What's the best way to backup before upgrading to Leopard?

I'm preparing to move to Leopard from 10.4.11 and need a little help backing up. I want to do a clean install, so I want as good a backup as I can get to my external firewire disk. The external drive is about the same size as my internal drive, and I am about half full.
My first thought was to use an rsync like solution and create a bootable backup. How cool is that? But it appears there are some issues with rsync, and those issues appear to have changed over time. My current version of rsync is 2.6.3, and it comes from samba.org. My guess is that is the default for 10.4.11, at least I don't remember changing it.
So now I look at rsyncX version 2.1. It wants to replace my existing rsync and the documentation I found didn't reference a version of rsync as current as mine. In addition, rsyncX does not exist in the Apple support world. That bothers me a bit. I just as soon stay away from the SuperDuper, Carbon Copy Cloner, etc., because they are way more than I need.
All this gets me to thinking that I might be better off just backing up user files. Currently my backup procedure is to occasionally back up user home folders. This is strictly a manual process, no scheduling required. KISS method usually works best for me.
It appears to me that when I copy home folders to the external drive, they are then available to any user connected to the drive. The current user becomes the owner of all files on the external drive with full read write privileges. Is this true?
So, I'm not looking for a backup solution, I'm looking to safely upgrade to Leopard. Time Machine will become my backup solution on Leopard, if I don't stick with my current solution.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Although certainly not the only option available the safest way to clone is to use the Restore option of Disk Utility. However, alternatives include the current versions of several backup utilities that provide cloning alternatives:
Recommended Backup Software
My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
1. Retrospect Desktop (Commercial - not yet universal binary)
2. Synchronize! Pro X (Commercial)
3. Synk (Backup, Standard, or Pro)
4. Deja Vu (Shareware)
5. Carbon Copy Cloner (Freeware - 3.1 is a Universal Binary)
6. SuperDuper! (Commercial)
7. Data Backup (Commercial)
Before cloning do the following:
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now shutdown the computer for a couple of minutes and then restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Message was edited by: Kappy

Similar Messages

  • 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 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?
    1. When doing data backup, do we backup both dfs01 and dfs02? Or just backup one of them?
    2. Beside the data, what do we need to backup?
    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 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'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 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.

  • I currently am using ML 10.8.5, what's the best way for me to upgrade to Yosemite 10?

    Hi Folks,
    I am currently using ML 10.8.5. What is the best procedure for me to follow to upgrade to Yosemite 10.0?
    Is Yosemite stable enough to upgrade to?
    I currently am running MAC OSX on an Apple iMac 27 late 2012 with 24GB of system ram, and 1TB Fusion HDD
    I have as a back up drive an external 1TB FW800 using Super Duper as cloning of my current 10.8.5
    I also use another external FW800 3TB HDD running TM
    Many thanks for any helpful suggestions

    you can no longer send to a group and now have to look for a + in the right corner and click on each addressee
    I welcome that.  Mass e-mails have a downside:
    You get implicated in them when you least want to.
    You get blocked by internet providers preventing you from sending to your contacts who are on those internet providers even when you haven't sent any, because someone else has you on their address list who does send mass e-mails, and you get "blacklisted."
    You get summarily ignored by others if you are believed to be a sender of them, as they will probably use the fact you mass e-mailed as a means of blocking you.
    Use BCC when mass e-mailing.
    You can always make your list of e-mails in a comma delimited fashion, and copy/paste it to the field you want.   

  • What is the best way to backup to CD's?

    Hello. I am in the process of deleting some of my photos from iPhoto to obtain more space in my HD. When I get a new computer with a larger HD I would like to put these photos back in the new iPhoto Library. There seems to be various ways of burning CD's and I wonder which one is the better method. I also would like these backup CD's to be used on a Windows computer if necessary. The ways I am familiar with are:
    1-Selecting a Album in iPhoto and clicking on the Burn button on the bottom right.
    2-Exporting the Album (or selected photos from the Library) to a folder on the Desktop, dragging that Folder to the CD icon and then dragging the CD to the Trash for Burning.
    3-A third way that seems to work is to select the Album, Export it directly to the CD that has been put in the drive and is showing as an icon on the Desktop.
    Would someone comment on the best of the 3 for putting the Photos back into an iPhoto Library AND for use on a Windows computer. Thanks for any info.
    emac 700mhz combo (Sep 2002) OS X10.2.8 Mac OS X (10.2.x)

