6.5 Using Backup

Backup is installed on your Mac in the Applications folder ( /Applications ), and can be launched by double-clicking its icon in the Finder. Since you will be using Backup frequently, you should consider adding its icon to the Dock. To do so while Backup is running, Control-click on Backup's Dock icon and select Keep In Dock from the contextual menu that appears.

As Backup starts, it performs a check of your iDisk to look for a Backup that might be stored there. If no previous backups are found, a Backup directory is created on your iDisk to where backup data can be stored. In addition to the Backup directory, a dot file ( ._Backup ) is also created at the root level of your iDisk.

One common problem I've encountered with backing up my Preferences ( ~/Library/Preferences ) is that most items with Installer in their names cause the backup to fail. Fortunately, you can choose which items to back up using the QuickPicks. My solution is to simply uncheck the troublesome Installer files, and then the Backup goes smoothly.

Backup's interface (shown in Figure 6-1) is defined as follows (the items in the following list refers to the callouts in Figure 6-1):

Figure 6-1. An overview of Backup's interface.

1. This area, known as the Backup List, lists the default "packages" to be backed up, as well as any items you add to the list. Items in this list have a checkbox next to them to denote whether they will be backed up. The checkbox can have one of three states: checked, unchecked, or, with some packages and folders, a minus sign. If the checkbox has a minus sign in it, that means the selected package or folder has items within that you can opt not to back up in the QuickPicks drawer .

2. The Backup/Restore pull-down menu lets you select to which location the items in the Backup List will be backed to or from where they will be restored. The options in this menu include:

   
   

   Back up to iDisk

   When you select this item, the iDisk Storage Meter (discussed next) appears next to the pop-up menu.

   
   

   Backup to CD

   When you select this item, you won't see anything like the iDisk Storage Meter, but you will see a text message appear above the row of buttons at the bottom left of Backup's window. This message will tell you how many CDs or DVDs are required to perform your backup.

   
   

   Back up to Drive

   With this item selected, a Set button appears next to the menu. Clicking on this button opens a sheet from which you can select a drive (USB, FireWire, networked file share, iPod, etc.) that's connected to your Mac. This is the drive to where your backup will be made.

   
   

   Restore from iDisk

   
   

   Restore from CD/DVD

   
   

   Restore from Drive

   Depending on where the backup data is that you need to restore or recover, select the appropriate menu item and pick the item(s) you need to restore.

3. The iDisk Storage Meter appears only if you are backing up to your iDisk; it won't appear if you are backing up to disc media. The meter is there to help you gauge how much data is already stored on your iDisk (dark green), and provides indicators to let you know how much additional space a backup will take (light green) or when what you've selected to be backed up will push you over your iDisk's storage limit (red). If you see red in the iDisk Storage Meter, you will need to either purchase additional iDisk space to perform the backup or use the QuickPicks drawer to trim down your selection.

4. The QuickPicks drawer is hidden by default; it is only revealed if you select an item in the list of backup items and then click on the Info button at the lower-left corner of the window. You can also use the Show Info keyboard shortcut ( -I) to hide and reveal the QuickPicks drawer.

5. The list in the QuickPicks drawer tells you which files in a selected package or directory will be backed up. Some items in the QuickPicks drawer may have checkboxes next to them, which allows you to pick and choose which items will be backed up. Section 6.5.3 later in this chapter for more information about selecting items from the list.

6. The Show pull-down menu has two options: General Information and Backup Information, which display information about the files selected for backup.

   
   

   General Information

   With this menu item selected, the QuickPicks drawer will tell you some basic information about the files that will be backed up, including its kind, size , where the file is saved on the local filesystem, and when the file was created and when it was last modified.

   
   

   Backup Information

   With this menu item selected, you will see when the file was last backed up (if ever), where it will be backed up to on your iDisk, and it's status, which will either read as "Unchanged since last backup" or "Will be backed up". If an item is "Unchanged since last backup", that file will not be backed up the next time around, which saves time during the backup process.

7. The Backup Now button should only be pressed when you are ready to start the backup process.

8. This text tells you how many items have been selected for backup and how much space they require.

9. The Eject button is used for ejecting disc media from your Mac.

10. The Schedule button is used for automating backups. Section 6.5.4 later in this chapter for details on how you can use Backup's scheduling feature to automate your backups.

