DISQUS

Travis Murdock · 11 months ago

I've had these same complaints. To make it worse, there is no more than two pages of documentation on this important backup feature. I even went into the Genius bar to see if they knew more. They just told me that it works and that is it. Not really good enough when I'm trusting my data. Sure I don't need a 50 page manual - just 5 pages that lets me know how to restore, where the files are saved and some basics about file structure.

I'm still using it, but I fear the day I'm forced to recover from it.

kaarlows · 11 months ago

I also got very upset with this lack of configurability of Time Machine preferences. For this reason I started using an app called "TimeMachineEditor" which gives me the option to make backups every 4 hours.
If you want a bit more of options, than I would highly recommend "TimeMachineScheduler".
And after those apps, I started to enjoy again backing up my MBP over the air.

Aad 't Hart · 11 months ago

Louis,

I do agree with you from a band width and flexibility perspective... but I will give you an interesting observation in our house hold. I've configured Timecapsule not to only back up on battery power. This to actually reduce the number of backups made during usage. Especially my gf uses here MacBook frequent, but usually not for a very long period. She usually only charges when not using it, she plugs it in when not using it.. It's just the way she works.
What happened this morning. She asked me... Help, I've a message... TimeCapsule did not back up for xx hours.. Coming to the point.. for some users anything that gets in the way of doing their work is too complex. First she has no idea what a Time Capsule is.. and second.. there is NO hint what to do about it..
I guess it's just impossible to make something that works for everyone...

Tris Hussey · 11 months ago

I completely agree Louis. I just switched back to Mac in November and bought an AirPort Extreme so I could back up OTA. What drives me nuts is that I can only backup when I'm home. When I'm at work, my girlfriends, on the road I can't. I'm still creating important stuff away from home. I'm tempted to make a backup drive available on the Net, but not that tempted!

I miss Carbonite. Carbonite on my PC laptop has kept me backed up and safe for years. It just backed up over the net as I created files and updated only as I created/updated. SIgh. I did sign up for ZumoDrive, but that isn't a good solution for backup, just for a bit of extra storage, IMHO.

Ian O · 11 months ago

Tris, try adding CarbonCopyClone* to your backup routine. You can configure it to do an incremental backup every time you plus a specific external drive into your laptop. When you get the nervous twitches on the road just plug the external in and wait a few minutes (at most).
Having had a fairly spectacular crash and burn with my Airport Extreme Time Machine, losing all my backups from June to December, I was grateful for Plan B which was to have a CCC copy tucked away
(*SuperDuper may have this feature too.)

Storagezilla · 11 months ago

EMC would be interested in your feedback on Retrospect 8

http://www.retrospect.com/products/software/ret...

Joe · 11 months ago

Wow! Something must be wrong. I've never noticed a slow-down whenever TIme Machine works for me. When I first encountered Time Machine, I could easily figure out that (1) you couldn't configure as mentioned in the article. Also, I easily figured out that it doesn't do umpty-dozen things that the "real" configurable backups do. Yet...I really like Time Machine. It does what it says it does...and very nicely. Also, I've had to recover applications, files, etc. and it does that very easily. If you have problems understanding how to recover a file...call AppleCare immediately and have them talk you through how to do it...unless you are one of the ones who doesn't buy AppleCare.

I must be doing something wrong...I like Time Machine.

I think Louis needs to get one of those "real" backup applications with umpty-dozen ways of configuring so that he can become immersed in the 50 page manuals, and arcane configurations that evidently he likes. That way he can tell us all the things he doesn't like about that software.

ursulas · 11 months ago

Glad I read this before I used it!

Hope you can get it fixed!

Nunuvyer Bizniz · 11 months ago

Time Machine works fine. You must be doing something wrong. It certainly doesn't back up your whole hard drive every hour. It only backs up what has changed. And it doesn't slow anything down at all on a reasonably recent Mac. Time Machine works so well, I'd have to say it is the best feature of Leopard. And if you seriously need portability, then take a Time Machine drive with you when you travel. Yes, small, light, fast, high-capacity portable drives aren't cheap, but hey, if you can afford to travel, you can afford one. Time Machine is so fool-proof, I don't know how you managed to screw it up.

Richard Dalziel-Sharpe · 11 months ago

I love Time Machine. Since installing Leopard I have dedicated a 500gb external HD to it. It has saved my bacon many times already when I have impulsively deleted files and later realised my foolishness.
I also do a CarbonCopyCloner copy of my startup drive about once a month for archival purposes.
This suits me fine.

Webomatica · 11 months ago

I'm currently using time machine to back up my Mac Mini and an external hard drive without any noticeable hangups, but with one key difference - it's to a drive that's connected directly to my machine via Firewire. I also have the Mac Mini hooked up to our router using good old fashioned Ethernet. I'd imagine the backups are taking much longer simply because it's all going over WiFi.

Yeah, I know, you don't want to reconfigure your whole network for Time Machine :)