External Hard Drive Sync Software
I recently bought a WD Passport hard drive and want to use it to work on files between home and work. The pre-installed software that came on the drive works on Windows but not on a Mac. It uses a proprietary file system, so you must use the software to access the files.
Rather than manually backup/sync files, I was wondering if there was a software solution that allows you to sync files on an external hard drive, for both Windows and Mac? The software should be able to run from the drive, as I cannot install anything on the work computer.
Thanks
Rather than manually backup/sync files, I was wondering if there was a software solution that allows you to sync files on an external hard drive, for both Windows and Mac? The software should be able to run from the drive, as I cannot install anything on the work computer.
Thanks
Comments
I recently bought a WD Passport hard drive and want to use it to work on files between home and work. The pre-installed software that came on the drive works on Windows but not on a Mac. It uses a proprietary file system, so you must use the software to access the files.
Rather than manually backup/sync files, I was wondering if there was a software solution that allows you to sync files on an external hard drive, for both Windows and Mac? The software should be able to run from the drive, as I cannot install anything on the work computer.
Thanks
Check out the Feb., 2007 edition of Macworld which has a special review of backup/syncing software.
http://www.macworld.com/2007/01/maga...2007/index.php
Look particularly at Retrospective Backup which excels at network (pcs and macs) backups/syncing. This may be the best for your problem.
http://www.macworld.com/2006/12/revi...ct61/index.php
Backing up and syncing can also be done using commercial websites. You can Google this topic to see the available options and prices.
Note that Time Machine is coming in Leopard. We don't know all the features yet to come with this built-in backup/syncing app in OSX. Keep that in mind as you review the currently availbale software packages.
I'd stick with something simple like Carbon Copy Cloner. Does the job, the backup drive is readable without the software, and it'll get you through until we see what Time Machine offers. (My guess is that it won't solve your problem of needing to share the files.) Any chance you could work directly on the external drive from the work machine, and eliminate the need to sync to it from there? (Actually, any chance you could work directly on the drive from *both* machines?)
Stain, if you're comfy in the command line at all, check out rsync - it's already included, and while arcane and filled with more options than a Word menu bar, it's quite powerful. There are a few tutorials out there that will help you set up a basic stripped down sync system without too much pain.
Naw, I use rsync at the command line for sync. You're right, I forgot that CCC does not currently have sync capabilities. Go grab the 3.0beta though, and it does... through rsync no less. Looks like it's time for me to pony up another $5 for a license...
Stain, if you're comfy in the command line at all, check out rsync - it's already included, and while arcane and filled with more options than a Word menu bar, it's quite powerful. There are a few tutorials out there that will help you set up a basic stripped down sync system without too much pain.
K,
Tthanks for the info on CCC 3.0 beta and rsync. I'll check them out while waiting for Leopard/TM.
K,
Tthanks for the info on CCC 3.0 beta and rsync. I'll check them out while waiting for Leopard/TM.
I would run everything off of the hard drive, but i have heard bad things about running the WD 2.5 externals full time.
Actually, avoid Retrospect like the plague. ... You can't access the files except through their program, and the UI just plain sucks. Hard to use, prone to problems, and much more expensive than other simpler solutions. ....
I'd stick with something simple like Carbon Copy Cloner. ...
I've just had a very bad experience with Retrospect Express 5-point-something. Having finally learned how to use the thing properly, I had got to the point where I had forgiven it for being less that 100% user-friendly on the grounds that i was getting industrial-grade backup originally designed for much bigger and more complex systems than mine. If it works for them, etc..... I had 'rehearsed' a disaster and successfully recovered my boot disk, backed up daily onto an external FW HD.
What I hadn't rehearsed was the contingency where the disk on which Retrospect was installed failed, and the backup sets needed to be recovered using a fresh installation of retrospect somewhere else. But hey, if it works as advertised in situation A, it'll be fine in situation B, right? Wrong.
So the rainy day arrived and I congratulated myself for being fully backed up. I install Retrospect on a brand new hard disk and confidently tell it to restore. It refuses to recognize the 'catalog' created by the previous installation. It cannot, as it's supposed to, create a new catalog by parsing the backup file. In other words, i might as well not have bothered backing up at all.
And they want $67 to pick up the phone. Thanks.
So moving right along to CCC: does it reasonably easily permit the user to back up, for example, certain files or folders only from a volume? For example, experience teaches me that all I really need saved from a boot disk implosion are my Mailboxes folder from Library and my Address Book. Backing up those two files would be much quicker and space-economical than backing up the whole drive. With Retrospect, it could be done, although as you say, the interface was ridiculous and made it as difficult as it could humanly be. And when the solids hit the air conditioning of course, it was a waste of time....
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People say that backup three is worth 99 bucks because it is listed in the .Mac subscription but it really is free and powerful... you just wont be able to backup stuff to the iDisk that's all