11. When clicked, the Refresh button updates the items in the backup list and the status bar.

12. The Add items button is used for adding files and folders to your backup list.

13. With an item selected in the backup list, clicking the Info button will open the QuickPicks drawer to reveal additional information about the file, or list the items in the package or folder.

14. If you are backing up to your iDisk, this text lets you know when regular backups are scheduled. If you are backing up to disc media, this text lets you know how many CDs or DVDs are required to perform the backup.

Now that you have a basic understanding of Backup's interface and how to use its controls, let's dive in and learn how to use the QuickPicks drawer and perform some backups.

6.5.1 Backup's Keyboard Shortcuts

As with most Mac applications, Backup is not without it's own set of keyboard shortcuts. A menu-by-menu overview of the commands and keyboard shortcuts available for Backup are listed in Appendix A.

Backup is unlike most traditional Mac applications, in that its menu names don't seem to fit their purpose, and some of the options (like Cut, Copy, and Paste) don't even have a purpose. Some other oddities of Backup, in regard to keyboard shortcuts and menus , include:

• You can only have one Backup window open; there is no File New Backup Window ( -N) option, and thus, no other windows to bring to the front via Window Bring All to Front.

• If you select the Close Window option or use its keyboard shortcut ( -W), Backup quits.

• The standard Mac Find keyboard shortcut, -F, does not work. Instead, you have to use File Find to open a Find dialog.

• Although the menu item for Backup Help shows that you can use -? to open Backup's Help window, the keyboard shortcut doesn't work. If you need Backup's Help system, you will have to select the menu item itself.

• If you select Edit Special Characters , the Character Palette will open. If you want to close the Character Palette, you must to click on its close window button; if you think you can use -W to close the Character Palette, think again. Instead of closing the Character Palette, it closes and quits Backup and the palette's still there.

• There is no keyboard shortcut for adding items to the backup list.

It's obvious that Backup 2 still needs some work; in many cases, Backup 1's interface was much more usable. In fact, with the earlier version of Backup, you didn't need to use any of the menus because the toolbar (which is missing from Backup 2) had everything you needed to get the job done.

6.5.2 Working with the Backup List

In looking at the list of possible items to back up, you'll notice that there's a little package icon next to the list in the Items column. The package icon, which resembles a box wrapped in brown paper, means that Apple has conveniently gathered all of the files for that particular item and packaged them together so they can be quickly backed up. This ensures that, when you select the checkbox next to that item, you won't miss something important. If a critical file is missing, you may not be able to restore the data from a previous backup.

Depending on where your backups will be saved to (iDisk, CDs, or DVDs), the list of packages can vary. Table 6-2 lists the default QuickPick packages for backing up to your iDisk, and Table 6-3 lists the default QuickPick packages for backing up to CD, DVD, or to a drive. While you can always view a package's contents in the QuickPick list, not all of them let you select and deselect individual items. The right-hand column of Tables Table 6-2 and Table 6-3 indicate whether you can select or deselect items in a package.

Table 6-2. Packages available for backing up to an iDisk

Package name	Select/deselect items in the QuickPick list?
Address Book contacts	No
Stickies notes	No
iCal calendars	No
Safari settings	No
Internet Explorer settings	No
Keychain (for passwords)	No
AppleWorks files in Home folder	Yes
Excel files in Home folder	Yes
FileMaker files in Home folder	Yes
iTunes playlist	Yes
PowerPoint files in Home folder	Yes
Word files in Home folder	Yes
Files on Desktop	Yes

Table 6-3. Packages available for backing up to CD, DVD, or to a Drive

Package name	Select/deselect items in the QuickPick list?
Address Book contacts	No
Stickies notes	No
iCal calendars	No
Safari settings	No
Internet Explorer settings	No
Keychain (for passwords)	No
Preference files for applications	No
AppleWorks files in Home folder	Yes
Excel files in Home folder	Yes
FileMaker files in Home folder	Yes
iPhoto library	No
iTunes library	Yes
iTunes purchased music	Yes
Mail messages and settings	No
PowerPoint files in Home folder	Yes
Word files in Home folder	Yes
Files on Desktop	Yes

In looking at Tables Table 6-2 and Table 6-3, you'll notice a difference in the two iTunes packages. When backing up to your iDisk, the package contains only information found in your iTunes playlists (song titles, etc.), while the package for backing up to CD, DVD, or a Drive lets you backup the actual audio files. Also, there is no option for backing up the preference files for your applications to your iDisk. However, that doesn't mean you can't add it to the list of items; for that, see the next section. As with selecting the iTunes library, if you select the iPhoto library package when backing up to CD, DVD, or a Drive, this option backs up all of the image and data files stored in your iPhoto library.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you delete any of the QuickPick packages from the backup Items list, you can get them back by selecting Edit Restore All QuickPicks.

