Is anyone else interested in a one-step, whole-system, Image-based backup solution for their macOS system with a BootCamp Windows-10 partition? If you have been around computers for a while, you know drives can fail at any time.
There's a 'continuous backup' option, which watches for changes to any files while you're working and automatically makes backups on the spot whenever you edit or delete any files on your Mac. Learn Macintosh backup strategies from backup expert W. Curtis Preston in this. Mac backup isn't a perfect story, but it's certainly better than what is possible with. You need to look for a cloud backup company that offers a 'seeding' option.
Backups are mandatory. I additionally like whole system Backup-Images because they can return the whole system to its previously (perfectly configured) state in a matter of minutes (without rebuilding and re-integrating data). A good example of this is (verified) Macrium Reflect images written to external HDD. I use that on my Dell systems. It provides for fast and easy bare-metal restores, but you can also restore individual files from the Images. I admit, I’m kind-of late to the Windows-10 BootCamp party. But I thought if I’m going to buy a new MacPro, and run both macOS and Windows on it seriously, I should probably install BootCamp on my MacMini and see what all the fuss it about.
My first impression is it installs and works amazing well. However, I notice that the BootCamp-ed Windows partition is automatically and purposely excluded from the TimeMachine backups. As a second fall-back position on my MacMini, I occasionally take a SuperDuper Image. However, it also does not support Imaging of the BootCamp partition. Fix path for mac download.
WinClone sounds limited and I think it’s kind-of expensive for what it does. The road to a full system recovery with it sounds long. I tried CloneZilla. The Mac Bluetooth keyboard doesn't work. But main problem was the file verification failed toward the end and then it crashed down. So, I'm looking for something like Macrium Reflect, but that works on the Mac. Kind-of surprised that Apple supports BootCamp, but doesn't provide a tool to backup the whole machine.
Paragon seems to be developing for the Mac, so maybe they have something? Just wondering if anyone here has a working solution or if anyone else thinks it’s important. Click to expand.Interesting. Sounds like Stellar writes the backup images to.DMG files. I guess that's normal since it runs on Mac side.
Pros: - Looks like a developer that's familiar with Data Recovery and Backup Solutions - Looks like a developer that knows Macs and has been working with them for a while now Cons: - Looks like eval version doesn't do much, so it costs $40 to see if you like it? Looks like is fulfills most of my 'solution requirements'. Some things I couldn't really tell if it supports are: - Can it do a bare-metal restore from it's own self-bootable flash-drive environment - Does it back-up every single partition (regardless of size, format, or function) - Are Images exactly Verified at end of backup (usually a long pass).
The Basics: Time Machine is Apple's backup solution, included in OS X. An external drive is required.
It backs up changed files every hour, and stores as many 'snapshots' as it can hold. After the initial full backup, it only stores changes to files, which makes things more efficient, and allows for more granular snapshots.
In addition to being able to do a full system restore, you can selectively restore older versions of specific files, which is handy in case you delete or make changes you didn't mean to. Using Time Machine on OS X 10.7 and later also enables ', which keeps snapshots of changed files on your main drive when you don't have your backup drive attached, provided there's sufficient space. Obviously this doesn't help if you have a drive failure, but in the case of accidental deletions, etc. It can be helpful. For more information, Apple's article is a good starting point. Online Backup If you're on the go a lot, you may want to consider an online backup service. Is a popular one, but there's also, and several others.
The advantages are not needing an external drive, and having an off-site backup to recover from in the event of something nasty happening to your house. The downside is the monthly cost (I believe BackBlaze is a flat fee, others have differing schemes based on how much data you back up), as well as the time required to back up over the internet.
These services only back up data that has changed, so after the initial full backup, things will get faster, but depending on your connection, it could be a bit problematic (particularly if you're travelling — most hotel Wi-Fi I've used isn't exactly speedy). SuperDuper is a longstanding Mac favourite. It will make a complete clone of your drive to an external drive, which is then bootable and usable exactly like your internal drive.
It also has a 'smart update' feature, where after the initial clone, it only updates the backup with changed data, to minimize how long backups take. SuperDuper is the best way to get up and running again after a hard drive crash — you can boot off your backup drive right away and you'll your full system. I'm listing this separately from the other online backup systems because it's not really a full backup, but it's definitely worth using. It's simply a folder that syncs to the Dropbox servers and wherever else you install your Dropbox client. Some limited storage of old versions of files is also included. 2GB is provided free, you can pay if you need more. The best use of Dropbox would be for your current working files.
It won't store everything, but if you use it for the files you most often need, or those that you're using lately, you'll have up to date backups from whenever you have an internet connection. Wrap Up You'll have to do think about what exact setup suits your needs best. Ideally, a robust backup system would include at least two or three of these options in combination, so that you have multiple fallbacks.
Looking For Perfect Backup Solution For Mac Pro
Looking For Perfect Backup Solution For Mac Mac
For example, you could do a daily or weekly SuperDuper backup, and then use Dropbox or Time Machine to restore the files you've been working on since your most recent backup. Adding in an online backup service for off-site redundancy will give you some added protection in the event your local backups are lost or destroyed.