There are multiple threads here about Time Machine. It automatically backs up whatever you tell it to (usually your Home Folder, Documents, at least) every 60 minutes. The first back up will take quite some time as it will basically make a copy of every thing you've asked it to back up. From then on, all it will back up are new files and files that have changed. The difference is, you will actually have multiple back ups of any file that changes.SuperDuper makes
one back up a day (depending on how you set it up, of course). That is fine, as long as the last copy of every document is
uncorrupted. If it is corrupted when SD backs it up, that may be the only back up of it you have, although I think SD keeps as many daily backups as you want. Also, if you create a document and accidentally delete it and empty the trash before SD makes its back up, you'll not get that document backed up at all. As long as that document resided on your drive for no more than 60 minutes, Time Machine will have backed it up (assuming it is in any folder/directory you've selected to back up).Frankly, I have never attempted to recover a file from a SD back up. So, I can't really compare it to Time Machine's method. With TM, you simply enter "the way back machine" and you'll see a 'stack' of Finder windows just like the one you last had open (generally I have one open showing the specific folder that I thought the file should have been in). They will be 'stacked' in chronological order, the latest in the front and going back as far as you have room for on the back up drive/partition. On the right edge of the screen is a scale showing the current date on the bottom and the earliest backed up data at the top. You simply click on the marker for whatever date/time you want and the Finder windows will magically slide back to that date/time and show what's in the Finder/folder previously selected.Of course, these Finder windows work just like they do in the current time period. If you don't see the document you want, you can still navigate all around the drive in that window. This screen is very intuitive once you realize what it's showing you. When you (hopefully) find the document you lost or corrupted, it should be highlighted and ready for your next command. If you had to search through some folders/directories, you'll probably need to click/select the document. You can now restore it to your current environment by clicking the "Restore" button on the extreme, right-hand, lower part of the screen.The lower edge of your screen will have that three-part bar that I just mentioned above. As I said, the right-hand part is a "Restore" button. The left-hand part is an equal sized "Cancel" button. The center part is a huge "Today" button which will bring the current view of the Finder window back in view. Be extremely careful clicking that window! Be sure you are seated and have both feet on the floor! It may be best to be leaning against the chairs back, also. This is because of the possible whip lash caused by speeding back from "way back" to the present day/time! :tease:Most here highly recommend
both SD
and TM usage. I
think retrieving a specific file is easier from TM and the chances of it being there are possibly higher, if the file has been erased, especially before SD got the chance to do its thing. Obviously, these back ups should
not be on your boot drive! Which brings up the other major difference between SD and TM. SD can (and I think most people use it this way) make a bootable back up. TM does not do that, but it can be used to restore every thing you've backed up on it, including the whole OS, if you told it to keep that backed up. I don't use it that way, myself.Most would recommend keeping the two back ups on separate drives. I don't go that far, using the same,
external drive for both methods. I even go so far as to use a
partition of that drive for the TM back up. Apple would like and some people staunchly say you
must use a completely separate and totally dedicated drive for TM. This theory probably comes from the fact that TM will continue making back up copies until it runs out of room. But it doesn't crash when that happens!
It simply starts removing/erasing the oldest back ups until it has the needed room for the new one.There are more details about TM, but if you've made it this far, you and I both need a break!
Hopefully, you already know more about SD than I do, anyway.
QUOTE
In my window toolbar - which is customized:
Oh yeah, that thing. I never saw the point of adding something that required moving the mouse and then another step to click it when it already had a simple keyboard shortcut. With a document selected, simply press the space bar and there's your Quick Look. Press it again and it disappears. Or, use the arrow keys to see the next document down/up/sideways/etc. Makes
looking at a bunch (sorry for the technical term!) of images very
quick.
Ya think that may be where the name comes from?
