backups

When discussing options for backing up or migrating data to new Macs, we frequently mention cloning as a way to do this. While Time Machine and similar backup schemes can create fully restorable backups of your system, the backups themselves are not bootable, so in order to use them as such you must restore them to an available hard-drive partition, which can take a number of hours to complete. Clones, on the other hand, do allow for immediate booting to the backup, and therefore are quite appealing as an option.

Cloning is when you basically make a mirror copy of … Read more

When Apple introduced iTools (which later became .Mac and finally MobileMe), the package included an option to back up files to your online iDisk. Apple's Backup utility could transfer user-defined batches of files to the iDisk as well as to local drives and optical discs. Backing up data online so you could access files from anywhere was appealing; however, the option of automatic backups to online storage has never really taken off. One big reason for this is Apple's backup option for OS X has switched from Backup and similar utilities to Time Machine, which is designed as … Read more

In yesterday's article on protecting your Mac from recent malware developments in the Mac community, I mentioned briefly to exclude specific download folders from your Time Machine backups or other backup options to prevent any downloaded malware installers from being retained in a backup. In response to this article, MacFixIt reader "Harry" wrote in wondering what to do if malware or other unwanted items do get backed up to Time Machine.

Time Machine runs every hour, so if you have installed the recent malware or another unwanted item and your backup routine has run, then it is … Read more

Hot on the heels of its iOS counterpart, online backup service Mozy just released an app for Android. That's a major perk for anyone already using the service to archive their data.

Mozy, of course, is the quiet desktop tool that automatically copies your critical files to the cloud. I've been a user for years, and just this week I had to take advantage of it after a sudden system failure. Worked like a charm.

The app, which is free, enables you to access your files on the run. You can, for example, retrieve Word and Excel documents, … Read more

I'm hoping this doesn't sell out as quickly as I think it will.

As I've said before, I have mixed feelings about security and utility software. Sometimes I think they do more harm than good. Plus, there are plenty of freebies that do the job just as well. (I'm thinking specifically of Microsoft Security Essentials 2.)

On the other hand, I always love getting something for nothing, especially when it's a software bundle worth $190. And there's value in choosing pro-grade software backed by live technical support.

Fry's is offering Norton Internet Security 2011 (three-user license), Norton Utilities 15 (three-user license), and Norton Ghost 15 absolutely free… Read more

The other day my awesome cousin Rachel and her equally awesome boyfriend Marc related an all-too-common tale of woe: several years' worth of home movies recorded on their hard-disk camcorder had suddenly and inexplicably disappeared. The sad part? They'd never taken the time to offload the videos from the camcorder to a PC.

If you've ever lost personal data--photos, documents, or whatever--you know how devastating this can be. (And take it from me: this is not the moment to say, "You should have made a backup!" You can't kick a person harder than he's … Read more

Many times when systems have troubles that may take an extensive amount of troubleshooting to sort out, the easiest solution is to perform a system reinstallation. Before doing this, though, it is always advised to have a backup of your system (or your data at the very least); however, in instances where you cannot boot your system, this may seem impossible to do. Despite this, if you have a system that cannot boot but you need to back up, there are some options available to back up the drive before wiping it clean.

The first thing you will need is … Read more

SugarSync, the popular solution for browsing, backing up, and syncing your files across multiple devices, is now available on the Android platform. If you're not familiar with the program, its concept is simple. Download SugarSync on all of your computers and mobile devices, and select which files and folders to sync. Then voila, access your files and folders from any of your devices, or through the SugarSync Web site. It's a super convenient service that you probably won't truly appreciate until you try.

The mobile app installs and syncs in seconds, provided you already have a SugarSync … Read more

Over the years I've shared a variety of DVD rippers, but most of them were designed to copy your movies to other formats: iPod, Android phone, MPEG-4, and so on.

Digiarty Software's new WinX DVD Copy Pro was built for DVD backups. It can clone a disc, turn it into an ISO image file, or convert it to MPEG-2.

The program normally costs $35.95, but today only, you can get WinX DVD Copy Pro absolutely free.

The software comes courtesy of Giveaway of the Day, a great source for freebies like this one. There are no strings … Read more