Set up a rock-solid backup strategy so that you can restore quickly and completely, no matter what catastrophe arises. Read along as backup guru Joe Kissell helps you understand the three components of a solid backup strategy, implement that strategy in a way that meets your specific needs, and understand the hows and whys of what you are doing, taking you far beyond the limited security of turning on Time Machine or copying a few files to a flash drive or cloud service. You'll also find details on how to test your backup system, and on how to restore from backup. Whether you're running Mac OS X 10.7 Lion or 10.8 Mountain Lion, you'll soon have a reliable, up-to-date backup system. Although the 200-page ebook is organized so you can start backing up without reading every page, the full ebook will teach you to:• Design a reliable backup system. If you're developing a new backup system, you'll learn how to make it not only thorough, ensuring that all your data is safe, but also easy to manage and appropriate for your situation. If you're assessing an existing backup system, Joe discusses how to evaluate it and offers guidance for improving and modernizing it.• Talk like an expert. You'll learn the meaning of terms like "versioned backups," "delta encoding," "push" and "pull" backups, "duplicates," "server," "client," "incremental," "hard link," "mirroring," and "snapshot."• Choose backup software. Consider the pros and cons of Apple's free Time Machine and determine whether it's a good match for you--or if you should consider a different program with better features for your needs. You'll learn about 14 key features to look for in backup apps and find overviews and tips for 8 noteworthy products (an online appendix covers nearly 100 options), plus several suggestions for online backups. You'll also get Joe's recommendations to help you sort through the possibilities.• Shop for hardware. You'll discover the pros and cons of backup media options such as hard drives (with USB, FireWire, eSATA, or Thunderbolt interfaces--and with or without full-disk encryption), flash drives, optical media, tape drives, RAIDs, Drobo storage devices, Time Capsules, and NAS and SAN devices.• Operate Time Machine. Find out what goes on beneath Time Machine's simple surface, and how best to make use of Apple's built-in backup system, including how local snapshots work when your Time Machine volume isn't available, and how to encrypt a Time Machine backup.• Make backups. No matter what backup software you decide to use, Joe provides a conceptual walk-through of the entire process, offering basic information for people who've never made a backup before and savvy, real-world suggestions for making the backup process as easy as possible.• Deal with special backup needs. You'll learn what to do about certain kinds of data that may require special backup strategies, such as large media archives, frequently changing files that need special versioned backup treatment, and Windows files and volumes hosted on your Mac.• Manage your media. Diamonds may be forever, but backup devices are not. Disks fill up. They also wear out. Find advice for handling those realities.• Recover lost data. Use your backup to recover lost data successfully in the event of a hard disk crash or other calamity. After all, restoration is what's really important. Teach This Book: Once your backups are humming along reliably, can we encourage you to help your friends, family, and colleagues improve their backups before they lose data? This ebook links to a downloadable one-page PDF handout and PDF-based slides that you can present on any computer or mobile device screen.

Take the pain out of dealing with files and folders Version 2.0, updated May 23, 2023 Your Apple devices contain an overwhelming number of files and folders, and as these items accumulate, they create more work for you. Does your file management system involve throwing everything on the desktop and then pawing through it laboriously when you need to find something? Do you even have a system? There’s a better way. This book helps you organize, search, and clean up the files on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad, providing practical steps and realistic strategies to save time, reduce clutter, and decrease stress.n Apple users have fantastic tools at their disposal for using, creating, and editing files of all kinds, but few of us have any real strategy for naming, organizing, or tagging those files—making them increasingly difficult to find later on. In this book, veteran technology author Jeff Carlson helps you make sense of what could be millions of files on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad so that you can spend less time hunting for things and more time doing useful work (or having fun). Jeff starts by helping you set appropriate file management goals and develop overall strategies that fit your needs and preferences. Then he gets into the details of how to use the Finder (on a Mac), the Files app (in iOS and iPadOS), and third-party tools to make sense of your files and folders and easily find what you're looking for. This book covers topics such as: • How to keep important items in sync among your devices • Choosing when to use internal storage vs. external storage (such as an external hard drive, a NAS, or the cloud) • Whether and how to use iCloud Drive to sync your files, including Desktop and Documents folders • How to create shortcuts to your favorite files and folders • Understanding how the macOS folder hierarchy works • The best ways to use the desktop • What you should consider when creating a folder hierarchy • Why and how to use tags to categorize files • How you can automatically sort, rename, and file items on your Mac • Ways you can collaborate with others on the same files and folders • When to consider third-party information management apps (such as DEVONthink) • How to find files and folders with Spotlight in macOS, iOS, and iPadOS • Alternative search tools you might want to consider • How to work your way through a long backlog of unsorted (or poorly sorted) files • Techniques for encrypting sensitive files (and other data) • Ways to free up storage space If you're struggling with file management, this book will help you get a grip on the process—and get your devices to do more of the hard work for you.

