Recommend Backup Software for OS 10.3?

Not sure how well an older OS X version such as Panther 10.3.9 can be supported
by a software used to backup and/or clone; most newer OS X versions have better
options and those have more features than an older OS X unsupported system has.

You may be able to at least check out what the *Carbon Copy Cloner* version for 10.3
has to offer in regard to making backup clones and other tools it may have offered.
It may be too old to have allowed scheduled incremental backups of changed files.
But it does provide a reasonably fine means of making bootable backups to a suitable
externally enclosed FireWire based hard disk drive unit (note 'Oxford-style' chipsets.)

• *CCC for Panther 10.3 and Jaguar 10.2* - Download Version 2.3, via direct link:
http://www.bombich.com/software/files/cccloner-2.3.dmg

So, after you get this version, you could read through its features to see if it can help.

There also may be older Panther versions of SuperDuper or other software out there, still. re:
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/mint/pepper/orderedlist/downloads/download.php?file= http%3A//www.shirt-pocket.com/downloads/SuperDuper%212.1.4.dmg

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

PS: back in the day when Panther was active, a fair set of ideas on how to
make backups and use CCC with a server to store, save & manage them,
was proposed by a user; that information is still available online as a .pdf
download but the psync software set, separate from Panther version CCC
in the day, may not be available any more. And it may not be needed.

I'd suspect the thrust of the ideas presented there may still be sound, while
some of the details could be dated given the duration of time now passed.

• Wazza's QuickStart: Basic Backup (10.3 Server)
http://www.wazmac.com/quickstarts/pdf/osxserver/panther/100_serverbackup.pdf

{The two links in my earlier post should provide you with options to make backup
copies or update portions of your running OS X system. You should be able to
schedule CCC to do various tasks at different times. There also had been a soft-
ware by the name of SilverKeeper, that worked with some drives. Never tried it.}

Thought I'd add this, though it may not be necessary. You may need to consider
an upgrade to Tiger 10.4.11 at some point, if you can. It still has some support.
Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

Maybe there is a possibility of setting up a RAID array or a system of
concurrent backup while the computer is running, but that would be a
matter of acquiring more hardware and probably some costs involved.

Since I have not done that aspect of live backup, only clone-copies of
bootable complete computer drive contents to capable external hard
disk drives inside FireWire enclosures, the RAID idea is not familiar.

PS: Is there a reason why your system wasn't updated to 10.3.9?

Hopefully someone with some time and experience can further your quest.
Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

If you get the downloads through another computer online,
be sure they are the correct stand-alone items; then you
can choose to never go online with the 10.3.x computer.

I have and use a USB thumb drive or flash drive to get
extra files between computers so they don't need to go
and do the same duty in duplicate online; this would also
work to get the actual files you needed via another Mac.
Be sure they are the correct ones, first, of course.

There are no currently supported browsers, for the most
part, for Panther 10.3.9; so secure online browsing is a
thing that may be problematic or issue-prone; yet the
internal server to Support updates, and the Software Update
app can probably be used to get info or the files you'd want.

And you need not install all of the found updates; yet by
now, those in-between and questionable ones would be
fewer than they were in the day they were new. I had a
few issues in Panther (and avoided some, then) in the
updates in-between. So, by now, there should be none.

In one sense, the Software Update app may be helpful
in finding the correct names of the files, then get the
few you actually may need, more manually from Support.

The 10.3.9 Combo, and the last security update, plus any
Java update(s) are likely to include actual useful offline
update materials. A few Panther/Tiger users had an odd
issue with going/staying online after one of the small step
updates to 10.3 at one point, and it was problematic. A
last Combo plus security update may avoid the issue.

This may be a mute issue at this late a date; but may be
worth checking into further, as far as it goes. And most
items made for Panther 10.3 generally were updated as
far as the last full stop 10.3.9; a few required that level.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

{ edited 2x }

A paid-for solution would be Dantz Retrospect, either v5 ot v6. Just the Express or Desktop versions. It was about £30 when new. It's no longer sold by Dantz (recently EMC and now owned by Roxio) where the product is up to v10, so you would have to find it on eBay or similar.

£30-£35 when new, so it should be pennies. Make sure you get a serial with it. Of course, if you find the Server version on eBay for pennies, it will work identically.

Retrospect wasn't without it's issues in the day with the scheduler (I still use it, it saved my bacon many times), but if the Mac is not sleeping and is not too busy, the scheduler works.