6.5.2.1 Adding and removing items to the backup list

The default list of packages provided by Backup are nice, but what can you do if there's something else you'd like to back up? Are you locked out from backing up anything else? Fortunately, the answer to that question is no, you're not restricted to backing up just the QuickPick packages. You can add additional files or folders to your backup list by either:

• Clicking on the button with the plus sign (+) on it at the bottom of the window and selecting items from a Finder-like interface.

• Dragging-and-dropping items, including files, folders, and mounted drives (either from the Finder or the Desktop), to Backup's window.

For example, if you want to back up the preference files for the applications on your system to your iDisk, there isn't a package available by default. However, if you want to add it to the list, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Add Items button (the one with the plus sign), located at the bottom of Backup's window. A sheet will slide out Backup's titlebar, as shown in Figure 6-2.

   Figure 6-2. The selector sheet, which looks similar to an Open dialog, lets you choose files, folders, and even mounted hard disks to add to the Backup Items list.

   
   

2. In the dialog that opens, select Library from the right column as shown in Figure 6-3.

   Figure 6-3. Select the Library folder in the panel.

   
   

3. After the dialog expands to the right, scroll down in the right column and select Preferences, as shown in Figure 6-4.

   Figure 6-4. Now select the Preferences folder in the left column; all of the preference files show up in the right column.

   
   

4. With the Preferences folder selected in the left column, you can see all of its contents to the right. Click on the Choose button to add the Preferences folder to your list of Backup Items, shown in Figure 6-5.

   Figure 6-5. After clicking the Choose button, your Preferences folder will be added to Backup's Items list.

   
   

When you add something to the Backup Items list, its checkbox is automatically checked. After adding the item to the list, Backup calculates the size of item and places that information in the Size column.

If you look at the green indicator bar, just above the list of items, you can see how much space is already taken up on your iDisk (indicated in dark green), how much space is needed for the item you've just added (indicated in light green), and how much space is available (indicated in white). If the item you've added takes up more space than what is available on your iDisk, the remainder of the bar will turn red. If you still want to back up that item to your iDisk, you will either need to purchase additional iDisk space or use the QuickPick list to deselect a few items until you're back in the green.

Once you've added a folder or drive to the backup list, you can use the QuickPick list to pick and choose which items within you'd like to back up. Figure 6-6 shows the QuickPick list for the Preferences folder I added to the backup list earlier. If there was something in that list that I didn't want to back up, all I have to do is click on the checkmark next to the items, which deselects them from the backup.

Figure 6-6. After adding a folder or hard drive, use the QuickPick list to pick and choose the items you want or need to back up.

If you have trouble backing up your Preferences folder ( ~/Library/Preferences ), look for items that have "install" in the name and deselect them. These items are preferences for the installer that was used when you installed an application. Sometimes, these preference files will cause your backups to fail. Deselect these items and try the backup again. If it goes okay, then you know where the problem lies. Also, since the preference files for the installers are only used when you installed that application, they aren't needed anymore. If you want (and you should), you can delete these files from your system by going to the ~/Library/Preferences folder in the Finder and dragging any files with "install" in their name to the Trash.

6.5.2.2 Finding and adding items to the backup list

Say you want to back up all of the files you've created or edited today. Backup really doesn't provide an easy way for you to do something like this, but it can be done. If you select File Find, a Finder search window (shown in Figure 6-7) pops open.

At the time of this writing, you cannot use the standard keyboard shortcut -F to open the Find dialog. For some reason, Apple forgot to set this shortcut before they released Backup 2.

Figure 6-7. When you need to search for files to back up, select Find from the File menu to open a Find window in the Finder.

