Make a backup of the entire macbook system a. Backups or where free space disappears on Mac. Can the drive be used to back up multiple computers?

2011 is coming to an end - we are all summing up its results and making plans for the future. Some promise to quit drinking, others - smoking, others - to play sports or lose excess weight. But, as a rule, it is difficult to say goodbye to habits if there is no strong desire and willpower. Why not promise to do it in the new year? backup files on your Mac device?

Doing this is much easier than fighting bad habits or exhaust yourself with difficult physical exercise. In addition, if this is not done, sooner or later you may lose valuable and irreplaceable information on your computer. And if you take into account that backups should be done regularly, you will have enough new beginnings for a whole year. Of course, this advice is not new at all and almost every user knows about the need to backup files, but this procedure should be done diligently and carefully so as not to start the process of irreversible changes on the device’s hard drive.

What to copy?

A year earlier, Chris Breen, in his work “How to Make a Thorough Backup of Files on a Mac,” spoke in detail about this process, emphasizing: “You can completely do without a backup huge amount files: applications from Mac App Store and other programs and applications for iOS available for download on the Internet. You also don't have to back up your email if you use by IMAP mail or Gmail account. On these postal services messages are stored on a remote server, so you can open your messages online. The question of information security and data confidentiality on such services remains open. You also don't have to make a backup. music files, if you use . Of course, backup provides a much higher speed of data recovery in case fatal error, but to save time and perform the operation relatively quickly, you can make a superficial backup of files.

The most important files that should be backed up in mandatory, are text documents in Word, photos, home video. Of course, if you want to do a more thorough data backup on your Mac device, check out other backup plans. We will concentrate on the most simple solutions, accessible to every user, even a beginner.

Backup using Dropbox is the easiest solution

Download Dropbox from the website and install the program. If everything went well, Dropbox folder will appear in the main user directory of the device, as well as in the sidebar of the search window.

You will be provided with up to 2 GB for free after downloading the program. disk space. If you have a few backup files at your disposal, this is more than enough. If you need extra space, you will have to pay $99 per year. Move important documents and photos to the Dropbox folder, and the service will synchronize them with remote server V automatic mode.

Installation Dropbox and upload to the server important information takes just minutes. But if you don't mind spending a little time and money, there are other ways to make a more thorough backup of the data on your Mac device.

Next simple solution: Time Machine

You probably know about free program Time Machine for Mac, allowing you to do backup copy data. But if you've never configured Time Machine, it's unlikely to come to your aid. But if you configure the program correctly, it will take very little time for the backup.

The plan is:

1. Buy another one HDD. For less than $100 you will get at least a terabyte of disk space. When purchasing, focus on drives that work with Mac OS; keep in mind that Thunderbolt drives are faster.
2. Connect the drive to the device.
The system will ask you if you want to use new disk for a backup from Time Machine, after your consent, a backup copy of the data will be created to a new disk. This procedure is very effective and most painless. If you purchased big disk, then you can be sure of the safety of your data just in case. The program saves information, and if you have already changed the file, you can always return to it old version, if such a need arises. Also, if you accidentally deleted a file, you can restore it at any time.

The advantage of Time Machine is the program's ability to make regular backups of data, even if the files are updated by the user. As soon as this happens, a new backup is automatically launched. In the event of a fatal error, the program provides a backup up to the minute of the previously unforeseen situation. And unlike Dropbox, Time Machine copies everything to another drive, and you don't need to check if all the files are transferred to the backup folder.

Time Machine can also be used to backup files to remote network drives.

Of course, working with Time Machine involves purchasing extra hard disk and regularly synchronize it with the program. But there is another possibility to do backup files, and this does not require additional Hardware, but only a monthly or annual subscription and Internet access. This:

CrashPlan

This program is already loved by many users. A subscription costs only $3 per month, thanks to which you can backup information on one computer; for $6 a month you can backup data on 10 computers personal use. These prices are valid for a one-time payment for a period of 4 years, but if you intend to pay monthly, then this service will cost a little more.

