Aperture backup question

I have been spending the last 3 days migrating from iPhoto to Aperture. I left the 15k photos I had in the iPhoto Library and have referenced them via Aperture. I have spent multiple hours organizing the Projects and Folders in Aperture so I finally have a hierarchy that makes sense. Here are my questions:
1) Should I have moved the Library from iPhoto to Aperture? What are the pro's/cons to that move? I left them in iPhoto because my wife likes that application and I want to make sure she can easily view photos, but will move them to Aperture if it resolves question #2.
2) How do I make sure that if my system crashes I do not have to reorganize all the Projects and Folders again? I back up my iPhoto Library, but how do I make sure my hierarchy is not lost? Will simply backing up the Aperture Library cover me, or do I need to do something else to make sure I do not need to go through this again?

"you will also want to backup the aperture library file as it contains all the "directions" for image adjustment ..."
Does this mean that it will also back up the "structure/hierarchy" even if the photos are in the iPhoto library? I am terrified of losing all the organizational work I have been doing. I am backing up the Aperture Library as part of my back up, but nto sure if it is actually protecting the hierachy since the photos are not in it.
Is SuperDuper that much better than the Apple "Backup" program?

Similar Messages

Access denied to Aperture backup on external drive. When I hold the comman key adn open aperture to acces a remote drive I receive the message "There was an error opening the database for teh library "/Volumes/VERBATIM HD/Aperture Library BU.aplibrary".

When I attempt to open an Aperture backup on a remote drive using the Command key when opening Aperture., I receive the message-
How do access these files?

How do I copy the libray onto another drive? Drag & drop? Can I put it onto my iMac drive without loosing the Aperture files already there?
yes, you can drag the library to your internal drive. if it has the same name as your current Aperture library rename it or drag it to a different folder.
I followed the instrucitons when formatting the drive, although I would not rule out an operator error
You can see the name of the file system on the drive, when you select the drive in the Finder and press the key combination ⌘I (for File > Get Info). The file system will show in the "General" brick of the Info panel.

Aperture 3.0.2 Time Machine Backup Question

So I recently imported my entire iPhoto Library into aperture and chose to have everything in the Aperture Library not referencing from the iPhoto Library. Either way everything went great and I'm loving it. My question has to do with when I recently backed up in Time Machine. I noticed the Time Machine backup file size was about 9gb lower then the one on my internal drive? Anyone know the reason for this? iPhoto never had any file size issues when backing up. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong here and if there was a way to get some drive space back that would be great as well.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks

One other thing I noticed right away was after importing my iPhoto Library over to the Aperture Library file the file size of my Aperture Library was about 8gb larger...which is a pretty considerable difference. Anyone know why this is?
Thanks

Will Aperture backup to a vault with daisy chained external hard drives

I am moving my Aperture library to a 6TB external drive. I want to back that up to a disaster drive consisting of 2 g-drives daisy chained, one 2TB and the other 4TB.
Will Aperture recognize the daisy chained drives as a single drive and backup the Aperture library to these drives as a single vault?

Caveat: answering your question requires one to make lots of assumptions, any one of which might change the answer. I do not know if Aperture would do so or not but personally I would not recommend it.
Note that daisy-chaining is simply a method of connecting drives; the drives themselves each remain fully independent. One needs to build a RAID array to combine independent volumes, and that is usually best done with fairly identical drives rather than with a 4TB and a 2TB.
I strongly believe that unless one is a true mass-storage expert very large Managed-Originals Libraries should be avoided. IMO far preferable is to instead use Refererenced-Originals Libraries.
Databases invariably perform better in numerous ways when smaller.
-Allen

Concerned about Aperture backups vs. iPhoto backups

Hi All,
I've just installed Aperture 2.0 and after reading a lot of the posts here regarding the superior way that Aperture handles files compared to iPhoto, I wanted to start using Aperture for everything regarding organizing my photos.
I have a couple of concerns/questions though...
1) After importing my iPhoto library into the Aperture library as managed masters, I see that I can't actually access the originals/masters inside the Aperture library via Finder. When I right-click on the Aperture Library and choose Show Package Contents in Finder, I see the albums and events, but I do not see any of the actual photos.
This concerns me regarding backups... even if I use the Vault feature in Aperture, I wouldn't have access to the actual masters outside of Aperture. If I want to migrate to a different photo cataloging/editing app later, can this be done?
With iPhoto, I can access the originals when I need to AND they get backed up with Time Capsule or any other system backup.
2) I've read a lot about Aperture's non-destructive editing being a strength... Isn't this the case with iPhoto as well? In Finder, the iPhoto library contains a folder called "Originals" and one called "Modified"... the Original folder contains the masters and the Modified folder contains copies of the masters to which I've applied edits. Wouldn't this be considered non-destructive as well?
3) Given these two above points, I'm considering starting over and importing my iPhoto library in Aperture as referenced files. My two concerns here are this:
a) What are the draw backs, if any, of doing this? Won't I get the same benefits using Aperture with referenced files?
b) If I add new photos to iPhoto after I've imported the library into Aperture as referenced files, I'm assuming they won't show up in Aperture, right? I guess the alternative is to just open up the iPhoto library in Aperture and not import anything... anything I'd be missing here with regards to Aperture's superiority over iPhoto?
Thanks so much for any answers and advice. I appreciate it.
Rick
Message was edited by: rickdeet
Message was edited by: rickdeet