Using this window, you can select where the Finder will search by selecting an item in the "Search in" pop-up menu. The options you have to choose from are:

Everywhere

With this option selected, the Finder searches on any disk that's mounted on your Mac, including your iDisk and other networked drives.

Local disks

With this option selected, the Finder searches disks mounted on your Mac, including your Mac's hard drive and any external FireWire or USB drives.

Home

With this option selected, the Finder searches only for items in your Home folder.

Specific places

If you select this option, the Find window changes slightly, allowing you to select specific folders or drives mounted on your Mac.

Once you've selected where the Finder will search, you need to specify what the Finder will search for in the lower portion of the window, which is labeled "Search for items whose:". At first, you'll see just one line, as shown earlier in Figure 6-7. To refine your search, start out by selecting what you want the Finder to search for by clicking on the first pop-up menu. This menu has the following options:

Name

This option includes a pop-up menu that lets you select up to three of four possible options to search upon, including contains , starts with , ends with , and is . Next to the pop-up menu is a text field in which you can enter information about the filename.

Clicking on the plus button (+) to the right of the text field expands the search so you can select other options from the pop-up menu. For example, Figure 6-8 shows a search that would look for filenames that contain and/or start with dotmac and have a file extension of .doc .

Figure 6-8. Searching for files based on information contained in their filename.

Content

Searching by content allows you to do context-based searches for files to add to your backup. For example, if you want to back up all of the files that have the word "hydrocephalus" in them, just enter that word in the text field and click on the Search button. Any files that contain that word in its contents will be listed in the Search Results window.

Date Modified

This allows you to search for files that were modified within a specific day or date range.

Date Created

This option lets you search for files that were created on a specific day or date range.

Kind

This option lets you search for specific file types, including alias , application , folder , document , audio , image , or movie .

Label

Labels are new to Mac OS X's Panther release, but many Mac OS 9 users are familiar with them. You can use labels to flag files, folders, etc., with a colored label, so by searching for a specific label color , you can quickly find, for example, anything you've labeled as "Red."

Size

This option lets you search for files that are less than or greater than a specific file size. The file size you specify must be in kilobytes (KB). So, if you want to search for files that are less than 1 MB in size, you should enter 1000 in the search field.

Extension

This lets you search on a specific file extension. When entering an extension in the search field, you do not need to enter a period before the extension; for example, to search for Word files, use doc instead of .doc . To search for multiple file types, place a comma between the extensions. For example, to search for all HTML files, you might want to search for files with an extension of html and htm . In this case, you need only to search on htm , because that will pick up all HTML files with an html and htm extension. Unlike the other options, there is only one text field provided when conducting searches based on a file's extension.

Visibility

When this option is selected, you can opt to have your searches look for files and folders whose names begin with a period ( otherwise known as dot files ). Typically, dot files are hidden from view in the Finder, however, this is the one time that an extension of the Finder will let you search for a hidden file.

Type

Every file on your Mac has a specific file type. The Type code is a four-character code that gets assigned to a file when it is created, which is used by the filesystem to denote what type of file it is. Type codes are exactly four characters in length, and are case sensitive. Table 6-4 lists some common Type codes. In this table, an underscore (_) means that you should insert a space where a character should be (remember, Type codes have to be exactly four characters).

Table 6-4. Common Type codes to be used when searching for files

File extension	Type of file	Type code
.pdf	PDF file	PDF_
.doc	Word document	W8BN
.xls	Excel document	XLS8
.psd	Photoshop file	8BPS
.dmg	Disk image	devi
.txt , .html , .htm , .rtf , .rtfd	Raw text, HTML, and Rich Text files	TEXT
.tiff	TIFF image file	TIFF
.jpeg , .jpg	JPEG image file	JPEG
.gif	GIF image file	GIFf
.avi	Video file	VfW_
.mov	QuickTime movie	MooV
.mp4	MPEG 4 movie	mpg4
.aif	AIFF audio	AIFF
.m4p	Audio files purchased through iTunes Music Store	M4P_

Creator

Creator codes are similar to Type codes, except that they denote the application that was used to create a particular type of file. Type codes and Creator codes are different. Their only similarity is that Creator codes are exactly four characters in length and they are case sensitive. Table 6-5 lists some common Creator codes you can use when searching for files to add to your backup list.