Set up a rock-solid backup strategy so that you can restore quickly and completely, no matter what catastrophe arises. Version 4.1, updated November 19, 2021 Joe Kissell provides the advice you need to create a Mac backup strategy that protects your data and enables quick recovery. He compares backup software, services, and media to help you make the best choices. You'll learn to set up, test, and maintain backups, plus how to restore files after a calamity! Creating and maintaining a solid backup plan is essential to anyone who uses a Mac, in order to prevent the loss of important data if disaster strikes--whether through hardware or software failure, theft, human error, or other mishap. In Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, Fourth Edition, tech expert Joe Kissell explains how to design a sensible backup strategy, choose and configure the best backup hardware and software for your needs, and understand how to make your backups as painless as possible. His advice is equally useful to those who have never had a backup system and those whose backup systems are in need of an update. The fourth edition, a major rewrite, fully delves into the new challenges presented by Big Sur and Monterey, M-series Macs, and the ever-changing landscape of Mac backup hardware, software, and cloud services. It features entirely rethought advice about bootable (and non-bootable) duplicates, backup media, and disk formats, as well as changes in Time Machine and the weird world of APFS snapshots. This book covers macOS 10.14 Mojave through macOS 12 Monterey. Using this book, you'll learn how to: Design (or update) the ideal backup system: If you're starting from scratch, you'll find all the information necessary to assemble a reliable and easy-to-use backup system. If you're updating an existing system, you'll learn about what's new in hardware, software, and online services that might affect the way you back up your Mac in the future. Choose backup software: Apple's Time Machine is both free and easy to use, but it's not the best choice for everyone, and even if you do use Time Machine, you'll certainly want to supplement it with other tools. You'll learn about key features to look for in a backup app and find tips on using several popular tools. You'll also discover the pros and cons of cloud backup services, and get help choosing the right one. (An online appendix covers dozens of apps and services.) Shop for hardware: Depending on your needs and goals, you may n ...

The Mac user’s guide to mass storage Version 2.3, updated July 7, 2023 This book demystifies storage on the Mac, from mechanical hard drives to solid-state disks, and covering topics such as network-attached storage (NAS), cloud storage, repairing and managing disks, encryption, filesystems (including APFS), and managing data. As the amount of data we store continues to grow, figuring out where to put it and how to access it becomes more complicated. It’s not just that we need to find space for our increasingly large collections of photos, videos, music, and apps—we want it to be available whenever we need it, and be sure that it’s safe from hackers and thieves. Every Mac includes internal storage in the form of a hard drive, SSD, or Fusion drive. But you may also have one or more external devices (such as hard drives, flash drives, SD cards, or RAID devices), not to mention network-attached storage (NAS) devices or cloud storage (like Dropbox or iCloud Drive). Making sense of all your options, managing your stored data, choosing new devices or services when you're running out of space, or even just figuring out what's where can drive anyone to distraction. Fortunately, Jeff Carlson has a book with all the answers! After decades of working with Macs and accumulating massive collections of photos and videos, Jeff has pulled together a wide-ranging book about Mac storage that contains just the help you're looking for. Among many other topics, this book covers: • How to choose a new (internal or external) hard drive, SSD, or hybrid drive • Determining how much storage space you need • What you need to know about APFS, Apple’s new filesystem • How to use APFS snapshots (a.k.a. Time Machine local snapshots) • Formatting and partitioning disks using Disk Utility • How to repair a misbehaving disk • RAIDs: what they are and how different types compare • How to tell when a hard drive is about to fail, and what to do about it • What to do with a hard drive when it has outlived its usefulness • When to use a flash drive or SD card • How to create and use disk images • Deciding among local, network, and cloud storage for various types of files • What a personal cloud is and why you might consider using one • Strategies for freeing up extra disk space NAS devices get special coverage, including: • Why you might want a NAS • How to choose a NAS—and when it's a better idea than an external hard drive • Using a NAS with your Mac for a wide variety of purposes • Special considerations when using a NAS for digital photos Jeff also digs into details about numerous storage-related technologies: • How to tell if your third-party SSD needs to have TRIM enabled (and what to do if the answer is yes) • How to create a software RAID using Disk Utility or SoftRAID • What you need to know about filesystems—and how to choose among APFS, Mac OS Extended, FAT, and ExFAT • Why and how to encrypt a disk using FileVault or the Finder • Using iCloud Drive's Optimized Mac Storage feature If you've ever been stumped at the difference between a volume and a partition, need help figuring out whether to buy a big external hard drive or a NAS for extra storage, or wonder whether Apple's new APFS filesystem is right for your needs, this book will tell you what you need to know.