rickdeet
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
1) After importing my iPhoto library into the Aperture library as managed masters, I see that I can't actually access the originals/masters inside the Aperture library via Finder. When I right-click on the Aperture Library and choose Show Package Contents in Finder, I see the albums and events, but I do not see any of the actual photos.
a: The Library structure of Aperture is quite different. Yes the files are there, but they are inside further packages. Each approject is in itself a further package file, and it contains - among other things - the actual files.
Now this opens several lines of possibilities. 1: I post a lot on the iPhoto forum and I always advise users to use a Managed Library. iPhoto’s abilities with Referenced Libraries are poor. This is not the case with Aperture. It has very strong abilities with Referenced Libraries, so much so that many folks recommend them as default.
That said, if you prefer the managed library, then backing up the Library Package does exactly that. Just like iPhoto, you get everything.
If you want to migrate to a different application, well, frankly the right way to do that is to export the images - same as iPhoto. But that said, if you get inside the Library and then the projects, there are your Original files. Just a single extra layer away.
2) I've read a lot about Aperture's non-destructive editing being a strength... Isn't this the case with iPhoto as well? In Finder, the iPhoto library contains a folder called "Originals" and one called "Modified"... the Original folder contains the masters and the Modified folder contains copies of the masters to which I've applied edits. Wouldn't this be considered non-destructive as well?
Yes and no... Aperture works very differently from iPhoto. As you point out, in iPhoto edits are carried out on a copy of the Original and saved as the Modified version. However, this modified version is a generation down - and therefore more compressed - than the Original. That said, with the Non Destructive feature of iPhoto 08 and later, you’re never more than one generation away from the Original +if you edit in iPhoto only.
Aperture works very differently. There is no Modified Version. When you edit an Original in Aperture your decisions are recorded in the Database and applied to the pic live as you view it. The only time a new file is produced is when you go to use it - email it, print it, whatever...
Given these two above points, I'm considering starting over and importing my iPhoto library in Aperture as referenced files. My two concerns here are this:
a) What are the draw backs, if any, of doing this? Won't I get the same benefits using Aperture with referenced files?
Do you mean “Won’t I get the same benefits using iPhoto with Referenced Files? IF so, the answer is no. And if you ever have to re-attach the masters to a iPhoto Library, then you can set aside the weekend to do a lot of clicking.
There are no drawbacks with using a Referenced Library in Aperture. If the numbers of photos you process are very large there are distinct advantages to doing so - masters stored on multiple disks for instance.
b) If I add new photos to iPhoto after I've imported the library into Aperture as referenced files, I'm assuming they won't show up in Aperture, right? I guess the alternative is to just open up the iPhoto library in Aperture and not import anything... anything I'd be missing here with regards to Aperture's superiority over iPhoto?
Why would you import to iPhoto is you’re using Aperture? A much better workflow would be to import to Aperture and then share the Aperture Previews with iPhoto. But no, the relationship between Aperture and iPhoto is not dynamic. They don’t read each other’s Libraries as they change.
Aperture’s superiority over iPhoto is down to much better file management controls, much better processing tools with more more fine control over them, much better everything to do with processing photos.
iPhoto has better slideshows and it has Calendars.
Regards
TD

Aperture backup strategi - file system compatibility

Hi all,
I am beginning to run out of space for a managed library so I'm starting to look for alternatives. Currently I have a managed library, with a vault on another disk on the same computer. This vault is then mirrored to another computer (Linux) via rsync. This seems to work fine.
The solution I'm thinking about it to skip the vault and mirror the library + referenced files directly, while Aperture is not running of course.
The question that arises is whether Aperture does/needs anything "nonstandard" in it's files - resource forks for example. The file names inside the library are a bit weird but within specs for a Unix filesystem so that isn't as problem, but I would hate to have to recover a library and then discover that all the files are "disconnected" because of some minor change that occurred during backup/restore...
Anyone with experience of this (mirroring libraries to a non-Apple filesystem and restoring it)?
PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0 GHz, 2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8) ATI Radeon 9650

OK,
I actually tried this myself instead. I created a new Library, imported a project into it to get some photos with metadata and versions, etc. The masters were relocated to outside the library. I then copied the library to and from a Linux server with rsync, and moved the masters to the file server as well.
After opening Aperture again and reconnecting the masters, all seemed well.