Table 6-5. Common file Creator codes

Application or file type	Creator code
Preview	prvw
Adobe Acrobat	CARO
Microsoft Word	MSWD
Microsoft Excel	XCEL
Adobe Photoshop	8BIM
Disk Image	ddsk
Text files (including files saved as RTF)	R*ch
QuickTime movies and .avi files	TVOD
.mp4 files	TVOD
.aif audio files	stlu
.m4p audio files purchased through iTunes Music Store	hook

If you're not sure what a file's Type or Creator code is, you can use the GetFileInfo command-line utility that gets installed with the Xcode Tools. If you have installed the Xcode Tools, GetFileInfo can be found in /Developer/Tools . For example, to use GetFileInfo on a TIFF file in your Pictures folder, follow the steps shown next.

1. Launch the Terminal application (found in /Applications/Utilities ).

2. Change directories to /Developer/Tools with the following command:

    $  cd /Developer/Tools  

   
   

3. Now issue the command as follows:

    $  ./GetFileInfo ~/Pictures/poweron.tif  file: "/Users/chuck/Pictures/poweron.tif" type: "TIFF" creator: "8BIM" attributes: avbstClinmed created: 11/03/2003 15:11:16 modified: 11/03/2003 15:23:43 

   
   

If you haven't installed the Xcode Tools, you can do so by inserting the Xcode Tools CD that came with Panther (or your system) and double-click on the developer.mpkg file within.

While you might think of the Xcode Tools as being something that only programmers and geeks might need, some of the utilities are actually quite useful for everyday Mac users.

If you look at the command issued, ./GetFileInfo ~/Pictures/poweron.tif , you'll see that it contains two parts , separated by a space. The first part, ./GetFileInfo , tells the Terminal that you want to issue the GetFileInfo command. The ./ (or dot-slash, in Unix terms) tells the shell to issue the command that follows (in this case, GetFileInfo ). The second part, ~/Pictures/poweron.tif , tells GetFileInfo to look for the poweron.tif file in your Pictures folder. If the file is found, which it was in this case, the command's results are returned to the Terminal window.

In looking at the results for the command, you can see that the file Type has been saved in the Tagged Image File Format (better-known as a TIFF). On the next line, you can see that it's Creator code is 8BIM , which, in looking back at Table 6-5, is the Creator code for Adobe Photoshop.

6.5.3 Using QuickPicks

If you select a QuickPick package in the Items column and click on the Info button (the one with the little "i" at the lower-left corner of Backup's window), a drawer slides out of the side of Backup's window, showing you all of the files that will be backed up as part of that package. For example, click on the Address Book contacts item, click on the Info button, and you'll see something similar to Figure 6-9.

You can also reveal and hide the QuickPick list by selecting an item and using the keyboard shortcut -I (or File Show/Hide Info).

Figure 6-9. The QuickPick drawer, shown for the Address Book contacts item.

When the QuickPick drawer is open, the area around the "i" in the Info button turns blue.

6.5.3.1 Relocating and resizing the QuickPick drawer

Depending on where the main Backup window is located, the QuickPick drawer will pop out of the right side of the window when you click on the Info button, as shown in Figure 6-9. However, if the right edge of Backup's window is too close to the right edge of your display, the QuickPick drawer opens on the left side, as shown in Figure 6-10.

Figure 6-10. Backup for lefties...you can force the QuickPick drawer to open on the left side by moving the window to the far right edge of your display, and then clicking on the Info button.

To make the QuickPick drawer open on the righthand side again, drag the Backup window so that the drawer is off the display, and then click twice on the Info button to close the drawer and reopen it on the other side.

By default, the QuickPick drawer opens only so far, but what if that isn't wide enough? What if you can't read an entire filename or the details about a file displayed at the bottom of the drawer? If you move the mouse to the far-right (or left) edge of the drawer, click and drag the mouse further in that direction. Doing so will extend the width of the drawer, but as with most things in life, there are limitations. An example of a fully extended QuickPick drawer is shown in Figure 6-11.

Figure 6-11. A fully extended QuickPick drawer can let you see more information about selected files at the bottom of the window.

The mouse pointer will not change from an arrow symbol to a resize symbol when you go to resize the QuickPick drawer. As Obi-Wan Kenobi said to Luke: "Trust your feelings..."just click and drag to the right.

