What are your favorite backup apps?

I use SpeedTools Utilities QuickBack - it came free with the external FW drive
i bought from OWC (Other World Computing)

http://www.speedtools.com/STUS.shtml

Isn't anyone using any of the many freeware backup tools you find at http://www.versiontracker.com searching for "backup"? Aren't at least some of them are usable?

I also use QuickBack from SpeedTools. It leaves you with a bootable HD and it backups fast.

Hi, JP.

Unfortunately, you're incorrect on all accounts concerning Retrospect, whether Express or Desktop.

1) Your point applies to any backup and recovery solution that duplicates a drive. If you don't partition the external drive to which you are backing up, and you duplicate / clone your hard drive to the full external drive, then the entire external drive is used for the backup. Retrospect does not "take over" the drive. One can partition the external drive and use a single partition for a bootable duplicate/clone.

2) Incorrect. If one uses the Duplicate function, one obtains a bootable backup. Retrospect can create both Duplicates and Backup Sets. Only Backup Sets are not bootable.

See see my "Backup and Recovery" FAQ concerning advice on how to partition an external drive for backup (that section applies whatever backup solution one wants to use) and the differences between Retrospect Duplicates and Backup Sets.

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

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I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

Now if I understand the question correctly, you are looking for a "backup file" app or a "backup system" app?
SuperDuper! and CarbonCopyClone seem to work fine for backing up large partitions and whole drives.
There is also DejaVu that is in the system prefs and comes with Toast. This can automate backups and I found it quite useful.
Of course if it's manual backups you want then you can use BackUp from good old Apple (the people you trust), and Toast of cours and Disk Utilities, etc. etc.

Anyway. My own prefs are to do regular (important) backups via DejaVu to my second system drive. Basically making a duplicate system. Anything else I archive onto DVD.

Hope this helps.

Unfortunately, you're incorrect on all accounts
concerning Retrospect, whether Express or Desktop.

1) Your point applies to any backup and
recovery solution that duplicates a drive. If you
don't partition the external drive to which you are
backing up, and you duplicate / clone your hard drive
to the full external drive, then the entire external
drive is used for the backup. Retrospect does not
"take over" the drive. One can partition the external
drive and use a single partition for a bootable
duplicate/clone.

A quibble: Incomplete rather than incorrect. Your "any" is the key.
I have used it only to Backup.

2) Incorrect. If one uses the Duplicate function,
one obtains a bootable backup. Retrospect can create
both Duplicates and Backup Sets. Only Backup Sets
are not bootable.

See see my <ahref=" http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/backuprecovery.html "

"Backup and Recovery" FAQ concerning advice on

how to partition an external drive for backup (that
section applies whatever backup solution one wants to
use) and the differences between Retrospect
Duplicates and Backup Sets.

Yep, I wish I had read more carefully and partitioned. The FWHD 1st. I am
now semi locked in to a suboptimal proceedure w/o the gumption to start over.
The forum would be definitely suboptimal in your absence Doc. Thanks again for your presence and counsel.

JPfresno wrote:

"I am now semi locked in to a suboptimal proceedure w/o the gumption to start over."

If you're only using it for backup of your Mac's hard drive, it's really not a big deal to erase and partition the FireWire drive so you can have partitions for backups and partitions for other uses. Of course, if you're saving data on those "partitions for other uses" that is not otherwise backed-up, you want to back up those as well. 😉

You wrote:

"The forum would be definitely suboptimal in your absence Doc. Thanks again for your presence and counsel."

That's very kind of you. Thank you!

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

Isn't anyone using any of the many freeware backup
tools you find at http://www.versiontracker.com
searching for "backup"? Aren't at least some of them
are usable?

Yes, I use Silver Keeper( 4 months now ) for cloning/dupication of everything. It is from La Cie and it is free.

I use Accomdata Ext. HD( two years now ) because of inexpensive but good differrential on operating tempeartures.

Never use the USB only firewire. The only reason to use USB is if your computer doesnt have correct firewire.

Ran

Can you get Backup from Apple as an independent application? So far, my looking into it appears that it's only available with a .MAC account.

Of course if it's manual backups you want then you
can use BackUp from good old Apple (the people you
trust),

Can you get Backup from Apple as an independent application? So far, my looking into it appears that it's only available with a .MAC account.

TopoTone -

You're correct it's only available to .Mac members.

Hi, Hex50.

Retrospect version 6.1.126 is compatible with Intel-based Macs and runs under Rosetta, with a few known issues. See "Retrospect 6.1 for Macintosh supports Apple's new Intel-based computers running Mac OS X."

I expect EMC Insignia will release a Universal Binary sometime soon. EMC has also provided a mailing list to which one can subscribe for updates concerning Intel-based Mac support. A link to the subscription form is in the document cited above.

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

That's what I'd do. Check the version first. If it is prior to 6.1.126, you should be able to download the update from here at no cost. I believe the Maxtor OneTouch drives ship with Retrospect Express.

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X