Backup App that DOESN'T erase my HD

[ehmjay]

Okay so I've been wanting to set an auto scheduled backup of my HD and cleared off some space on my one 300 GB HD.

I heard good things about SuperDuper but from what I can see it essentially copies everything and erases the HD... which would be bad as I have stuff i want to keep on there.

is there an app that will essentially create a backup (either in a special format or that is a bootable folder or something) that can reside on a HD along with other stuff?

honestly, even if I couldn't boot from that drive itself it wouldn't be the end of the world - I just want to make sure I have a backup of all the data - especially since im hoping to switch to leopard soon.

thanks!!

 

[Kash]

Maybe making partitions on the external drive would keep Super Duper from erasing the entire drive. I'm not sure though as I don't use Super Duper, but it seems like a plausible idea.

 

[MacKid]

All you need is Carbon Copy Cloner! You can even boot off your external! And the best part is, it's FREE! There's many great features, and it's Leopard compatible. Here's their website...

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

Hope this works for you!

 

[MacHeadCase]

If you pay for your license, SuperDuper! gives you more backup options, like scheduled backups, adding only newer or modified files to the existing backup, etc.

If it entirely erases the previous backup, you either didn't buy your license or didn't set up the options correctly.

I use that backup option, only adding the new or modified files to the existing backup.

 

[bobtomay]

Just to add, the initial full bootable backup by either SuperDuper or CCC is going to erase the drive or partition you select. And either one of them during the updates will keep the two partitions, your MacHD and the backup identical, so it is not a place for storing other stuff.

I do as Kash suggested above, have two partitions on my external, one for a bootable backup and one for my other junk.

As I am on Leopard right now, and SD is not yet updated, can't go in to see what options you have for other backup types.
CCC, I know will allow you to choose just individual folders to backup without erasing the drive, but it will not be bootable.

I do not know if there is an app that will allow you to resize the existing partition on your external in order to create a new partition for your backup without the loss of your data or not. Maybe someone else could answer this.

 

[ehmjay]

Okay, perhaps I'll just have to go with iBackup which I know will allow me to backup the whole directory structure and not screw up anything on the drives... there is already a lot of content on these drives which is why i dont want to erase them or re-partition them because if I lost anything I'd be in some deep trouble...

 

[hagios1972]

If you pay for your license, SuperDuper! gives you more backup options, like scheduled backups, adding only newer or modified files to the existing backup, etc.

If it entirely erases the previous backup, you either didn't buy your license or didn't set up the options correctly.

I use that backup option, only adding the new or modified files to the existing backup.

My MacBook's 160GB internal HD is almost full. I now have a 360GB external HD. If I use SuperDuper to clone my internal HD and delete some files to free up my internal HD, when SuperDuper updates next time around adding only newer or modified files, will the other files that I erased from the internal HD remain in the external HD? Is it best to partition the external HD? Thanks.

 

[MacHeadCase]

Yes that's what happens to me, SuperDuper! doesn't touch the old files unless they were updated and leaves the old files that haven't been updated alone on the external. That's why on the external HD, I have a ton of files and folders in my user's Desktop folder, some of them very old indeed!

But for this to work, you need to buy the licence: the freebie version doesn't give you that backup option.

See the screenie below for the option I am talking about...

 

[hagios1972]

This great! I will just have to wait for the SD that is Leopard ready. Thanks MHC.

One more question, based on your experience, is it beneficial to partition the external HD, say 160GB and 200GB, and have the internal HD clone in the 200GB? or is it best to just use the 360GB as one and just keep on deleting old files once already updated by SD?

 

[skybolt]

This great! I will just have to wait for the SD that is Leopard ready. Thanks MHC.

One more question, based on your experience, is it beneficial to partition the external HD, say 160GB and 200GB, and have the internal HD clone in the 200GB? or is it best to just use the 360GB as one and just keep on deleting old files once already updated by SD?

I partitioned my external so that one partition was the size of my internal (for use with either SuperDuper or CCC), and the other one is where I store all my photos, music, ect. Works great! No need to keep all those photos, etc on the internal and take up space.