To resize the QuickPick drawer, do the same, just in reverse. Click on the right edge of the drawer and drag it toward Backup's main window. If you drag the edge of the drawer too close to Backup's window, the QuickPicks drawer springs back to its default (minimum) width. The sproingy action only goes so far, though. If you drag the far edge of the drawer to about two- thirds its default size, the QuickPicks drawer closes all the way.

6.5.3.2 Selecting items in a QuickPick package or folder

Some packages, like the one named "Address Book contacts", list only the files that will be backed up as part of that package. However, certain packages give you the option of selecting specific items for backup. Out of the default list of packages, the following packages in the Items column allow you to pick and choose which items will be backed up from the QuickPick drawer:

• AppleWorks files in Home folder

• Excel files in Home folder

• FileMaker files in Home folder

• iTunes playlist

• PowerPoint files in Home folder

• Word files in Home folder

• Files on Desktop

If you want to back up all of the files in a package, simply click on its checkbox in the main Backup window. This places a checkmark next to that item in the Back Up column, and all of the files for that package will be selected for backup in the QuickPick drawer, as shown in Figure 6-12.

Figure 6-12. The QuickPick list for Files on Desktop.

You can see whether an item in the backup list gives you the option of selecting its items by just selecting its name in the Items columnnot by selecting its checkbox, as shown in Figure 6-13. In this case, I just clicked on the name of the package, "Excel files in Home folder," to see the list of possible files to backup in the QuickPick drawer.

Figure 6-13. Selecting package in the Items column of Backup's main window lets you see whether all of the items for that package will be backed up, or if you can select/deselect items in that package.

All of the Excel files in the QuickPick drawer are grayed out, and all of their checkboxes aren't selected. If you click on any of the files in the list, information about the selected file will appear at the bottom of the drawer. However, if you click on a checkbox for one of the files, that file will be included as part of the next backup. Also notice that the checkbox next to "Excel files in Home folder" in the main window will change, but it won't have a checkmark in the box. The checkbox will turn Aqua blue, but there will be a minus sign in the box instead of a checkmark, as shown in Figure 6-14. This is a visual queue to indicate to you that not all of the items in that package are selected for backup.

Figure 6-14. If you don't select all of a package's files for backup in the QuickPick list, a minus sign will appear in the checkbox in the Back Up column next to the package name.

Save Time with Home-Style Backups

When an item in the Backup list says "...files in Home folder" next to it, that means that Backup will search through all of the folders in your Home directory ( /Users/ your_username ) to look for files of that particular type. This means that Backup will root through the Desktop , Documents , Library , Movies , Music , Pictures , Public , and Sites foldersand any folders withinon the quest for any files that fit the bill. Backup places the files it finds into the QuickPick drawer, where you can pick and choose the files you really want to back up. This can save you a great amount of time.

6.5.3.3 Showing a file's information in the QuickPick list

Not only does the QuickPick list give you a way to pick and choose which files will be backed up, you can also use it to display information about a file.

The Show pop-up menu, located just below the list of files in the QuickPick drawer, has two options for revealing information about a selected file or folder. By default, the Show menu is set to General Information. With this option selected, you can see five pieces of information about a file, including the file's type and size, where it is located in the filesystem, and when the file was created and last modified. If you select a folder in the QuickPick list, its Kind will be displayed as Folder.

The other option in Show's pop-up menu is Backup Information. With the Show pop-up menu set to Backup Information, you will be able to see the date and time the file was last backed up, a destination where the file will be backed up to, and a status report, stating whether the file is unchanged since the last backup or if the file or folder will be backed up the next time around. If you are backing up files to your iDisk, the location will be /Backup/Users/ username , followed by the original path for the file. For example, if I'm backing up a file located in my Documents directory that's named booksignatures.xls , that file's path on my Mac is /Users/chuck/Documents/booksignatures.xls . So, when that file gets backed up, it will show up on my iDisk (in backed-up form) in /Backup/Users/chuck/Documents/booksignatures.xls . If you are making your backup to CDs or DVDs, the path will be similar, except that it won't have an initial Backup directory (e.g., just /Users/ username , not /Backup/Users/ username ).

6.5.4 Scheduling Backups

Backups, like brushing your teeth, are useless if you don't do them regularly. Of course you won't need to back up your Mac after every meal, but you should work backups into a daily and weekly routine. Fortunately, Backup just happens to be equipped with a scheduling feature so you'll never forget when to perform a backup.