Aperture RAW questions

So, I just took a peek at my system and there is only 2GB of pictures and 150 of "other". I'm thinking that the "other" are my RAW files (since I only started shooting RAW on a regular basis 6 months ago). My macbook pro has been lagging a bit lately and I have a feeling these RAW files may have somehting to do with it.
My first question is where can I find these RAW files. I've seen it before, but forget how to navigate to it.
My second question is once I find these files, would it be safe to back them all up on an external, and then delete them from my macbooks' harddrive? Or is that just stupid?
Thanks.

1. How big and how full is your system drive? In Finder, select your drive and run "File→Get Info". Capacity and Available space are listed in the "General" section at the top of the Info window.
2. How big is your Aperture Library? In Finder, select your Library file and run "File→Get Info". The size will be reported at the top right of the Info window. You may have to wait a couple of minutes for Finder to calculate the size.
3. Are your Images' Masters Managed or Referenced (or a mix)? Referenced Masters are badged (you can show Badges on any of the seven Metadata Overlays, as well as on the Metadata tab of the Inspector). If any are Referenced, determine where they are stored, find them, and find out how much storage space they occupy.
In general you should keep at least 15% of your system drive free (empty) in order to not crimp your system's performance. It is normal for Aperture users to run out of storage space on their system drives. The common solution to convert some or all of your Images' Masters from Managed (= stored inside the Aperture Library) to Referenced (= stored outside the Aperture Library, usually on a different drive). Aperture provides tools to move your Masters wherever you would like them. NB: Referenced Masters are not backed up by Aperture's Vault feature, and are not backed up automatically when you back up your Library. Therefore you must add to your backup protocol something that includes backing up your Referenced Masters.
There are many many reasons for slowing performance. Lack of free space on your system drive is a common one, but you should not rule out others without checking. It is also advised to run Software Update to make sure your OS and other programs are completely up-to-date.
Good Luck.

ACS 5.3 Database backup questions

I do an incermental backup every day at 02:00
IncrementalBackup-Job
Mon Sep 17 02:00:00 EST 2012
Mon Sep 17 02:00:02 EST 2012
Completed
But I get the
System Alarm [Database Purging]
Mon Sep 17 04:00:00
Incremental Backup not configured
why?
see contents of repository below so it is there
CHIACS71/chacs01# sh repository DataBase
acsviewdbfull_CHIACS71_20120912_095516.tar.gpg
acsviewdbfull_CHIACS71_20120913_020000.tar.gpg
acsviewdbincr_1_CHIACS71_20120914_020000.tar.gpg
acsviewdbincr_2_CHIACS71_20120915_020000.tar.gpg
acsviewdbincr_3_CHIACS71_20120916_020000.tar.gpg
acsviewdbincr_4_CHIACS71_20120917_020000.tar.gpg
catalog.xml
repolock.cfg
CHIACS71/chacs01#
second question can I use my secondary ACS for the DataBase repository?

Hi,
You should use an nfs server, sftp or ftp repository for backups only, something that is dedicated for storage. I would not recommending using anything that is used for production which needs internal storage to take on the task of managing another applications data.
As far as the the first question, i am not talking about the purging, i am talking about the scheduled application backups:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/net_mgmt/cisco_secure_access_control_system/5.3/user/guide/admin_operations.html#wp1076238
Tarik Admani
*Please rate helpful posts*

Please help me with some backup questions....

After suffering through two hard drive failures (not my main drive, fortunately), and being frustrated with trying to keep everything backed up, I'm taking a fresh approach to everything and I plan to do the following:
1. Purchase a new, 2 TB hard drive (enterprise class - Can you guys recommend a reliable one?) and clone my existing main hard drive to it.
2. Purchase a second identical drive and install it in bay #2.
3. Likely purchase G-Technology's G-Safe with Raid 1 capability. Likely 3 TB just cause.
4. I'll keep my current 1 TB Hitachi Deskstar in the 3rd bay. It serves only my Sonos music system. (I wanted a separate drive for that so my regular drives weren't always running.)
So far so good. I plan on putting all my files on the one main 2 TB drive. (Formerly roughly 500 GB of music was on a separate internal drive, the one that's died twice now. Seagate Barracuda FYI.) I'll then clone the main drive to the identical drive in the 2nd bay and make it bootable as well. That's backup #1 and I plan on having it also updated regularly. (Incrementally, not a complete erase and rewrite, but still keeping it bootable.) I'll then hook up the Raid 1 drive and clone the main hard drive to that as well, also making it bootable. That will give me backup #2 and #3 (through mirroring). These drives will be backed up less often and when not being used, will be stored in a fire proof safe in the garage. So far so good, I think.
What I'm stuck on is what software to use for doing the cloning and more importantly, the backups.
For the cloning, I understand I can simply use the Restore function in the Disk Utility. Is this correct? Or am I better off using SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner? If so, which one? And why?
For the regular backups, I have been using Retrospect but frankly, I'm less than impressed with their interface and I've never liked the fact that even if the backups aren't compressed, I can't see the files unless I do so through Retrospect. I can't just go to the backup drive and view the files. They're all hidden in the one Retrospect icon. So, I'm considering the following:
Time Machine: However, I was less than impressed with it in the past as it seemed to completely fill whatever drive I pointed it to and then it would fail to backup. I never could figure it out that well.
SuperDuper: I was just checking them out and it seems that it's not only a good cloner, but will also then keep that clone up to date and bootable on a regular basis. It really sounds like it's what I need. And the screen shots I saw on their site seem pretty well thought out and explain a lot.
Carbon Copy Cloner: I know this app has been around for a long time, though I've never used it. I'm presuming it's good for cloning a drive onto a larger drive, just as SuperDuper is, but can it do scheduled backups of that clone like SuperDuper can?
And in all cases, I want to keep both the second internal drive and the external RAID drives backed up from their original clonings. Can any of these programs handle ongoing backups to two or more destinations from the same source?
And finally, a last question or two:
To repeat my first question, who makes a really reliable enterprise class drive?
And has anyone had any experience with G-Technology's G-Safe with RAID 1?
Thanks much for all your help.
Oh, here's my system: Mac Pro tower, 2008 2.8 GHz, 10 GB ram. Dual Intel processors. Currently 10.5.8, soon to be 10.6.8.

