What is the best way to backup my external drive?

Since it seems you cannot backup an external drive via Time Capsule (as far as I can tell) does anybody have a good solution for backing up an external drive? I keep all of my media (roughly 230GBs) on an external drive but I am not backing it up as of now for lack of a solution.
Thanks in advance

If the data is from your computer then you have a copy with your Time Machine. You can use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper to clone the hard drive.

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Is Time Machine the best way to backup two external drives?

I only have the most basic understanding of Time Machine. I hook up an external drive to my MacBook Pro, click "backup now" on Time Machine, wait a while, and forget about it because I've never had to use it to retrieve a file - thank heaven.
Now I also have two external 2TB portable drives that are close to full and which need to be backed up. I just bought a 4TB drive that I haven't taken out of the box yet. Is it a simple matter to create two Time Machine files on the 4TB drive ... one for each of the 2TB drives?
And is Time Machine the best way to do this? Or is there some other system that makes more sense for backing up on this scale and with two drives?
-JOHN

No Time Machine is not the only way.
You can use one of the drive cloning softeare programs to clone your internal drive to an external or you can use OS X Disk Utility to do basically the same thing, IE Clone/Copy your internal drive to an external.
But in your case it look as if the upgrading of the iPhoto database has wiped out alll your images. What you are actually asking about is "Can you now get back those photos without first doing any backup of any type".
And the answer to that is No you can not.

What's the best way to backup DFS using DPM 2010?

We setup DFS on two Windows 2012 R2 and they are hosting files. What’s the best way to backup DFS using DPM 2010?
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Bob Lin, MCSE & CNE Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net How to Install and Configure Windows, VMware, Virtualization and Cisco on http://www.HowToNetworking.com

Protecting Data in DFS Namespaces
Backup files and BRM of dfs01 and dfs2 for minimaze traffic.
If dfs01 and dfs02 have good channel width that use DPM to only protect a single “copy” of the data located on a server-specific local path.
Data Protection Manager 2010 Protection Best Practices
Have a nice day !!!

What is the best way to backup a MacBook Pro running OS 10.4.11

What is the best way to backup a MacBook Pro running OS 10.4.1?

When I was using 10.4.1, which was years ago, I used SuperDuper.
Allan

What is the best way to backup my computer before upgrading from OSX 10.5.8 to 10.6?

What is the best way to backup my computer before upgrading from OSX 10.5.8 to 10.6? I just purchased a WD portable external hard drive.

Use Carbon Copy Cloner http://www.bombich.com/index.html or SuperDuper. http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html Both make a bootable copy of everything on your hard drive.

What's the best way to clone my boot drive?

I just bought a new 500GB drive for my G4. What's the best way to clone my boot drive?
Is there a way to put the new drive on the buss as a second drive and then copy everything from my boot drive to the new drive? How do I make the new drive bootable?
Or
Do I have to install OSX on the new drive, put the old boot drive on the buss as a second drive and migrate everything to the new drive with the Utilities Migration Assitant program?
Are there programs available to make this easier? Where & how much?
Thanks for any help I can get.

bamim2:
Dr. Smoke's FAQ Backup and Recovery has excellent advice on developing a backup strategy.
You already have a larger extrnal HDD (Hopefully it is firewire?) The next step is to format and partition the HDD. (see step-by-step below). And thirdly you will need a good cloning utility. Carbon Copy Cloner has already been suggested, and the latest version is excellent. I, personally, prefer SuperDuper for its ease of use and efficiency. Both are great tools and relatively simple to use.
I mentioned the hope that you have a firewire. One of the wonderful benefits of using an external firewire HDD for backing up is that you can make a bootable clone. This gives you an emergency boot drive in case of a problem. It also gives you an external device for running diagnostics and repairs from the extnernal to the computer and vice-versa.
Congratulations on taking the first step toward securing your computer and your data!
Formatting, Partitioning Zeroing a Hard Disk Drive
Warning! This procedure will destroy all data on your Hard Disk Drive. Be sure you have an up-to-date, tested backup of at least your Users folder and any third party applications you do not want to re-install before attempting this procedure.
Boot from the install CD holding down the "C" key.
Select language
Go to the Utilities menu (Tiger) Installer menu (Panther & earlier) and launch Disk Utility.
Option for formatting an External HDD
Connect external HDD to computer
Turn on external HDD
Start up computer and log in
Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and launch DU.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in left side bar.
Select Partition tab in main panel. (You are about to create a single partition volume.)
Select number of partition in pull-down menu above Volume diagram.
(Note 1: One partition is normally preferable for an internal HDD. External HDDs usually have more than one. See Dr. Smoke’s FAQ Backup and Recovery for tips on partitioning external HDD
Note 2: For more partitions than one, after you have selected the number of partitions you can adjust the size of the partition by selecting the top partition and typing in the size; then move down if more adjustments need to be made..)
Type in name in Name field (usually Macintosh HD)
Select Volume Format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Click Partition button at bottom of panel.
Select Erase tab
Select the sub-volume (indented) under Manufacturer ID (usually Macintosh HD).
Check to be sure your Volume Name and Volume Format are correct.
Optional: Select on Security Options button (Tiger) Options button (Panther & earlier).
Select Zero all data. (This process will map out bad blocks on your HDD. However, it could take several hours. If you want a quicker method, don't go to Security Options and just click the Erase button.)
Click OK.
Click Erase button
Quit Disk Utility.
Good luck.
cornelius

