I always have all my files available on all my Mac's as well as via MobileMe.
 

miamialley

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 28, 2008
3,577
1,050
California, USA
The way I do it that's completely transparent, is to create your preferred directory on your local instance of your iDisk... eg. "stuff" and then create an alias to that directory and put it in your documents folder. Thus when you save stuff, put it in \Documents\stuff which is actually pointing to \iDisk\stuff... same when you access files. You thus have both a local and remote copy of all your files without having to navigate an unusual directory structure to access them.

This works completely transparently for me and I always have all my files available on all my Mac's as well as via MobileMe.

After tinkering with it, I like your alias idea. I'm still figuring out my Mac so it's nice to learn some tricks. Thanks!
 

miamialley

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 28, 2008
3,577
1,050
California, USA
Well, one problem...

I created the alias folders in my iDisk. The problem is I can't view the contents of those folders using the mobileme website. They show as just files. Any thoughts?
 

miamialley

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 28, 2008
3,577
1,050
California, USA
I created the alias folders in my iDisk. The problem is I can't view the contents of those folders using the mobileme website. They show as just files. Any thoughts?

I think I'm supposed to make an alias of the folder in iDisk, so that is the root folder, right? Seems like it works that way.
 

eawmp1

macrumors 601
Feb 19, 2008
4,159
91
FL
I created the alias folders in my iDisk. The problem is I can't view the contents of those folders using the mobileme website. They show as just files. Any thoughts?

They are just backup copies in your cloud. No applications IN the cloud. You have to use the applications that created them on local volumes (e.g. share the cloud's Pages file version locally via each computer's iDisk file using that local computer's Pages application).
 

VirtualRain

macrumors 603
Aug 1, 2008
6,304
118
Vancouver, BC
I created the alias folders in my iDisk. The problem is I can't view the contents of those folders using the mobileme website. They show as just files. Any thoughts?

Let's be sure you're doing what I suggested...

On your local iDisk instance, in it's documents folder, create your preferrred set of working folders...

So you should have folders that look like this...

iDisk > Documents > Myfolder1
iDisk > Documents > Myfolder2

Then right click those, and "create alias" of Myfolder1 and Myfolder2... they should have the alias arrow overlay on the icon.

Then move those aliases (which are actually small files that link to the folders above) to...

Home > Documents

You will then end up with

Home > Documents > Alias to Myfolder1
Home > Documents > Alias to Myfolder2

Simply rename them to...

Home > Documents > Myfolder1
Home > Documents > Myfolder2

Now when you go to fetch a file or save a file, navigate using the path above and forget about your iDisk. The aliases are effectively just a convenient familiar path to your iDisk folders.

On your other macs, create similar aliases and you will never even know you are working with your iDisk.

Now, this probably goes without saying, but if you want to have a directory of files (like I do for large video editing projects) that you don't sync with the cloud, simply create a folder in your local documents folder that is not an alias to your iDisk such as...

Home > Documents > Myfolder3

Hope this helps.
 

boston04and07

macrumors 68000
May 13, 2008
1,834
935
That's a great idea Virtualrain - I don't know why I didn't think of that!! :eek: What i did was this - in my Home Folder Documents, I just put an alias to my iDisk Documents and named it something confusing, like "My Documents." So then I had only one alias to deal with, but it led me right to my iDisk documents folder. This way you have to make more alias folders, but it gets rid of the extra middle folder so I like it. The only thing will be that I'll have to remember to make aliases of any new folders that I make. :rolleyes: Still it should work. Thanks for the idea!
 

Learjet035

macrumors 6502
Feb 24, 2005
326
0
S. Floriduh
will this work with external HD's?

I just got a new iMac and I want just some specific folders to backup to external. I use superduper for cloning of my two externals where my 200GB of photos live. But I'd like to back up just general stuff off my iMac HD.

Any ideas? THanks!!
 

boston04and07

macrumors 68000
May 13, 2008
1,834
935
will this work with external HD's?

I just got a new iMac and I want just some specific folders to backup to external. I use superduper for cloning of my two externals where my 200GB of photos live. But I'd like to back up just general stuff off my iMac HD.

Any ideas? THanks!!

I'm sorry, but I'm a bit confused...do you want to put your local iDisk on an external, or back up your externals to your internal? I kind of read it both ways just now. Then again, I'm really tired right now too. :eek:
 

Learjet035

macrumors 6502
Feb 24, 2005
326
0
S. Floriduh
Yeah, I know it's a bit confusing to me too.

I have 200 GB of pics that live on 2 cloned external drives via superduper

I wanted to backup just my itunes folder that lives on my imac and few other important folders to my external and wanted some ideas for doing that.

I'm trying ChronoSync which seems to working great, and very easy to use.
I'll prob end up buying that.

Thanks
 
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