[Pangaea]

EDIT: This thread should be able to guide you thru it, quite an easy solution that I never thought of until I posted here. I figured others could use it with all the big digital music collections out there. Below is my original question and what follows are step by step instructions that helped me thru it (there are also some other good suggestions along the way).


I need some input from people who use Macs to handle their digital music collection. Here is my info up front I am using the latest iMac with a 2TB Aux hard drive which holds about 1.5 TB of Music and Media (yes I know, a lot. Its basically every CD/ download I have bought since I was a kid). This hard drive is then backed up on another 2TB drive.

Now my question is this... what are you guys using for back up software? I have used both SilverKeeper and WD backup to mixed results. I really liked WD Backup which I started using about 3-4 months ago when I bought a Western Digital Drive but since upgrading to Snow Leapard it has all but stopped working. It just times out and I cannot adjust any settings.

So now I have gone back to SilverKeeper which is ok but it is slow and seems to duplicate stuff.

I would really like a nice easy backup solution that I can schedule and makes an exact mirror image of my music folder. So when I delete something from my original music folder or change something, the same thing is done to the backup.

What are you guys using? I don't have a problem paying for it either- but free is always good too, if it is a good solution.

Thanks in advance...

 

[Todd R]

What's wrong with Time Machine?
Install a copy of Mac OS on one of the drives and have it back up to the other drive.
That's free

It's also handy to have another bootable drive if you need to fix a problem on the main computer.
You might also try Carbon Copy Cloner which is what an IT friend of mine recommends.

 

[krmathis]

I use Time Machine, and find it to a nice job.
It create an identical copy of what you want to back up, and even better it make incremental backups with history of all the past stage.

Another option would be to use rsync. I have used that in the past with great result as well, so worth looking into.

 

[Pangaea]

Interesting, I never thought about Time Machine because I thought it only worked for the actual computer. So I just install SL onto the first Aux Hard Drive? Is that an easy process? I have never installed an OS onto anything but an actual computer.

 

[emurray]

SuperDuper by shirtpocket software is also nice. Makes an exact clone of a drive and makes it bootable.

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting, I never thought about Time Machine because I thought it only worked for the actual computer. So I just install SL onto the first Aux Hard Drive? Is that an easy process? I have never installed an OS onto anything but an actual computer.

Since you have your music and media backed up on 2 separate drives (a great plan, by the way!), I would personally recommend just using Disk Utility to erase/format one of the external drives. As soon as the process is completed, you'll be given a prompt to use Time Machine to configure the drive for backups. Just go ahead and let it use the drive as a Time Machine backup drive, and let the backup complete. If you normally leave the external drive disconnected from your iMac, you'll be reminded every 10 days to do a backup with Time Machine.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting, I never thought about Time Machine because I thought it only worked for the actual computer. So I just install SL onto the first Aux Hard Drive? Is that an easy process? I have never installed an OS onto anything but an actual computer.

Why install SL on the first Aux Hard Drive?
Time Machine will back up external disks (non Time Machine ones). Just remove the disk from the Time Machine exclusion list, where it is automatically added.

 

[Pangaea]

OK guys, thanks for all this info. Let me play around and I will let you know how it works out. Again, thanks for the info.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Time Machine works for me, too.

 

[kb1gra]

I personally like Carbon Copy Cloner.

 

[Todd R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting, I never thought about Time Machine because I thought it only worked for the actual computer. So I just install SL onto the first Aux Hard Drive? Is that an easy process? I have never installed an OS onto anything but an actual computer.

It's exactly the same. It will just ask you which disk you want it on.
Of course it will erase everything in the 1st drive so make sure your 2nd disk has everything backed up first.

 

[Pangaea]

Bear with me as I am going the Time Machine route and just want to be careful that I am not going to wipe my whole collection.

So this is what I need to do?

1) in Time Machine Settings first select the disc I want to USE as the back up (which in my case would be the 2nd AUX 2TB Hard Drive)

2) Then go to Options and just make sure all but the first 2TB Hard Drive (Which houses the primary collection linked to iTunes) are listed. And to be clear the drives listed here are to be excluded/ not copied.

3) Then turn on Time Machine and let it take care of the rest?

 

[Todd R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why install SL on the first Aux Hard Drive? Time Machine will back up external disks (non Time Machine ones). Just remove the disk from the Time Machine exclusion list, where it is automatically added.

Guess that's an option too. I just like having a second bootable drive. It's a lot faster than trying to start from a CD if the need ever comes up.

 

[krmathis]

Pangaea. Yes, that should do it.
1. "Select Disk..." button to choose the disk you want to back up to. Make sure it is large enough capacity.
2. Hook up the external disk you want a backup off, then remove it from the Exclusion list ("Options" button). At the same time add folders you want to exclude (if any).
3. Turn Time Machine on and wait...

 

[Pangaea]

Thanks all, I think that does it. I feel kinda stupid I had the best solution under my nose the whole time. This should work great as both my hard drives are exactly the same size and I keep them hooked up to my computer all the time.

I am going to edit the title of this so others who may have a similar question will be able to find this thread easier in a search.

So now I just let it do its thing... 1.5TB may take awhile.

THANK YOU!!!