Time Machine to Home Server to S3?

Time Machine does not back up to network drives, except Time Capsules or USB drives connected to an Airport Extreme, or a drive on a Leopard server.

Here's the official word: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1733

You may find some "hacks" that might make it work, in some cases, to a degree. But use them at your own risk.

First, since this is *unsupported by Apple,* there's nowhere to go when there's trouble.

Second, you're risking a future update preventing it from working, and perhaps rendering your backups useless.

If you still think this is a good idea, do yourself a favor before you bet your backups on it: be sure it really works, at least for now:

1. Get a copy of CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper! or the like, and make a full bootable clone of your internal HD, on an external disk. Test it by booting from it. Then reboot from your internal HD.

2. Let TM do it's first, full, initial backup.

3. Attempt a full system restore (like you'll need when, not if, your internal HD fails), via the instructions in item 14 of the +Frequently Asked Questions+ post at the top of this forum.

Again, even if it works now, tomorrow is another day . . .

That statement says absolutely nothing about whether Apple supports Windows Home Server & Time Machine.

I've been using Super Duper for a couple years.. I only recently got Leopard.

I haven't yet seen the reason to start using Time Machine.

I think the Super Duper copy is good enough for me.

I have Windows Home Server to back up my PCs, and to provide centralized storage for my multimedia files.

That statement says absolutely nothing about whether Apple supports Windows Home Server & Time Machine.

The link points to the official Apple statement. Apple does not mention any other type of system as compatible. Forum members are really not in a position to modify that statement.

I have seen a report and advertisements that the ReadyNAS drives are being supported for Time Machine by NetGear. Apple doesn't mention them either, but if the NetGear backs their claim, then at least you have someone to go to for problems or updates. http://www.readynas.com/?cat=13

Pondini also mentions that there are hacks available for non-supported hardware, but we can't really promote non-standard methods here on Apple's support forum. There are many hints and tips sites that can say anything they want. Some of them are pretty good. You might even get some sort of on-going support by some of the larger groups.

I've been using Super Duper for a couple years.. I only recently got Leopard.

I also use it. The paid version allows me to schedule the backups and choose what to backup. It's a great program.

I haven't yet seen the reason to start using Time Machine.

Personal preference. With these 1TB drives selling for so cheap, it's pretty easy to do both. I can quickly restore old deleted files if I need them, and I have a bootable backup in case my boot drive dies and I need to get back to work. We use Time Machine Server in Leopard server on an old Dual G4 tower to our advantage. The users don't know or care that they are always backing up their files, until they need them 🙂

I have Windows Home Server to back up my PCs, and to provide centralized storage for my multimedia files.

So with your experience with this solution, have you had any luck with Time Machine backing up over the network to a product like it? Have you tried and failed, or had any success at all? I would have assumed that it wouldn't work unless the company specifically stated support for Time Machine.