valbelvalbel wrote:
After suffering through two hard drive failures (not my main drive, fortunately), and being frustrated with trying to keep everything backed up, I'm taking a fresh approach to everything and I plan to do the following:
1. Purchase a new, 2 TB hard drive (enterprise class - Can you guys recommend a reliable one?) and clone my existing main hard drive to it.
2. Purchase a second identical drive and install it in bay #2.
3. Likely purchase G-Technology's G-Safe with Raid 1 capability. Likely 3 TB just cause.
4. I'll keep my current 1 TB Hitachi Deskstar in the 3rd bay. It serves only my Sonos music system. (I wanted a separate drive for that so my regular drives weren't always running.)
Hitachi and Seagate both make enterprise class drives. Just visit their websites to find models.
So far so good. I plan on putting all my files on the one main 2 TB drive. (Formerly roughly 500 GB of music was on a separate internal drive, the one that's died twice now. Seagate Barracuda FYI.) I'll then clone the main drive to the identical drive in the 2nd bay and make it bootable as well. That's backup #1 and I plan on having it also updated regularly. (Incrementally, not a complete erase and rewrite, but still keeping it bootable.) I'll then hook up the Raid 1 drive and clone the main hard drive to that as well, also making it bootable. That will give me backup #2 and #3 (through mirroring). These drives will be backed up less often and when not being used, will be stored in a fire proof safe in the garage. So far so good, I think.
I don't know what your desires are for backup redundancy, but I would create a two drive mirrored RAID for your main backup. This could consist of two identical hard drives mounted in your Mac Pro's slots (this is what I do.) Or you could purchase a two-drive external case and use Firewire. (I also do this.) Drive size should be determined by how large a drive(s) you are backing up and if you plan to use Time Machine. TM's backup device must be at least twice the size of the drive(s) it backs up.
What I'm stuck on is what software to use for doing the cloning and more importantly, the backups.
For the cloning, I understand I can simply use the Restore function in the Disk Utility. Is this correct? Or am I better off using SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner? If so, which one? And why?
For the regular backups, I have been using Retrospect but frankly, I'm less than impressed with their interface and I've never liked the fact that even if the backups aren't compressed, I can't see the files unless I do so through Retrospect. I can't just go to the backup drive and view the files. They're all hidden in the one Retrospect icon. So, I'm considering the following:
Time Machine: However, I was less than impressed with it in the past as it seemed to completely fill whatever drive I pointed it to and then it would fail to backup. I never could figure it out that well.
SuperDuper: I was just checking them out and it seems that it's not only a good cloner, but will also then keep that clone up to date and bootable on a regular basis. It really sounds like it's what I need. And the screen shots I saw on their site seem pretty well thought out and explain a lot.
Carbon Copy Cloner: I know this app has been around for a long time, though I've never used it. I'm presuming it's good for cloning a drive onto a larger drive, just as SuperDuper is, but can it do scheduled backups of that clone like SuperDuper can?
And in all cases, I want to keep both the second internal drive and the external RAID drives backed up from their original clonings. Can any of these programs handle ongoing backups to two or more destinations from the same source?
If you are running Lion then do not use SuperDuper. It has not yet been updated for reliable use with Lion and cannot handle Lion's Recovery HD. Carbon Copy Cloner's recent beta release would be a good choice as would Synk Pro from Decimus, or Tri-Backup. All of these will clone a drive as well as perform scheduled backups/updates of a clone. But only CCC properly deals with Lion's Recovery HD at this time. All of these make essentially file by file copies from the source to the destination. One can easily restore a file or a few items without needing to use the backup utility since everything on the backup is accessible through the Finder.
TM is not able to create a bootable clone. It is an archival backup utility intended for home users needing basic, automatic, and simple to use backup software. Restoring software from a TM backup can only be done through the TM application.
And finally, a last question or two:
To repeat my first question, who makes a really reliable enterprise class drive?
And has anyone had any experience with G-Technology's G-Safe with RAID 1?
Thanks much for all your help.
Oh, here's my system: Mac Pro tower, 2008 2.8 GHz, 10 GB ram. Dual Intel processors. Currently 10.5.8, soon to be 10.6.8.

