Will OS X Server back up a pc?

Question

Will OS X Server back up a pc?

Will it back up via a drive attached to it?

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015), iOS 9.2.1

Posted on Apr 16, 2016 6:02 PM

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Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

83,011 points

Apr 16, 2016 6:10 PM in response to spinningstill

This much I do know, OS X server has been the basis of Apple's server hardware since Mac OS X shipped new. Ever since then its servers have been Windows certified, meaning a backup should work. However, you are asking the question in Mac OS X client forum. The server forum is here:

Servers and Enterprise Software

All Macs since 2006 have had native Intel CPU hardware also allowing them to run Windows natively through any of the options on this tip too:

http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2741

Note Apple shipped two Server based machines in the last 15 years: XServe, and Mac Mini server. However, also made Mac OS X Server available for all Macs.

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Answer 2

Apr 18, 2016 6:04 AM in response to spinningstill

OS X has no built-in facility to make a back up of a Windows computer. There are numerous third-party backup programs available for running on OS X and some of these will indeed backup Windows PCs either over the network or if the Windows drive is directly connected to the Mac.

You would have to provide details of what you are trying to achieve so we can suggest some suitable ones.

(OS X does have a built-in facility to backup other Macs over a network using the Time Machine server feature.)

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Answer 3

Apr 18, 2016 2:18 PM in response to John Lockwood

Got it. I am wanting to do regular back ups of my wife's laptop. Do it wireless and without user interaction. I have a router that will do it as well but ran into issues. She is using windows 10. I don't want to invest too much into it. I can just plug a external into her laptop on occasion but would rather have it just do it automatically over the network.

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Answer 4

Apr 18, 2016 2:49 PM in response to spinningstill

Right. You can create an SMB sharepoint that will look like a Windows share that the Windows machine can back up to, but the act of doing the backup itself will require some software be installed on the Windows machine.

It's probably just as easy to use an external hard drive, if you have access to one.

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Answer 5

Apr 18, 2016 3:02 PM in response to spinningstill

Btw, what folder do I choose when sharing a TM drive over the network to do the back up with out it creating another space bundle. Want it to use the same back up.

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Answer 6

Apr 18, 2016 3:13 PM in response to spinningstill

You do not want to have the Windows PC use the Time Machine location as Time Machine is a Mac only backup system and Windows might mess it up. There is also no need or benefit for the PC to use the same location.

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Answer 7

Apr 18, 2016 3:20 PM in response to John Lockwood

@John, yea, know that. Was wanting to do a TM back up as well to an existing TM back up through my iMac. That way over the network. I did all the necessary steps, but its creating a new sparse bundle. Will wait and see if it incorporates but looks like it is doing a full new back up which I don't need. Put Backups.backupdb as shared but getting a new bundle. Maybe this only works with creating new TM. All this was spawned on by maybe purchasing OS X Server to do it all. Which would be great. Thanks!

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Answer 8

SnakeDog

Level 1

20 points

Dec 1, 2016 12:13 PM in response to spinningstill

Anyone found out a definite answer to this? I spent most of last night trying to backup my wife's laptop to my mac's external drive (formatted as NTFS, and another as HFS).

I shared the drive, I can log in and see the contents from the PC, but when I turn on "File history" or "windows backup" (Which is the windows 10 equivalent of time machine) it lets me pick the network location and then says that it can't find the file.

Quite frustrating because I feel like I'm soooo close.

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