Backing up your entire drive is smart, but you can also pick which folders to copy. Just don’t forget these folders. They’ll be lifesavers when it’s time to migrate to a new installation of OS X.
Preferences and Application Support files remember settings in your favorite applications, saved game data, and more. To find them, hold down Option and choose Go in the Finder, then select Library. In the Application Preferences and Application Support folders, look for files and folders named for your favorite apps, or back up both folders entirely, just to be safe.
1Password isn’t just for syncing your online identities. It can sync license codes and other files, too.
Even in a post–Mac App Store world, developers use license codes, passwords that unlock shareware apps or let you run software installed from disc. Many are sent by email, so make sure your inbox backups are up to date, or better yet, keep a text file containing your licenses in Documents. For more security, 1Password ($49.99, agilebits.com), the password and web identity organizer, can encrypt and sync the file—almost any file, actually—to be securely available on all your Macs.
You need more than just Google’s engineers to make Chrome tick—you need its browser setting files.
Surfing the web wouldn’t be much fun without your bookmarks, extensions, and other files in your browser settings. So keep ’em safe. If you’re using Safari, back up Home > Library > Safari. Chrome’s settings live in Home > Library > Application Support > Google > Default. Firefox users, your Profile folder awaits in Home > Library > Application Support > Firefox > Profiles. If you’re using Lion and you notice your Library folder is missing, you can always unhide it with a simple Terminal command: chflags nohidden ~/Library/
