A better back up app. CCC?

Posted:
in Genius Bar edited July 2014

I’m interested in finding a good - better - best back up app. I’m currently using Superduper, but I need one now that would let me pick and choose specific files to copy.  

 

Carbon Copy Cloner will do that, but my older copy doesn’t work with Mavericks. I’m planning to buy the latest version which is said to work with Mavericks. 

 

I’d like to know what other AI members are using and if anyone has found a better app or method than CCC.

 

Thanks

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11

    These days, I just rely on the built-in "Time-Machine" function.  But I can certainly understand why some folks want more.

     

    I used to use CCC, but it's been a couple years ... I LOVED it... you could make simple back-up drives of pick-and-choose files, or the entire drive... or even choose to make a BOOTABLE back-up of your drives... hugely customizable and very powerful... also fairly simple if you just want a basic back-up.

     

    I tried Time Machine when I was going to have to re-buy CCC (to maintain compatibility with a newer version of OSX) several years ago, and just never went back.  I wasn't at all dissatisfied with CCC, I just tried something new for free and didn't feel I needed the additional features of CCC anymore.

  • Reply 2 of 11
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by KingOfSomewhereHot View Post

     

    I tried Time Machine when I was going to have to re-buy CCC (to maintain compatibility with a newer version of OSX) several years ago, and just never went back.  


    I'm probably asking in vain, but is it possible to pick and choose selected files to back up in Time Machine? 

     

    Does anyone else have a favorite back up system? Will it back up selected files?

  • Reply 3 of 11
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sequitur View Post

     

    I'm probably asking in vain, but is it possible to pick and choose selected files to back up in Time Machine? 


     

    Yes.

     

    It's default position is to back up the entire start-up drive.

    But you can go into options and select files and folders to skip or add other (external) drives to the back-up items, etc.

    Time Machine is actually fairly flexible, but not as powerful as CCC.

  • Reply 4 of 11
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member

    Thanks,  KoSH,

     

    I had used Time Machine in the past, but when I had a meltdown awhile back, Time Machine backups were nowhere to be found.  They reappeared when I "upgraded" to Mavericks. I'm going to trust it again but with fingers crossed.  

     

    Options is good as far as it goes but cumbersome at best.

     

    I would still like to know what other AI members are using.  Is CCC the best for backing up specific files or not?  What is?  I still need to 'pick and choose' before I reinstall Mavericks.

     

    BTW, I downloaded Time Machine Scheduler.  I wonder why Apple doesn't supply a scheduler; it's their way or ...

  • Reply 5 of 11
    Originally Posted by sequitur View Post

    BTW, I downloaded Time Machine Scheduler.  I wonder why Apple doesn't supply a scheduler; it's their way or ...


     

    “Why would you ever want to not back up your things? Do they not matter to you?”

     

    That’s their way.

  • Reply 6 of 11
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     
    Originally Posted by sequitur View Post

    BTW, I downloaded Time Machine Scheduler.  I wonder why Apple doesn't supply a scheduler; it's their way or ...


     

    “Why would you ever want to not back up your things? Do they not matter to you?”

     

    That’s their way.


    I've been having many problems with Mavericks. I need to do a clean install and don't want to have the same problems I have now; therefore, I want to eliminate as many possible trouble makers as possible.  Since I don't know what they are, I'll reintroduce them later, maybe one at a time. If you know of a better way, I'd appreciate your suggestions.

  • Reply 7 of 11
    muppetrymuppetry Posts: 3,331member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sequitur View Post

     

    I’m interested in finding a good - better - best back up app. I’m currently using Superduper, but I need one now that would let me pick and choose specific files to copy.  

     

    Carbon Copy Cloner will do that, but my older copy doesn’t work with Mavericks. I’m planning to buy the latest version which is said to work with Mavericks. 

     

    I’d like to know what other AI members are using and if anyone has found a better app or method than CCC.

     

    Thanks


     

    I use Déja Vu for targeted backups.

  • Reply 8 of 11
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by muppetry View Post

     
    I use Déja Vu for targeted backups.


    Thanks, Muppetry,

    That's a good backup app for me. It can pinpoint specific files to save.

  • Reply 9 of 11

    I'm a new apple user. Please suggest me for good Backup software for my iPhone 5.

  • Reply 10 of 11

    Deja Vu

     

    I started  using Deja Vu years ago and liked it because I was able to make ad hoc, or scheduled backups of my hard drive (clone) or any other files or folders. I paid for it twice.

     

    Somewhere the line, my scheduled backups would get almost to the end and then at the 11th hour get a dialouge box that the back up failed.  I contacted support and they advised that I should make sure that my "SafetyNet Folder was not imbedded in the same folder as the one that I was backing up to.  No problem... External Drive > Safety Net Folder, External Drive Backup Folder...

     

    I tried manual ad hoc backups and the first one I tried worked fine.  I set up schedules and then waited. I started having the same failures again.  I want back to manual backups and found that some passed and some failed.

     

    Finally, I just gave up on deja Vu.  I am using Memeo which runs in the background and once it has initially made the first back up, makes incremental back ups on it's own.  My system is running slow. I do not know if Memeo running in the background is responsible for this.

     

    I am taking a serious look at Super Duper and CCC as I need CLONES no older than 1 month on external drives in the event something bad happens. Worse case, I buy a new machine, and combined with my latest CLONE I am back in business.  I need at minimum WEEKLY of my entire home directory.  Having these backup's to have the cabability of restoring anything in your home directory is just a comfortable feeling to have.

     

    When time machine first came out, I used it faithfully.  (with nothing else...(bad move to depend on proprietary software that you dont have direct access to files that were copied).  Something happened to my mac and I thought no worries.  I have my TIME MACHINE Backup.  I went out and bought a new Imac. I discovered that the TIME MACHINE would not play nice with my new machine.  Lucky for me I had backups on another hard drive which I manually backed up by dragging the contents of my home folder to another drive.  "A la manuel"  manual processes.

     

    When the loss occurred, in between the time that  Time machine would not play nice and the time it took to copy everthing onto the new computer, load apps, configure settings, load Entourage, reconfigure all the email settings, there is the shock and fear that you have loss 20 years worth of data and praying that your manuel backups will minimize the damage.

     

    Ever since that dreadful day, I have gone overboard by some people's standards. TIME MACHINE, Backup software to make monthly clones, backup software to make weekly backups of home directory and just for grins, when the machine is not being used in the middle of the night, I use APPLE's BACKUP APP to copy a recent backup onto another drive that keeps 12 different copies and disposes of the 1st copy with the 13th copy.

  • Reply 11 of 11
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    donmiguel wrote: »
    I am taking a serious look at Super Duper and CCC as I need CLONES no older than 1 month on external drives in the event something bad happens. Worse case, I buy a new machine, and combined with my latest CLONE I am back in business.

    I'd recommend CCC. It is very easy to configure and reliable. It even has a facility to clone the OS X recovery partition so your external bootable backup can boot into recovery mode.
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