With CrashPlan there is no need to purchase additional hard disks for backup. CrashPlan backs up data via the Internet, which eliminates the possibility of a one-time error.

All you need to do is subscribe to CrashPlan, select a plan, download the appropriate software, and wait. The program will automatically back up files using worldwide network to CrashPlan servers. You can launch the application and watch the copying progress, or just leave the program closed and it will quietly do its job.
CrashPlan will also notify you by e-mail or on Twitter about the status of backups, and in case there has been no backup for several days. If you need to recover a file, you can easily do so through the CrashPlan app or website. Like Time Machine, CrashPlan backs up multiple versions of files, so you can access more than one if necessary. earlier versions files. The same applies to files that you have deleted. The service provides almost unlimited possibilities Reserve copy data for a reasonable price.

Bootstrapping Backup

But none of these systems, neither Dropbox, nor Time Machine, nor CrashPlan, provide for running a bootstrap backup. This means that you won't start your Mac if your hard drive fails. But this problem can be solved thanks to the mode emergency assistance Lion.

If you use Snow Leopard, or it doesn’t suit you Recovery Mode, but still want to make the backup bootable, the most suitable tools for this are SuperDuper and Carbon Copy Cloner. But working with them requires more attention and effort.

Make sure your backups are working

It's very good that you finally decided to do it. backup data. But how can you check if it will work? emergency? After all, you will agree that losing valuable data is a great disappointment, which is very difficult to cope with. And if there are no duplicate files on disks or flash drives, this frustration intensifies and becomes doubly unpleasant. That is why Macworld journalist Adam Engst even proposed celebrating International Backup Health Test Day. And we must agree that this is very good idea. This year the day falls on January 13th.

It’s easy to check if your backup is working: find a couple important files, make sure that you can successfully recover them in the event of a fatal error - and open these files.

After all, if the backup is inoperative, consider that it does not exist. Verification will help you sleep peacefully at night without worrying about the safety of your data.

Enjoy the start of the New Year and achieving your goals

If you started New Year Since you have pleased yourself with confidence in the safety of important information, you can consider that a good start has been made for changes for the better. After all, you will spend very little time on backup, but the result is worth it. A good start- half the battle.

The problem of data loss was relevant 10 years ago, it is now and will be in the future. Lose everything necessary information Can different ways: damage the media due to infection with viruses or accidentally delete them. There are not many ways to restore information, and restoring from a backup is considered the most reliable. What's the point - you protect yourself and make a backup copy of the necessary data, when everything is in order with it, but when an unexpected problem occurs, you simply restore it from the backup copy. Don't think that creating backups is hard handmade, not at all, today there are quite a lot of programs that will do everything for you; once you set up such a program, you can forget about it and remember only when you need to restore something. Already built into Mac OS similar program for data backup and it is called Time Machine.

In order to perform a backup (it is also called backup/backup) with using Time Machine requires OS X 10.5 Leopard or higher + external media where the backup will be performed (this can be external HDD, connected via USB, Thunderbolt or FireWire, network drive, AirPort Time Capsule or other similar Apple devices). Next, you need to decide on the size of the external media, the calculation is as follows: Space occupied on the hard drive MAC disk OS multiplied by two, i.e. If you have 50 GB of disk space, then you only need to allocate 100 GB of space for backup. To see how much space you have on your hard drive, click “Finder” - “Programs” - “Utilities”.

Then select Disk Utility.

Select your main disk and below you will see information about how much disk space is occupied.

In my case, about 60 GB will be needed for backup. The backup process will look like this, the first backup will be “Full”, i.e. the entire OS along with the data and will take up the same amount of space as occupied by MAC OS; all subsequent backups will only back up changed data and will require significantly less space. Time Machine stores:
- Hourly copies for the last 24 hours;
- Daily backups for the last month;
- Weekly backups for all other months of work.