What is the best way to backup Address Book to external HD?

Hello there
I would like to backup my Address Book on an external HD. How do I go about doing and what's the best way to doing it?
I have a vague idea but not sure if it's the correct folder to drag to the external HD. I went to ~/Library/Application Support/Address Book. My question is this: Is that Address Book folder the correct one to drag to the external HD? Am I missing other important folders to drag along to the external HD in order for both the Address Book folders to be the same in my internal and external HD?
Thanks in advance!!

It would copy the information into a single file... The same as if you wanted to share your contacts with someone else-you could email the vCard to them, they would import it and have the all the same contact information imported into their address book.
For your own use, it's pretty much the same and works through the File>Import>vCards option in AddressBook.

What is the best way to backup iTunes on external HD

Hello there
I wish to backup my iTunes on an external HD. I'm aware that I should move the iTunes folder in its entirety over to the external HD so everything remains the same.
However, when I have new iTunes added in my library in my MacBook, what is the best way to add and backup those new iTunes in the external drive? Can I just do a drag and drop for those new iTunes files into the iTunes folder in the external HD?
Thanks in advance for your help!

Yes, if you don't want to clone the whole drive, you can pick and choose the files. If there is stuff already on the external drive, just be sure to deselect the button that tells CCC to remove any files not on the source drive. In other words, you want CCC to simply add more files to the external or update the ones that have changed. You do not want it to remove any.
CCC is a free download by the way. SuperDuper is a free download but the free version does not allow incremental backups, only a full complete backup which means losing what is already on the backup drive.
Patrick

What is the best way to backup ZFS filesystem on solaris 10?

Normally on Linux environment, I'd use mondorescue to create image (full & incremental) so it can be easily restored (full or file/folders) to a new similar server environment for restore purposes in case of disaster.
I'd like to know the best way to backup a ZFS filesystem to a SAN storage and to restore it from there with minimal downtime. Preferrably with tools already available on Solaris 10.
Thanks.

the plan is to backup whole OS, and configuration files
2 servers to be backed up
server A zpool:
- rootpool
- usr
- usrtmp
server B zpool:
- rootpool
- usr
- usrtmp
if we were to cut hardware cost, it is possible to back up to samba share?
any suggestions?

What is the best way to backup a 1 Terabyte external USB drive?

In order to keep my MacBook Air running speedily along and to free up space, I use this strategy to store my iTunes Library on an external USB drive.
I'm trying to think of the best way to backup a 1 Terabyte external USB drive. I'm told the hardware has a product life of about five years and some say to burn DVD-R discs of it as a backup, but that would require many discs.
Has anyone explored the viability of using FTP in conjunction with AWS (Amazon Web Services) to backup the iTunes Library to the cloud? Their file storage is quite cheap.
Any thoughts on the most effective way to backup an external USB drive?
Thanks!
AB

For a simple clone use Disk Utility's Restore option:
Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.
Others will suggest using Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper!.

What is the best way to wipe my hard drive for a clean install?

I've been having a lot of insane issues with my iMac like my Dock icons not staying, email messages showing in Mail but when I click on them I can't see any text, Spotlight finding emails and files that don't show on my hard drive, etc.
I've decided that I just want to wipe the whole thing clean and start from scratch. What is the best way that I can do this to make sure that absolutely no data is left on the drive and I am totally starting from scratch?