Help with simple OS upgrade and backup questions for a dumb old previous PC user...?

Ok...have mercy on me, please...
I am not completely dumb, I know typical board etiquette, and I have searched for various answers (and found many)...but I just want to confirm my personal "research" and get all of this clear up before I proceed with this insanity. I know I could probably search more, but this is taking hours, because of all my various questions, one leads to 10 more...
I have an iMac with Mac OS X Version 10.5.8 (which, though not mentioned anywhere?...is apparently "Leopard", right? Told you I was dumb...)
Processor: 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
My main goal: install an app that was in the Mac App store.
However, with Leopard, I can't access the Mac App store with Leopard, apparently.
I click on the Mac App store, and up pops up a Lion advertisement...telling me I should upgrade. Ok, fine...probably a good idea, anyway...
But how do you upgrade to Lion? Apparently through the Mac App store!
The web-redirects on the Apple site are amusing...taking me on an endless cycle...purchase Lion in the app store...click..."you need to upgrade to Lion"...OK...click..."you need Lion at the app store"...OK...click..."you need to upgrade to Lion to get to the app store"....etc.
OK...fine...google searches...ahh, I need to upgrade to Snow Leopard first, apparently! Yes?
(Maybe the Apple redirects should detect that I have Leopard, and direct me to a screen that explains that I must upgrade to Snow Leopard...and then Lion! Do you hear that, Apple? Thanks.)
Anyway...so here's my plan:
1) Upgrade to Snow Leopard
2) Access the Mac app store
3) Upgrade to Lion
Question A: With my iMac (specs above), is it really advisable for me to do this? Can my computer really handle Lion? It seems I barely meet the minimum with my intel core 2 Duo and 2 GB ram...yes? Is this a dumb idea, even if "OK"? I know that "minimum requirements" on a PC often meant: "Well, it will work...but it will be slower than a snail and crash if you run 5 programs at the same time" (which I usually do...) I don't want to upgrade if the "minimum" is really not enough.
Question B: If the answer to A is "not a good idea", then do I just need a new computer (i.e. better processor)? Or do I need more Ram? And can I add Ram to this computer, and is it relatively easy? I have added Ram to PCs tons of times, and you always have to determine type of Ram for your board, make sure they "match", or whatever, and then open up the machine and install. Kind of a pain, but once I have the "right" type of Ram, opening the CPU and installing is within my abilities. Will it be harder for a Mac?
= = =
Next:
When upgrading an OS on a Windows, you pretty much format the harddrive and start all over. Back in the day I was a PC user, there wasn't really a "great" way to back up programs and files, so this was a nightmare. You could NOT just back-up software. You typically had to re-purchase and install it all from scratch. Is this the same with Macs? Furthermore, personal files were scattered all over the hard-drive for the individual software...so trying to back all that up to get it back on the new system = nightmare! I hate PCs.
Anyway...so, my iMac has Time Machine. I am pretty ignorant about this, and based on my previous PC backup program nightmares, I have a distrust for it...and don't really understand how it works. But in any event, my external drive crashed a few months ago, and I haven't replaced it, yet. So, I am replacing it soon and will get Time Machine back up and running...setting it up again, etc...leading to question C...
Question C: When upgrading from Leopard to Snow Leopard to Lion, what is the best way to ensure I keep all my programs and files. My wife and I both access the computer, so two user accounts. Does Time Machine really do a good job backing up everything and all things? Is it just a matter of upgrade to Snow Leopard...then immediately to Lion...and then some sort of "Restore" from Time Machine? Anything for me to "watch out for"...or to do when I buy a new external hard-drive and setup up Time Machine for the first time on it, in order to make this work well? Will I have to re-install all the various applications I have installed on this thing? (like with PCs?)
Thanks for any sincere help.