As soon as there is not enough space on the external storage device, the old data will be overwritten by new ones.

From theory, I propose to move on to practice, connect the media on which you will make a backup, go to “Finder” - “Programs” - “Time Machine”.

In the window that opens, select "Select backup disk."

Select the media to back up to. If you wish, you can password-protect the backup; to do this, check the “Encrypt copies” checkbox. This procedure is optional and is only needed to protect your backup from outsiders.

If there is any information on this media, it must be transferred, since Time Machine will delete all information on it and format the media in Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

If necessary, you can exclude some folders from the backup; to do this, click the "Options" button, click on the "plus" and indicate those folders that do not need to be backed up.

Fair, not overpriced and not underestimated. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without asterisks, clear and detailed, where technically possible - as accurate and concise as possible.

If spare parts are available, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs require much less time. The website shows the approximate duration of any repair.

Warranty and responsibility

A guarantee must be given for any repairs. Everything is described on the website and in the documents. The guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and sufficient. It is needed to check quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that they will help you.

Half the battle is Apple repair- this is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so good service works with suppliers directly, there are always several reliable channels and your own warehouse with proven spare parts current models so that you don't have to waste extra time.

Free diagnostics

This is very important and has already become a rule of good manners for service center. Diagnosis is the most difficult and an important part repair, but you do not have to pay a penny for it, even if you do not repair the device as a result of it.

Service repairs and delivery

Good service values your time, so he offers free shipping. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of a service center: they can be done correctly and according to technology only in a prepared place.

Convenient schedule

If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient to fit in before and after work. Good service works on weekends and holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00

The reputation of professionals consists of several points

Company age and experience

Reliable and experienced service have known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years and has managed to establish itself as an expert, people turn to it, write about it, and recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the service center are restored.
Other service centers trust us and refer complex cases to us.

How many masters in areas

If there are always several engineers waiting for you for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken care of right away.
2. you give to Macbook repair an expert in the field Mac repairs. He knows all the secrets of these devices

Technical literacy

If you ask a question, a specialist should answer it as accurately as possible.
So that you can imagine what exactly you need.
They will try to solve the problem. In most cases, from the description you can understand what happened and how to fix the problem.

The developers of Carbon Copy Cloner announced new version utility that is fully compatible with macOS Sierra. This application allows you to clone hard section disk and store it separately, on another computer or external media. In the future, the Mac driver can quickly restore its system, with all applications, drivers, documents and other files.

The utility will also help with regular backups. To do this, simply select the source disk, check/uncheck the boxes next to the necessary elements and indicate the location where the copying will be made. All these operations can be carried out even from another PC over the network. Now, in the event of data corruption, equipment failure or any other disaster, it will be very easy to restore all information.

Carbon Copy Cloner allows you to create a full or partial clone of your Mac, moving it to another drive or saving it as a .dmg (disk image).

Step 1: Download Carbon Copy Cloner, run the application.

Step 2: Click the Source button and select Macintosh SSD.

Step 3: Now you need to specify the copy format by clicking the button in the Destination section.

Step 4: Select New disk image. Select the folder where your disk image will be stored.

If you need an image that you can modify, in the Image Format item, specify read/write sparse disk image. This will create a .sparseimage file. Otherwise, the utility will create a read-only dmg image. Optionally select encryption. Click OK.

Step 5: Click the Clone button to start creating a backup.

Step 6: The program will warn you that you will not be able to boot from the specified drive. Click Continue Anyway.

Step 7: After a few hours (depending on the amount of data), an image of your entire Mac disk will be created.

The developers of Carbon Copy Cloner have announced a new version of the utility that is fully compatible with macOS Sierra. This application allows you to clone a partition hard drive and store it separately, on another computer or external media. In the future, the Mac driver can quickly restore its system, with all applications, drivers, documents and other files.