Backup software that's user-friendly and useful? Must be Apple's.
WHAT YOU NEED
> Backup 3.0.1 (free with trial or full .Mac account, www.mac.com)
> Mac OS 10.3.9 or 10.4.2 or later
> .Mac account (optional, $99 per year, www.mac.com)
We're relentless about telling you to back up your files and Mac OS X settings - and now that Apple's released Backup 3 (free with .Mac account or free 60-day trial, www.mac.com), you've got no excuse not to. Here's how to back up smartly - just be aware that Backup doesn't make bootable backups.
Step 1: Plan Ahead
Don't wait until you need to use Backup to free up disk space; the app requires that you have enough free space on your hard drive to temporarily stash the files you're backing up - filling up a 4.7GB DVD with your hobbit-porn collection, for example, requires 4.7GB of free space on your hard drive. In a pinch, you can do your backup to multiple CDs instead-that way you only need one CD's worth of disk space (typically 650MB or 700MB), which Backup will reuse for each chunk of the backup. You pay the difference in time spent swapping blank CDs - not to mention the headache of keeping track of a majorly segmented backup archive.
You'll need to unlock your Keychain - it's up to you whether to Allow Once or Always Allow.
Step 2: Know Thy Backups
Backup 3 can create two kinds of backup files: Full backups and Incremental backups. As you might guess, the first time you execute a Backup Plan, Backup automatically creates a Full backup; subsequent backups are of the Incremental variety and contain only files that have changed since the previous backup. For even better incrementality, Backup saves the two most recent versions of files that have changed. If you're still annoyed that Backup uses boatloads of disk space to work its magic, take heart: Incremental backups are way smaller, and thus require way less disk space than Full backups.
The first backup (left icon) is automatically a Full one; you can force a new Full backup any time. All subsequent auto-backups (right icon) are of the smaller, Incremental variety.
Step 3: Dry Run
It's wise to verify your backup before you actually need it. After creating your first Full backup, pretend you've lost everything-use a different Mac for extra realism. First, find the Backup file (for example, Purchased Music - 2005.12.15-19.21.37.552.FullBackup) on your hard drive, iDisk, or optical disc. Whatever the destination, Backup creates a Backups folder at the root level and stashes your backups there (unless you designate a different location). Double-click the backup file to open the associated Plan. Check the Restore To An Alternate Location box, choose a destination, and press Restore Selection. Backup recreates the file path for you.
Backup even reminds you where your replacement data goes.
Step 4: Micromanage
If you're a rabid backer-upper, your Backups folder will fill up fast. To weed out the excess, launch Backup, highlight one of the Plans in your Backup window, and select Plan > Full Backup to create a new master backup for that specific Plan. This restarts this Backup Plan from scratch, so you can delete all of the Plan's other backup files. Obviously, if you back up multiple Plans to the same Backups folder, be careful when rotating your backups.
In a sea of backup files, it's easy to grab the wrong one.
