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My daughter will be heading off to college in a couple of weeks with her new MacBook Pro and a portable external for backups. I would like to just let her use Time Machine, since it is so easy, and, if it is easy, it might actually get done. Is there any reason she should do more of a backup than TM?
BTW, she usually emails document type projects she is working on to herself, so they will be stored offline and accessible from other computers, and I think this is a great idea.
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Since Time Machine is not a fully bootable backup if her hard drive ever fails or is wiped it will be necessary to also have the original system install discs on hand. No reason to do more than TM backups unless she doesn't have or is likely to lose the system restore discs.
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Offsite storage for critical photos by DVD
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mikebw wrote:
Since Time Machine is not a fully bootable backup if her hard drive ever fails or is wiped it will be necessary to also have the original system install discs on hand. No reason to do more than TM backups unless she doesn't have or is likely to lose the system restore discs.
She just got the MBP, so we do have the original discs. Since where she is going to school is only about 60 miles away, I will probably keep them here at home. I could always drive over with them, if she needed them.
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Ken Sp. wrote:
Offsite storage for critical photos by DVD
Does Facebook count? 
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Rather than clutter up her email with things that aren't messages to and from others, take a look at DropBox. It's free for what she'll need. https://www.getdropbox.com/home#/ (PM me, or anyone here who has it already, for a referral link and we each get a little extra "bonus" storage that way.)
On her Mac the files act as if they're on her Mac (it integrates with the Finder and with the menubar) and you can also get to things from other computers via a browser.
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rgG wrote:
[quote=mikebw]
Since Time Machine is not a fully bootable backup if her hard drive ever fails or is wiped it will be necessary to also have the original system install discs on hand. No reason to do more than TM backups unless she doesn't have or is likely to lose the system restore discs.
She just got the MBP, so we do have the original discs. Since where she is going to school is only about 60 miles away, I will probably keep them here at home. I could always drive over with them, if she needed them.
Or you could burn a duplicate set for her to keep, which might save you the 60 mile drive for something as simple as needing to run Disk Utility to fix a wonky catalog.
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macbeergeek wrote:
[quote=rgG]
[quote=mikebw]
Since Time Machine is not a fully bootable backup if her hard drive ever fails or is wiped it will be necessary to also have the original system install discs on hand. No reason to do more than TM backups unless she doesn't have or is likely to lose the system restore discs.
She just got the MBP, so we do have the original discs. Since where she is going to school is only about 60 miles away, I will probably keep them here at home. I could always drive over with them, if she needed them.
Or you could burn a duplicate set for her to keep, which might save you the 60 mile drive for something as simple as needing to run Disk Utility to fix a wonky catalog.
Is it possible to do the same thing with a thumb drive or SD card?
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Ammo wrote:
[quote=macbeergeek]
[quote=rgG]
[quote=mikebw]
Since Time Machine is not a fully bootable backup if her hard drive ever fails or is wiped it will be necessary to also have the original system install discs on hand. No reason to do more than TM backups unless she doesn't have or is likely to lose the system restore discs.
She just got the MBP, so we do have the original discs. Since where she is going to school is only about 60 miles away, I will probably keep them here at home. I could always drive over with them, if she needed them.
Or you could burn a duplicate set for her to keep, which might save you the 60 mile drive for something as simple as needing to run Disk Utility to fix a wonky catalog.
Is it possible to do the same thing with a thumb drive or SD card?
I tried to make a copy of my iMac's install discs a while back and was unsuccessful. I think I may have just needed a DL DVD or maybe I might have needed to burn it in toast. Anyway, I was never able to get it to work. If anyone has any suggestions about what I might have been doing wrong, feel free to chime in.
![[Image: IMG-2569.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/Jn06m2gT/IMG-2569.jpg)
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Disc Utility can make backups of the install discs. The gist of it is to put the one in you wish to copy, wait for it to mount, launch Disc Utility and at the File menu choose "New Image from (name of disc)" and choose Master DVD or whatever from the little popup list later. That's what makes the resulting image bootable.
You'll get a disc image file on your desktop, eject the install disc and pop in a blank (dual-layer) and use Disc Utility to burn the image sitting on your desktop by selecting the disc image now shown in Disc Utility's left-hand side source pane. Easier than I make it sound.
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