Trixology

General Category => General Computing/Macintosh => Topic started by: Blicj11 on July 31, 2017, 11:58:30 PM

Title: Time Machine = Don't Depend on It
Post by: Blicj11 on July 31, 2017, 11:58:30 PM
Hey kids:

I just received the dreaded "Backups? What Backsups?" message from Time Machine. When this pops up, you have two choices:
These choices are ridiculous but you get to take your pick.

Here is an excellent article about this in MacWorld: http://www.macworld.com/article/3170844/macs/when-backups-go-bad-the-problem-with-using-network-drives-with-time-machine.html

I have attached a screenshot of the message for your enjoyment.

Thank goodness I have cloned backup drives, thanks to dfw_pilot. But Time Machine and CCC have two different functions and I need them both.
Title: Re: Time Machine = Don't Depend on It
Post by: xairbusdriver on August 01, 2017, 02:19:15 AM
Rats!!! I sorry you lost your TM backup, but I'd suggest the title should say, "Don't Trust Any Single Type of Backup Method". I'd also heard that networked drives were not as safe, thanks for your personal verification! While I use CCC, I've never had to use its backup to boot into it. I noticed that the author says he could boot up any of his TM backups. I assume that's just a typo. I don't think TM backups are bootable. Even if they are uncorrupted! That's why I also use CCC. Another reason is that I've had at least two TM failures which resulted in a complete loss of all data. I just don't trust magnetic material!

Only consolation is that you may actually have all those TM files in your CCC backup. However, they may be a bit harder to locate.
Title: Better to go with local drives (Re: Time Machine = Don't Depend on It)
Post by: elagache on August 01, 2017, 10:39:05 PM
Dear Blick, X-Air, and WeatherCat sys-admins,

Quote from: Blicj11 on July 31, 2017, 11:58:30 PM
I just received the dreaded "Backups? What Backsups?" message from Time Machine. When this pops up, you have two choices:
  • All of your backups are gone. Start a brand new one now.
  • All of your backups are gone. Start a brand new one later.
These choices are ridiculous but you get to take your pick.

If you want to use Time Machine for anything, it is best to stick to local drives for each machine.  It is a more expensive option, but it avoids this problem and spreads the risk.  If a Time Machine drive fails, it only effects the particular computer it is connected to.

Cheers, Edouard
Title: Re: Time Machine = Don't Depend on It
Post by: TechnoMonkey on August 12, 2017, 11:49:36 AM
I use the Time machine religiously but,  I have a 120 gig SSD for the operating system, an external 1TB drive for my home folder, two 2TB drives under RAID 1 to back up the time machine and a dedicated 6TB RAID 5 system for my CD/DVD rips (which is actually eight 2TB HDD paired into 4 RAID 1 assemblies under RAID 5, which gives me an actual storage capability of 6TB out of 16TB).
Title: Re: Time Machine = Don't Depend on It
Post by: Blicj11 on August 12, 2017, 05:37:30 PM
Quote from: TechnoMonkey on August 12, 2017, 11:49:36 AM
I use the Time machine religiously but,  I have a 120 gig SSD for the operating system, an external 1TB drive for my home folder, two 2TB drives under RAID 1 to back up the time machine and a dedicated 6TB RAID 5 system for my CD/DVD rips (which is actually eight 2TB HDD paired into 4 RAID 1 assemblies under RAID 5, which gives me an actual storage capability of 6TB out of 16TB).

That is some serious backup power, mate. Nicely done.