Mac Backup Software: What to Backup

We’ve all heard the horror stories of small business owners and home users who failed to perform regular backups of important and irreplaceable data. For many, to say the consequences were devastating would be an understatement. With just one click of the mouse, years’ worth of digital photos, music files, emails, text documents, and more can be erased forever in one fell swoop. From natural disasters to user errors, data loss can occur on Macs as frequently as they do on PCs. And whether you’re a novice of seasoned Mac user, here are the applications, documents, and files you should be backing up:

Applications – With so many applications on the average Mac and many of those releasing new versions frequently, some users may not find it beneficial to spend the time or space backing up every application. But certain applications should definitely be backed up: those that are larger (such as Photoshop and Microsoft Office) and irreplaceable (if there are any). In the event your system crashes and you have to recreate it from scratch, make a detailed list of all the applications on your computer including the registration number for each one. Whether saved as a text document of Excel file, backup the list to ensure you can restore it immediately if you ever needed to.

Email – Whether you use a local email client or web-based program, it’s recommended you keep email backups in case the original source crashes. Save copies of web-based email locally and use online mac backup software to create a copy of your local mailbox.

Home Folder – One of OS X’s more eminent features is the home folder afforded each user where all their data is stored. The folder usually contains individual folders for documents, music, photos, and applications. Make sure everything in that folder is backed up regularly (preferably at least once a week, especially if you are adding data frequently). 

iTunes Library – If you’re like most Mac users, you probably have gigs upon gigs of movies. Make sure tag each file with the correct title, artist, and album. Once the initial backup for your library is complete, to minimize the task, backup new music as you acquire it so you don’t have to perform another major backup.

Movies – Use DVDs, an online backup service, external hard drive, or another preferred backup method to backup all your movies.

For more information, find out how to choose internet backup services that best suit your needs.