Hi David Hamilton1;
I guess that all depends on how critical your data is in relation to how much time you want to spend doing the erasure. Those higher level erasure options can take a significant amount of time to complete. Personally I don't have anything on my Mac that I think is worth more time then a simple erasure even if that does leave it some what recoverable. To me it seems some people are going overboard on this issue.
Allan

What's the best way to erase a hard drive?

I just switched all my "stuff" to my new Macbook and I want to erase everything off my old G4. Never done it before. Nervous. What's the best way?

Boot to an Install CD.
Run Disk Utility (X) or Drive Setup (9).
Initialize the hard drive with the Write Zeroes or Zero all data option.
It takes a long time, do not plan on doing anything for a few hours.
-- your disk is now completely blank --
Install any version of Mac OS, such as the one on the Installer CD. This allows the new recipient to see that your Mac still works, so it should not be immediately crushed.
Unless you have nuclear secrets on it, there is no need for 7x or 35x overwriting. After the Write Zeroes pass, your data is only recoverable to those who wish to disassemble it in a clean room with expensive special equipment.
For the extremely paranoid, there is always the "Hammer method":
Remove the hard drive.
Beat it to death with a hammer.
Remove the platters and use them to make a wind chime.
(Once opened, a Hard drive has a short time before the heads will crash and ruin some of the data, and possibly the heads themselves.)
Deleting all the files, which takes only a minute or two, only clears the Directory. It does not write over the data blocks. Simple programs like Norton Utilities can get the files back.

What is the best way to backup iPhoto?

Is there some kind of wizard to do this or should I just manually back up my photos on a blank DVD?

Tim:
It depends on the type of backup you want to do. If you want to just backup your original files, then burn the Originals folder (or as much as you can get on one DVD disk and the rest on another) to DVD disks. If you want to preserve the iPhoto organization, keywords, slideshows, etc. then you will have to: 1 - burn the entire iPhoto Library to another media, a DVD disk if it's small enough or another hard drive via the FInder; 2 - burn abut 4G of selected rolls via the Share->Burn menu to a DVD disk and the remaining rolls to a second disk. That will give you disks that will be usable in iPhoto like this.
By far, IMO, the best way is to have an external drive (preferably FW) and copy the entire iPhoto Library folder to the external drive and then use an application like Synk to update that backup each day. The incremental backups take only a minute or less as only the added or changed files are copied.
Regardless of the method you choose you should consider the tip at the end of my signature. It addresses what is, IMO, the most likely problem you're liable to encounter using iPhoto.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

What's the best way to backup all of my music and pictures?

I have a Mac Mini with the Super Drive and i was woundering which is the best way to back all of the music that i have bought from iTunes and pictures i have in iPhoto, that way in case my Hard Drive crashes or i buy a new Mac Mini i can just transfer the files onto the new Hard Drive, is buying a iPod Video or a external hard drive be the best thing to do or can i just burn everything on a DVD-R?
Thank you.

Wow, that sounds pretty easy, just drag and drop, but what exactly did you mean when you said "When restoring your data, ensure that all the iTunes and iPhoto files are restored before launching those applications"
What i was going to do is just copy (restore) all the data onto a external HD or a DVD-R and then make sure iTunes and iPhoto still has the same number of files and then i would check the DVD-R or the external HD to make sure that the files have been copied, right?
One more question, most of my music on iTunes was bought from the iTunes Music Store, will it still copy?

What's the best way to safely eject external backup drive

I just bought a new Seagate external drive and made my first backup. Their website said the best way to disconnect it is to drag the desktop icon to the trash. I apparently ruined my previous backup drive (Adata) by right-clicking and selecting "Eject" from the context menu. This same "Eject" option is available for the Seagate drive and I read on this forum that it's a safe way to disconnect the drive. However, after using my Adata drive for a couple of years and getting frequent warnings saying the it hadn't been ejected properly after the previous backup, last week it just wouldn't work anymore and backups simply failed. So I'm not feeling confident about how to safely disconnect my new hard drive... Thanks for any advice.

Things can happen to drives after a few years of year of use, even if the hardware itself is OK. The directory structure can get corrupted, etc. Choosing "eject" rather than dragging the icon to the trash isn't going to make a difference. I think Seagate tells users to do it because it's perhaps the simplest, most obvious method. Disk Utility can usually fix minor problems with your directory structure or volume info.
One problem with external drives is that some external enclosures are a lot better than others. So a drive can seem to be failing when in fact the enclosure itself has a problem. It's a good idea to have a spare dock or enclosure on hand to test for this possibility. A spare known-good cable is something else to keep in your "toolkit".

What is the best way to backup my external drive?

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