yachadhoo wrote:
I have an iMac with Mac OS X Version 10.5.8 (which, though not mentioned anywhere?...is apparently "Leopard", right? Told you I was dumb...)
Processor: 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Apple has discontinued support for 10.5, it's a plaque of our platform that Apple only supports the last two operating systems in circulation.
Where as on Windows you can run the same OS version for 10 years and get updates free (if not stolen), on a Mac we get one year, two tops now and if you don't upgrade and break all your third party software and hardware drivers in the process, then your denied security updates.
On top of that, the OS X upgrades tend to break your older hardware too, or slow it down so much that it drives you to want to buy newer hardware.
It's funny Apple places the AppStore on your OS X version along with iTunes and Safari updates, but then doens't supply necessary security updates, your machine may be compromised and here you enter vital credit card info, banking etc. thinking you have a secure machine.
My advice, since that's a 10.5 era Mac, is to upgrade to 10.6.3 via this disk, then use Software Update until clear. You'll get security updates and your present installed 10.5 software will work in 10.6 using Rosetta.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A
Rosetta is not avaialble in 10.7 so it could be a lot of your software will no longer function
http://roaringapps.com/apps:table
I don't see the sense in you buying all new software for a machine that's at it's end of life stage.
You can buy software in the AppStore with 10.6.
Question A: With my iMac (specs above), is it really advisable for me to do this? Can my computer really handle Lion? It seems I barely meet the minimum with my intel core 2 Duo and 2 GB ram...yes?
You will need to buy 4GB of RAM to run Lion well, the 2GB is just a bare minimum, and your processor is a bit dated.
Lion 10.7 is certainly slower than Snow Leopard 10.6, in fact so many wanted to go back to Snow Leopard and one of the resons was Lion was slow.
So I wrote a User Tip, here, but the Tips were implemented only recently.
How to revert your Mac to Snow Leopard
Question B: If the answer to A is "not a good idea", then do I just need a new computer (i.e. better processor)? Or do I need more Ram? And can I add Ram to this computer, and is it relatively easy? I have added Ram to PCs tons of times, and you always have to determine type of Ram for your board, make sure they "match", or whatever, and then open up the machine and install. Kind of a pain, but once I have the "right" type of Ram, opening the CPU and installing is within my abilities. Will it be harder for a Mac?
RAM is easy, you can buy it at Otherworld Computing or Crucial.com and install it yourself, there is a little door under the monitor.
Videos online at YouTube.
When upgrading an OS on a Windows, you pretty much format the harddrive and start all over. Back in the day I was a PC user, there wasn't really a "great" way to back up programs and files, so this was a nightmare. You could NOT just back-up software. You typically had to re-purchase and install it all from scratch. Is this the same with Macs? Furthermore, personal files were scattered all over the hard-drive for the individual software...so trying to back all that up to get it back on the new system = nightmare! I hate PCs.
Mac'soperaing system is seperate, it can be replaced or upgraded indepentantly of programs or user accounts on the machine.
There are some programs that install a kernel extension file at boot into OS X, those get knocked out, but those can be replaced with a new install of the software.
You should always backup your users files as those can't be repalced.
 Most commonly used backup methods explained
Question C: When upgrading from Leopard to Snow Leopard to Lion, what is the best way to ensure I keep all my programs and files.
OS X upgrades dont' affect User accounts but they can have a affect on programs installed, which most of your 10.5 programs likely will no longer work in 10.7
However they will (with a slight update) work in 10.6 just like before.
You need to backup regardless, I suggest a manual backup of users files to a storage drive, a 10.5 clone on another drive, the your ready to upgrade to 10.6
10.5 to 10.6 upgrade is rather painless, also 10.6 gives accelerated video drivers, so your machine will appear faster.
However once you install 10.7, you will slow down.
Does Time Machine really do a good job backing up everything and all things?
No, you shouldn't rely upon TM, have a multiple backup stragedy, TM files are hard to access directly.
Is it just a matter of upgrade to Snow Leopard...then immediately to Lion...and then some sort of "Restore" from Time Machine?
No need to restore, OS X upgrades and leaves everything else in place, just some programs (with 10.6) or a lot (with 10.7) when you try to launch them they will fail.
Also when you connect TM it will do a substancial change to reflect the new boot drive.
If you were using TM as a "storage drive" thinking you can use the archived versions later, that wil change upon the new OS X upgrade.
But in any event, my external drive crashed a few months ago, and I haven't replaced it, yet. So, I am replacing it soon and will get Time Machine back up and running...setting it up again, etc...leading to question C..
You need not only TM drive, but a bootable clone and user files on a storage drive.
 Most commonly used backup methods explained
Will I have to re-install all the various applications I have installed on this thing? (like with PCs?)
No, depending upon what OS X version you stop at depends how many programs no longer work.
You will have to buy a lot of new or upgrade versions with 10.7, not so with 10.6 only updates mostly because of Rosetta on 10.6 and not on 10.7
My opinion, since that machine is a bit dated, is to upgrade to 10.6, Software update to 10.6.8, and stay there.
Later on 10.8 is being released after this summer, you may want to consider getting a new machine with 10.8 a few months later to ensure all the bugs are worked out of it.
Your not a comptuer savvy person, you like most Apple users expect your machine to "just work" I think going to 10.7 will be a bad experience for you.
10.6.8 will server your needs until 10.8 is released and on new hardware where Apple will hold your hand for free for three months, 3 years with AppleCare.
Your not a "OS X upgrader type of a person" and Apple needs to get of thier collective assets and pay better attention to it's most common users.

