SuperDuper

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
This question is for someone well acquainted with SuperDuper.

I have a very large folder that has changes in many of its subfolders from day to day. I would like to back it up daily, but I can't figure out how to do it with SD. I've been copying it about once a week (during the night), but it takes hours to do it that way. SD would copy only the changes and wouldn't take long.



I tried backing up Users and deleting what I don't need, but obviously, that's mickey mouse and time consuming.

Anyone know how to back up just one folder?



Could this backup be made to a large flash drive using SD?

Thanx

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Don't know if this is of any use to you, but I use SD for archiving and Time Machine for incremental backups. It's built in, has a nice interface, automated, and makes browsing changes pretty easy.



    Time Machine does allow you to exclude folders, which is a cumbersome way to get to "just this folder", but it can be done.
  • Reply 2 of 9
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    I use Carbon Copy Cloner more these days and it has the ability to do single folder backups - just choose incremental backups of selected and choose the folder.



    http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html



    It doesn't matter if you mix the use of Superduper or CCC as they are just copying files.
  • Reply 3 of 9
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sequitur View Post


    This question is for someone well acquainted with SuperDuper.

    I have a very large folder that has changes in many of its subfolders from day to day. I would like to back it up daily, but I can't figure out how to do it with SD. I've been copying it about once a week (during the night), but it takes hours to do it that way. SD would copy only the changes and wouldn't take long.



    I tried backing up Users and deleting what I don't need, but obviously, that's mickey mouse and time consuming.

    Anyone know how to back up just one folder?



    Could this backup be made to a large flash drive using SD?

    Thanx



    Adda is right.



    SD clones the HDD. Copies the entire volume. TM will work better for your purposes or retrospect.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member
    Thanks Marvin, that's what I need. There is a problem with CCC, though. Although I check "incremental", CCC erases the file and rebuilds it. However, it takes less than half the time that SuperDuper does to do so. I'm satisfied.



    Both back-up systems are working with a handicap. I use my old G4 800 for this large file and a bunch of other stuff. To make matters worse, I'm using a USB iOmega hard drive. SuperDuper recommends FireWire and strongly suggests NOT using a USB. I don't know what CCC recommends. I will replace the USB HDD with a FW one in the near future. I'm also thinking of getting another Mini. One for business and one personal. I know, I know, I could use one Mini for both with 2 good HDD's. In any case, I'll get rid of the G4.



    My main external HDD is a LaCie FireWire and works well with SD.



    Addabox and Backtomac: Thanks for your input. As you can see from the above paragraph, I'm using an old G4 and no TM. CCC will save me from having to BU 'Users" and excluding MANY files. Both TM and SuperDuper have that option, but it would be a lot of work.



    You and AI have helped me out so often, I don't think I could function without you. I am just tech literate (actually tech-challenged) enough to get myself into hot water. It's fortunate that AI doesn't charge for bailing me out or I'd be in deep debt.

    I really appreciate you guys.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sequitur View Post


    I'm using a USB iOmega hard drive. SuperDuper recommends FireWire and strongly suggests NOT using a USB. I don't know what CCC recommends. I will replace the USB HDD with a FW one in the near future. I'm also thinking of getting another Mini. One for business and one personal. I know, I know, I could use one Mini for both with 2 good HDD's. In any case, I'll get rid of the G4.



    My main external HDD is a LaCie FireWire and works well with SD.



    I think it's good to get rid of the G4 as the performance is much lower than the Mini. It's a shame they didn't make it easier to open. If you don't want to open it up, I'd recommend the base model with 2GB Ram upgrade.



    The drive that comes with it is only 5400 rpm but it is actually double the speed of older 5400 rpm drives. I think they may have used drives with perpendicular recording, which improves the write speed. I noted something like 50MB/s. My internal 7200 rpm gets about 65MB/s.



    For external firewire, you notice the difference more with firewire 800 as opposed to firewire 400. My USB 2 drives get about 30MB/s, firewire 400 is round about the same at 35MB/s and my firewire 800 gets 70MB/s.



    One thing to watch though is that drive performance drops sometimes when a drive fills up over 75%. My firewire 800 drive drops to 50MB/s when it's close to full so choose a storage drive that is 50% more than you need.
  • Reply 6 of 9
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member
    The first time I used CCC to increment the large folder originally backed up by SuperDuper, CCC erased the SD BU and took several hours to re-save the folder. There must be some vestige of SD that CCC doesn't like.

    Subsequent BU's take about 2 minutes. CCC is great, especially for my needs at this time. I'll still use SD for other BU's. One size DOESN'T fit all.





    There are so many members flaming other members because of opposing opinions that I can't help wondering about their motives - and sanity . In some cases, I guess some arguments are warranted, but why do they have to be so nasty. There ought to be a lot more appreciation for AI and it's "positive" members. I am in awe of the knowledge and help that I derive from this forum, and that's a small percentage of the vast experience and information all AI members can tap into. It's too bad some bad apples can't see the forest for the trees (pardon the mixed metaphors).

    Again, let me state my appreciation to you guys.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    taurontauron Posts: 911member
    Time Machine is the best software there is for both archiving and incremental backup. I would recommend uninstalling SD and going with TM using an attached external.



    Its fast, safe, reliable, easy, practical, cheap, you can't go wrong really.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member
    I agree, Jack. Dave Nanian returned my email within a couple of hours and, in another case, within one hour. He pointed me in the direction of backing up a single folder - although he said SuperDuper was designed to copy an entire volume and strongly suggested to use it that way.

    Of course, I do back up my entire hard drive on schedule.

    I had also asked him about backing up to a thumb drive. He suggested that the thumb drive be formatted as HFS+. That worked. I was able to put my single folder on a Verbatim 8 GB USB drive.
  • Reply 9 of 9
    piotpiot Posts: 1,346member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jack2009 View Post


    have used SuperDuper for more than five years ....



    Yeh like hell you have. Your post copied from http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/22126



    Your other posts are basically the same and there's spam in your sig. Just how stupid do you think we are?



    Reported
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