Set up a rock-solid backup strategy so that you can restore quickly and completely, no matter what catastrophe arises. Version 5.0.1, updated February 19, 2024 Joe Kissell provides the advice you need to create a Mac backup strategy that protects your data and enables quick recovery. He compares backup software, services, and media to help you make the best choices. You’ll learn to set up, test, and maintain backups, plus how to restore files after a calamity!n Creating and maintaining a solid backup plan is essential to anyone who uses a Mac, in order to prevent the loss of important data if disaster strikes—whether through hardware or software failure, theft, human error, or other mishap. In Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, Fifth Edition, tech expert Joe Kissell explains how to design a sensible backup strategy, choose and configure the best backup hardware and software for your needs, and understand how to make your backups as painless as possible. His advice is equally useful to those who have never had a backup system and those whose backup systems are in need of an update. The book delves into the challenges presented by recent versions of macOS, M-series Macs, and the ever-changing landscape of Mac backup hardware, software, and cloud services. It explains what you need to know about bootable (and non-bootable) duplicates, backup media, and disk formats, as well as recent changes in Time Machine and the weird world of APFS snapshots. It also shows you how to include in your backups files and folders that are stored in the cloud, even if there's no local copy of them. Using this book, you’ll learn how to: • Design (or update) the ideal backup system: If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll find all the information necessary to assemble a reliable and easy-to-use backup system. If you’re updating an existing system, you’ll learn about what’s new in hardware, software, and online services that might affect the way you back up your Mac in the future. • Choose backup software: Apple’s Time Machine is both free and easy to use, but it’s not the best choice for everyone, and even if you do use Time Machine, you’ll certainly want to supplement it with other tools. You’ll learn about key features to look for in a backup app and find tips on using several popular tools. You’ll also discover the pros and cons of cloud backup services, and get help choosing the right one. (An online appendix covers dozens of apps and services.) • Shop for hardware: Depending on your needs and goals, you may need one or more external SSDs or hard drives, but the range of options (sizes, interfaces, speeds, and more) can be bewildering. Joe helps you find the best backup hardware, whether it’s individual SSDs or hard drives, RAIDs, NAS devices, or other options. • Make and maintain backups: Once you’ve selected hardware and software, you’ll need to know how to make your first backup, set up your backups to run unattended, and test them regularly to make sure they’re working as they should. This includes both versioned backups (which contain old file versions and deleted files) and—for some users—bootable or non-bootable (data-only) clones. And, you’ll learn about strategies for keeping extra backups offsite. • Operate Time Machine: If you choose Time Machine for versioned backups, you’ll learn how to back up and restore individual files, app-specific data (such as contacts), and even an entire disk. You’ll also discover why and how to encrypt Time Machine backups, how APFS snapshots work (inside and outside Time Machine), and what to do if Time Machine misbehaves. • Deal with unusual backup needs: If you deal with exceptionally large files (such as audio and video files), spend a lot of time on the road away from your usual backup hardware, run Windows on your Mac, or rely on cloud services to store essential data, you’ll want to take extra (or different) steps to make sure everything is safely backed up. You’ll also learn various approaches to backing up and restoring data from Apple’s Notes app. • Manage your media: What happens when a backup drive fills up, or becomes so old that you worry about its future reliability? What if you want to archive older files for posterity, but not necessarily maintain them as part of your daily backups? Joe explains how to deal with media management tasks such as these. • Recover lost data: Backing up data can be easy, but restoring it is often more challenging. When you discover that data is missing—whether due to a disk error, theft, or a simple mistake—you need to know the exact steps needed to recover it and get back to work as soon as possible.