BackUp Question External Drive

So I dont like Lion and by the looks of things Mountain Lion is the same. I'm going to be downgrading to SnowLeopard and I got a question. I bought a MyPassport External Drive for Mac and I was wondering something. If I am on Lion now and I back up with TimeMachine, then downgrade and select BackUp from TimeMachine, will it back up Lion aswell!? And if so, is there a way for me to back up my Lion then go back to SnowLeopard on a clean install then choose what I wanna back up manually not the whole back up?

You would probably be best off making your other drive bootable in Snow Leopard and then you could startup in SL and pull your Apps, Data, Files, Pictures and Music back into SL from the Lion sideof things. You'll be able to go into the Lion partition and copy your stuff. Not elegant but it works.
Lion to Snow Leopard
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3988120?start=0&tstart=0
Borrowed from Kappy,
Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your external hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
7. After formatting is complete quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard being sure to select the external drive as the target.
Note that you will need a Snow Leopard DVD. The above will only work for you if you can boot your computer from a Snow Leopard DVD. If you have a new model that came with Lion pre-installed then the above will not work because a Snow Leopard retail DVD cannot boot your model.

Yoga 2 13 system image backup question

Hello:
I just bought a Yoga 2 13" ultrabook with 128Gb solid state drive. I tried to make an initial system image backup according to the steps in the manual, but could not do it. The manual instructs me to use the Novo button to invoke a menu with "System Backup" as an option. There is no such option on the menu. I found a post on this forum that directed another person to use the Windows 8.1 control panel system backup option.
I did make a Windows 8.1 system image backup, but now I have no idea of what I should do to perform a restore, should I need one.
Is there a conventional process by which I create a USB bootable disk that can then be used to restore the Windows 8.1 image? Or does the OneKey restore have that as an option?
Bottom line problem is:
I need to make a system image backup that I can use to restore all of my partitions, should I need to do so. And I need the procedure for doing the restore.
Thanks!

Hi Rudy1212,
Welcome to Lenovo Community!
I understand your concern and the OS (Operating System) can only be backed up in a USB Flash Drive. Below is the link to perform the same:
How to Create a USB Recovery Drive and Use it to Recover Windows 8/8.1?
Do post us back for further queries
Best Regards
Shiva Kumar
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Resolution, audio, alpha channel, and backup questions (newbie)

Hello!
Well, after a few weeks of fidgeting around with FCE, I've come up with quite a few questions:
Image/Audio questions
A. What is the best still image size for import to a NTSC DV movie? Is it the 720x480 px (3:2 aspect ratio) standard of the DV image, or the 4:3 ratio of your generic CRT TV?
I know it depends on pan/zoom. This brings up the next question:
B. I have a still image - literally a blue and black two-color image - that I'd like to zoom. It will start out with a very close shot - and zoom out until it takes up around 10% of the screen. The ending frame (the DV size) will be about 10-12 times smaller than the original image. Does this mean that I should make the original 10-12 times bigger (in both directions) than a DV frame?
This clip is essentially an imitation of the opening of the movie "Home Alone", where the screen begins blue, and as it zooms out, you see it's a stylized house, which zooms out to a tiny size. That's essentially the effect I'm going for.
Audio/Video sync issue
C. Some of the clips I've imported from old iMovie projects are a little out of sync. It's not a conversion issue, but an issue with bad editing on my part . So, I have a still image that's about 1.5 seconds too short - it cuts to the next still, which is 1.5 seconds too long. I've added edit points at both ends of the out-of-sync clip, so that I have a 1.5 second clip, with its own audio and video.
The problem is that the audio is perfect, but the video is bad. So, I need to replace the video, without changing the audio. How is this done?
D. Sometimes, I'll end up with either audio or video that's not quite right after importing a movie. However, FCE locks them together. Is there a way to unlock them so that I can change either? Essentially, is there a way to change the audio and video from one clip into two seperate clips?
E. Can I export a single clip or two only? (eg - the same as the "Share selected clips only" check box the iMovie's share menu)
Alpha channel/marquee question:
In one idea I had for this short, I have a still image (and some video) where I'd like to highlight a small area in one part of the image. In one part, it's a small object in the background that I'm highlighting. If you've seen a documentary where they have a group photo, and highlight the face of one particular person, that's the effect I'm going for.
I've made some Photoshop images that can achieve this effect - using a transparent background, a black top layer (at ~40-80% opacity), and an eliptical marquee for the highlighted portion. I then import it, and fine tune the location/size. It works, but it takes a lot of time to talor each shot. Is there some way to do this IN Final Cut Express? A filter perhaps?
In addition: (alpha-video)
is there a way to turn part of a video into an alpha channel, so that it's transparent in the final movie? It's not so much a solid color (as the bluescreen/chroma key technique would need), but more of background. For example, I would like to take some footage of my family walking in front of trees, remove the background, and place an entirely different video/still in. Is that possible?
Backup: FInal question:
I have my source media organized fairly well on my external drive. However, if my drive should die, It would be incredibly tedius to re-link all the files. (I do have a fairly current backup of the external files). Not to mention finding the orignal capture files, re-timing the project, and so on. The project file itself is probably the easiest to back up.
So, how do you back up EVERYTHING? Some projects may have hundreds of files, all over my external drive. Is there some easy way to back up all the files into a single place, like a single folder or DVD, so that if my drive should fail, all the files are in one spot?
I can export them back to a miniDV tape, but I don't have that many, plus they're $5 a pop. I can do this with Toast, but I'll likely end up missing some out-of-the-way files. If only .Mac's Backup had a Final Cut preset.....
I know that's a BUNCH of stuff up there, so if you can help with any of them, i'd be appreciative.
Thanks,
Daniel
15" 1.67 Powerbook G4 (non-HiRes), Slot loading iMac DV SE Mac OS X (10.4.7) 1G RAM on PB, 384 MB iMac.