    Thanks Brie and eww for the info but unfortunately I am still puzzled and hope you can bear with me. My iPhoto Library has about 11GB, approx 9000 photos in it so obviously I cannot back that up in ONE operation to a CD or DVD. I do not have a backup HD and it appears (as eww indicates) I cannot break the Library down into small sections to burn them to CD's(I do not have a DVD burner on this eMac). When I checked the HELP section of iPhoto,as Brie mentioned, it really didnt go into detail on Backing up the iPhoto Library. Here is what it says QUOTE Copy the iPhoto Library folder on your hard disk to another disk.
    For example, you can copy your iPhoto Library folder to an external drive or burn a CD or DVD of your photos. To learn more about burning photos to a CD or DVD, click "Tell me more.UNQUOTE. When I click on TELL ME MORE it simply goes back to the quote I just mentioned.
    So at this point, it would appear I have to obtain a separate HD to make sure the photos stay in their present form. Any recommendations on a HD that will operate from the 1.1 USB or Firewire 400Mbps on this eMac? Again, thanks for all your assistance. This can be a daunting task when there is the possibility of losing everything you have worked on for a few years! Cheers.

  • What is the best way to backup my MacBook Pro?

    I live in a nursing home and have very limited space.   I am also on a fixed income so it can't cost very much.   So, what would be the best and an inexpensive way to backup my MacBook Pro?

    You will need an external HDD with a capacity that is at least the size of the internal MBP drive.  A larger one will not hurt.  Then employ Time Machine which is the backup application already on your MBP.
    Peruse the Newegg website and Amazon for external HDDs that fit your budget.
    Ciao.

  • What is the best way to backup my iPhoto library online?

    I am new to iPhoto, and I am starting to organize my photos and videos. Once I am done, I would like to create a local backup of them as well as upload them to an online backup service. We are talking about some 80+GB worth of data.
    I was thinking about getting an account with CrashPlan, but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with backing up the library online. I read that Mozy backup services doesn't handle iPhoto's library too well because it breaks it up into chunks to store it, but upon wanting to restore, it has a hard time putting it back like it was. With other data, Mozy apparently works fine. But I assume other services work in the same manner, so I thought I'd ask what experience people here have had with this.
    I want an automated service, so that I don't to have to manually export the library to a folder each time, to then backup that folder. And of course, I would want that backup to be able to be restored (if needed) back into iPhoto, with all my events, keywords etc. as I have them now. I want both a local and an online backup.
    I appreciate any input, ideas or suggestions.

    FWIW I don't think there is a good option. There are very large amounts of data involved in an iPhoto Library - tens and even hundreds of gigabytes as your Library grows. We see complaints on here from people waiting days for their back up to download so that they can recover from a problem.
    I personally think that multiple hard disks are the way to go.
    FWIW my routine:
    My Library lives on my iMac. It’s Backed up to  two external hard disks every day. These disks are permanently attached to the iMac. These back ups run automatically. One is done by Time Machine, one is a bootable back up done by SuperDuper
    It’s also backed up to a portable hard disk when ever new photos are added. This hard disk lives in my car. For security, this disk is password protected.
    I have a second off-site back up at a relative’s house across town. That’s updated every 3 or 4 months.
    My Photos are backed up online. There are many options: Flickr, Picasa, SmugMug etc. However, check the terms of your account carefully. While most sites have free uploading, you will often find that these uploads are limited in terms of the file size or the bandwidth you can use per month. For access that allows you to upload full size pics with no restrictions you may need to pay.
    Every couple of months I test the back ups to make sure they are working correctly. It’s very easy to mis-configure a back up application, and the only way to protect against that is to do a trial restore.

  • What is the best way to backup four Lion workstations

    I have several Mac OS Lion Workstations and have used Retrospect in the past to backup, and (with poor success) restore missing files and complete drives. I had a recent failures of this concept/system and would like some advice about what can work better.
    My (client) Mac Systems all on Lion 10.7.1 unless noted otherwise:
    MacPro (1,1) with two internal 500GB, 250GB HD
    MacBook (2,1) 500GB HD
    MacBook Pro (6,2) internal 500GB HD
    MacMini (3,1) <- runs OS X10.6.8 at this time; internal 180GB, 1.0TB IEEE FW800 attached HD of music, movies and documents set up to serve to Apple TV.
    Currently available storage for backup:
    JBOD disks: 2x1.5TB, 1.0T
    GigE network wired connections
    Apple Airport Extreme wireless network 802.11b/g/n
    Currently running backup applications:
    Time Machine using the JBOD disks to backup entire client machine
    Parallels virtual media cloning (CCC)
    Applications cloning (CCC) on each system
    Purpose/needs of a unified network backup:
    Maintain an incremental backup using minimal storage to quickly retrieve missing files for a minimum of 30 days prior to a loss by error or failure of the internal connected storage system.
    Maintain a backup of entire drive snapshot in the event of disasterous failure of the entire system, or cloning a complete system onto a new / replacement machine, with or without a OS installed.
    Maintain (possibly) separate storage of a virtual OS- Parallels 6, as the incremental backup is by design limited to a clone of the virtual machine.
    Maintain a separate storage of items like applications so that space on the incremental backup can be conserved.

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

Maybe you are looking for