Set up a rock-solid backup strategy so that you can restore quickly and completely, no matter what catastrophe arises. Updated January 23, 2019 Creating and maintaining a solid backup plan is essential to anyone who uses a Mac, in order to prevent the loss of important data if disaster strikes--whether through hardware or software failure, theft, human error, or other mishap. In Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, Third Edition, tech expert Joe Kissell explains how to design a sensible backup strategy, choose and configure the best backup hardware and software for your needs, and understand how to make your backups as painless as possible. His advice is equally useful to those who have never had a backup system and those whose backup systems are in need of an update. This book covers 10.9 Mavericks or later, including 10.14 Mojave. Using this book, you'll learn how to: Design (or update) the ideal backup system: If you're starting from scratch, you'll find all the information necessary to assemble a reliable and easy-to-use backup system. If you're updating an existing system, you'll learn about what's new in hardware, software, and online services that might affect the way you back up your Mac in the future. Choose backup software: Apple's Time Machine is both free and easy to use, but it's not the best choice for everyone, and even if you do use Time Machine, you'll certainly want to supplement it with other tools. You'll learn about key features to look for in a backup app and find tips on using several popular tools. You'll also discover the pros and cons of cloud backup services, and get help choosing the right one. (An online appendix covers nearly 100 apps and services.) Shop for hardware: For most users, hard drives make an excellent backup destination, but the range of options (sizes, interfaces, speeds, and more) can be bewildering. Joe helps you find the best backup hardware, whether it's individual hard drives, RAIDs, Drobo storage devices, Time Capsules, or NAS devices. Make and maintain backups: Once you've selected hardware and software, you'll need to know how to make your first backup, set up your backups to run unattended, and test them regularly to make sure they're working as they should. This includes both versioned backups (which contain old file versions and deleted files) and bootable clones. And, you'll learn about strategies for keeping extra backups offsite. Operate Time Machine: If you choose Time Machine for versi ...

Preserve your data for posterity! Version 2.0.1, updated February 2, 2024 How do you want to be remembered? A will takes care of your physical possessions, but what about your digital life—photos, email, files, online accounts, and so on? If you want to pass your electronic ephemera on as part of your digital legacy, turn to tech expert Joe Kissell for advice on dealing with large quantities of data, file formats, media types, the need for a “digital executor,” and more.n We all have digital data that's important to us now, but a lot of it could also be important to our children, friends, and relatives long after we're gone. But you have to take concrete steps now to make sure that data is preserved in the right way and handled according to your wishes. It’s not all about posterity either, since following Joe’s advice will also help loved ones access your key accounts and important info if you’re temporarily incapacitated, which can happen at any time. The book will help you with these essential tasks: • Identify your key digital assets: online accounts, photos, audio files, videos, passwords, documents, email, and more. • Plan for each type of digital asset based on your priorities for today, for shortly after you are no longer around, and for posterity. Joe explains the ideal file formats to use, how to deal with social media sites, the best ways to digitize paper documents and photos, and strategies for sharing passwords with family members, among much else. • Communicate your wishes in a “digital will” and designate someone to be its “digital executor.” The book includes a template document that you can develop into a personalized digital will. • Preserve your data for the future. You’ll consider types of archival storage media, cloud-based storage services, backups, and what instructions to provide about maintaining your data as file formats and storage media types evolve. Whether you just want to ensure that your heirs get copies of your favorite family photos and a few key documents or you want to catalog and preserve tens of thousands of digital items, this book helps you make smart decisions about your digital legacy. Questions answered include: • What strategies can I use for sorting and preserving email and instant messages? • How can I ensure that my email account(s) will be available to those wrapping up my estate? • What if I have digital data that should be destroyed when I die? • What should I do with my huge photo collection (both digital and paper)? • How should I pass on control of my Apple, Google, and Microsoft accounts? • How can I make my passwords and passkeys available to those who will need them—but keep them private for now? • What should I think about when handing down purchased audio and video files? • What should happen to my Facebook account when I’m no longer around? • What choices are available for keeping my digital archive available and backed up? • How long should I expect archival media to last? • Should I write an autobituary? • Are online digital legacy services any good? • How will organizing all this stuff benefit me while I’m alive?