Backup Checklist. Please share your backup stories here.

Question

Level 2

165 points

Backup Checklist. Please share your backup stories here.

Hello everybody,

I'm about to format my HD to move from Panther to Tiger after a fresh start and I'm wondering if you could contribute to a checklist of items to be backed up.

I'm looking for the location of settings, preferences, Safari bookmarks, etc. Where would I find files that would make moving to a new OS as seemless as possible.
It would be nice if I could preserve my passwords, bookmarks, e-mail, address book, iTunes, etc etc etc.

Please share your backup stories here.

PowerBook 15 G4 1.5ghz

Posted on Nov 17, 2005 8:00 PM

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Answer 1

Pedro Marques Author

Level 2

165 points

Nov 17, 2005 10:26 PM in response to Pedro Marques

I'm going to try to list all the items I can think of and where you can find them:

1) Save personal files located in your user folder

2) iPhoto
Pictures + Albums: ~/Pictures/iPhoto Library

3) iTunes
Music files + Playlists: ~/Music/iTunes

4) Address Book
Back up in the application: File > Back Up Database

5) Mail
e-mails (folders and files): ?
Mail Accounts: ?

Please add to this list if you think of other items and/or know how to save Mail emails and prefs.

Thinking ahead, when we're done listing what needs to back up, lets describe how to restore it all.
i.e.: Is simply copying back iPhoto's Library back in its folder sufficient to restore it back to its previous working order?

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Answer 2

Saxking20

Level 2

295 points

Nov 18, 2005 1:34 AM in response to Pedro Marques

I backed up 21 gigs of my USER folder with "Backup" and have about 3 incremential backups.
My hard drive crashed and now Backup tells me that "there is nothing in this backup as it has never been backed up to." There is 21 gigs in this file..... I can use Backup to back this file up and it takes about 15 minutes so I know it is not empty. However when I click RESTORE, it opens it up to the original and won't go any further........

I believe it is because I do not have the backup list that goes with the backup app I had. I downloaded a fresh Backup app so maybe it can't find the backup list. I also deleted the .plist and no go.
I assumed that you would just click on the file and backup would magically appear and put everything where it should go........
I was able to restore the few items I had backed up to iDisk.
I restored my apps from a dmg which I should have done with the user folder..... I guess I got too trusting...
It ain't no picnic.......
Any help appreciated!

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Answer 3

Pedro Marques Author

Level 2

165 points

Nov 19, 2005 8:42 AM in response to Pedro Marques

I still haven't figured out how to back up my e-mails and preferences from MAIL.

Anybody?

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Answer 4

Pedro Marques Author

Level 2

165 points

Nov 19, 2005 8:43 AM in response to Pedro Marques

I still haven't figured out how to back up my e-mails and preferences from MAIL.

Anybody?

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Answer 5

Pedro Marques Author

Level 2

165 points

Nov 19, 2005 4:19 PM in response to Pedro Marques

There are some useful mini applications that assist you in backing up specific important files:

Backing up Safari (bookmarks, history, preferences, downloads)
Safari Backup: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/18964

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Answer 6

Pedro Marques Author

Level 2

165 points

Nov 19, 2005 4:26 PM in response to Pedro Marques

Before going on, I'll post what is essential in MAIL

Mail Boxes (account information with e-mail content in them)
Rules
Junk Mail settings
Signatures

It is probable that this content can be found in ~/Library/Mail
I'm not sure if junk mail settings, rules and signatures are under the general MAIL prefs file

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Answer 7

Nov 20, 2005 8:43 AM in response to Pedro Marques

I still haven't figured out how to back up my e-mails
and preferences from MAIL.

Anybody?

In your home folder, go into the "Library" folder.

Save the "Mail" folder from it, as well as any "Mail" folder inside "Caches" (make sure you know which is which, and put each back into it's proper place, probably overwriting like-named folders in the new system.) and also the com.apple.mail.plist file in the "Preferences" folder.

Note: the Caches and Preferences folders I'm referring to are also inside the Library folder.

As for the iTunes and iPhoto folders, it's actually easiest to run Software Update before wiping the old system to make sure you have the latest versions of those that'll be updated to on the new system, and then save the entire "iTunes" folder from the music folder and "iPhoto" folder from the pictures folder.

Also, any plist files and Caches folders for any apps you use from Safari to QuickTime will help you keep stuff you might otherwise lose.

As for me, I mantain a backup clone of my hard drive on a firewire drive and after a restore keep it old for a day or two to make sure I've copied over everything I want or need. As being human, I'll generally forget something at the time and have lost a lot of goodies that way.

Good luck.

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