Try breaking these up into separate questions. Easier to answer and easier to be found by someone searching for answers to the same question.

Setting up C340 20" non touch all in one pc/backup questions

Hello there I have just bought two C340's and I am nervious about setting them up, I have gone through the prompts and it says I am up and running now. But as it came with windows 8 preinstalled I don't know if I should be backing up Windows 8? I says stuff in the instructions about if you install you own OS to create a partition otherwise if you install it in c drive it will be wiped as part of the onetouch backup? But I am not sure if I have read this correctly. Should I be creating a recovery disk..of the OS or other parts? If so how? I also got a disk which says 'drivers' but it was never asked for in the basic setup prompts, and the pc says it is ready to use, so am I to suppose this is a spare copy? Lastly I have read alot on this forum about the re-sizing/repartitioning the c drive and the effect this has on the onekey back up. I don't know if this also applies to my C340 but it scares the hell out of me, I daren't touch anything now, and if the same applies to my pc than the other people having c:/d: drive/onekey backup issues should I be saving everything to the d drive as the c drive is nonexistant, fills up fast and stops the onekey dead? Thanks in advance.

hi confuseddotcom,
Welcome to the Lenovo Community.
Regarding your questions:
1. For a brand new PC, It's highly recommended to create a recovery disc so that in event of a system crash, you can always restore the computer to factory defaults. Check this guide on how to create a recovery disc on Windows 8. As an alternative, you can use Aomei Partition Assistant Home Edition or EaseUS Disk Copy Home Edition to clone the HDD.
2. The driver disc contains softwares and drivers for your Lenovo C340. I recommend you keep this disc just in case to save you the hassle of downloading the drivers on the lenovo website.
3. If you're PC came with a 500GB or 1TB HDD and has partitions, you can save your files on the partition that has more free space. If you resize the partitions by using disk management, the OKR functionality might get corrupted. Make sure to check this guide on how to create a recovery disc on Windows 8.before you resize the partition.
Hope this helps.
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ICloud storage and backup question

According to the most answers that I have been searched here in iCloud ,I found out that iCloud didn't back up all the photos on my photos stream (which I couldnt restore them later -_-") but pictures will be keep in iCloud photos stream just for only 30days Then will be deleted forever. As I experienced updating iOS recently,my phone was cracked during upgrading and I have to restore everything in my iPhone as a default factory setting. once I backup my photos from iCloud,I got only photos that I clicked back-up manually since 2012 :"( and all my new photos were not appeared forever. In this case,that iCloud didn't keep those photos,why my iCloud storage is showing full?? Any idea...pls advice..

Your iCloud backup only includes photos (and videos) in your camera roll. It doesn't included any photo stream photos. You are correct that photo stream photos only remain in iCloud for 30 days. If you have photo stream photos that are not in your camera roll that you want included in your iCloud backup, you have to save them to your camera roll before performing the backup.
Zushee wrote:
As I experienced updating iOS recently,my phone was cracked during upgrading and I have to restore everything in my iPhone as a default factory setting. once I backup my photos from iCloud,I got only photos that I clicked back-up manually since 2012 :"( and all my new photos were not appeared forever. In this case,that iCloud didn't keep those photos,why my iCloud storage is showing full?? Any idea...pls advice..
Sorry but I don't understand what you're asking here. If your question is why is your iCloud storage full, you can find out by going to Settings>iCloud>Storage & Backup>Manage Storage to find out what is using your iCloud space.

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