Backup Scheduling Caveats

Before you start scheduling backups, there are some things you need to remember:

• You cannot schedule a backup to CDs or DVDs.

• If you are backing up to a Drive (networked or otherwise), it must be mounted on your system.

• Also, in order for you to back up to your iDisk, your Mac must be connected toor configured to automatically connect when neededthe Internet.

• Your iDisk does not need to be mounted on your Mac.

• If your Mac is in Sleep mode, Backup won't run as scheduled.

Keep these things in mind as you plan your Backup schedule.

By default, Backup isn't configured to perform backups according to any sort of schedule. If you look at the row of buttons at the lower-left corner of Backup's window, you'll also see a note that says "No backups scheduled"; this adds confirmation that Backup won't act on its own. Since you're the keeper of your Mac, you'll have to set this up yourself.

To change Backup's scheduling options, click on the fourth button from the left at the lower-left corner of Backup's main window. This button, shown earlier in Figure 6-1, looks like a calendar, except without the dates and all your appointments written into the little squares. When you click on that button, the sheet shown in Figure 6-15 slides out of the top of the window, giving you options for scheduling your backups.

Figure 6-15. Backup's scheduling sheet.

Scheduling a backup is as simple as clicking on one of the radio buttons next to either Daily or Weekly, depending on how frequently you'd like your backups to be. If you select Daily, the pop-up menus next to Time of Day become available. Here, you can select the time that you would like for your backup to be performed. If you select Weekly, both the Time of Day and Day of Week pop-up menus are available. In addition to picking a time slot to do the backup, you can also select which day of the week the backup will be performed.

The backup actually occurs within a two- hour window of that time setting. For example, if you set your backup to run at 12:00 p.m. (Noon), the backup will take place sometime between Noon and 2:00 p.m. The reason for this delayed reaction is that Backup checks the system to see whether it's busy. If there are a lot of applications or processes running, Backup will hold off until the next available opportunity to squeeze in the backup.

With Backups, Timing Is Everything

As with most things in life, timing is everythingand that includes backups. When scheduling a backup, you should pick a time when you're least likely to be using your Mac. Why? Well, the simple answer is because backing up can take a lot of time, and it can eat up lots of your CPU. If you're working on a deadline, crunching away in some multilayered Photoshop file and Backup kicks in, you'll find that your Mac will slow down significantly.

Another reason why you should schedule your backups when you have some down time is because one of the files you want (and need) to back up might be in use. Rather than backing up the file in its finished form, you'll instead get a snapshot of the file where it was at the time the backup was performed.

So, rather than schedule your backup for sometime during the day when you're likely to be working away on your Mac, schedule your backups for lunchtime or later in the evening when you're away from your desk or sound asleep.

After you click the OK button to accept your newly scheduled backup time (and day, if you opt to only perform weekly backups), the "No backups scheduled" note at the bottom of the window will change to something like "iDisk backups scheduled daily at 12:00PM".

It's worth noting that you cannot schedule a time to backup your Mac to CDs or DVDs; the scheduling feature is only available for backing up data to your iDisk or to a Drive. The reason for this is because someone needs to physically be sitting at your Mac to back up to CDs or DVDs to insert and remove discs as needed. When backing up to your iDisk, however, the only requirement is that your Mac have a live Internet connection. (Your iDisk doesn't need to be mounted on your Mac, either.) As long as your Mac is connected to the Internet, or a specified Drive is mounted on your Mac, the backup will be performed. At the scheduled time, Backup launches to see that your Mac is online or searches for a mounted Drive. If the scheduled device is available, the backup will be performed. If not, you will see the alert message shown in Figure 6-16, telling you that you're not online or that the Drive isn't connected.

Figure 6-16. If you're not online when a backup is scheduled, you will see this alert message, asking you to verify your Internet connection.

When you see this alert message, you can do one of two things: click the OK button to dismiss the window and do nothing, or click on the Open Network Prefs button to check your Internet connection. If you click on the Open Network Prefs button, System Preferences will launch and take you directly to the Network preferences panel. If all of the connection lights are red, that means you're not connected to the Internet, and you should connect if you want to back up to your iDisk.