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Backup Software
You can use various programs to carry out data backups. On the Macintosh platform, I like ChronoSync from Econ Technologies because it’s simple to use and very effective at synchronizing all the files on a backup disk with the master disk (see Figure 2).
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Figure 2 The ChronoSync backup program interface.
I usually set up backup settings for my main work data drives such as the primary hard disk, plus the two other main drives that are used to store most of my raw file data and working files. Whenever I want to back up any data, I switch on a backup drive and run the backup process. I have the settings configured so that ChronoSync first compares all the data on the left target disk (the drive I want to back up) with the right target disk (the drive on which I want to store the backup data) and then copies all the newly added files.
I also have the Sync. Deletions option checked, so that file deletions on the master disk are applied to the data on the backup disk. At the end of a synchronization, I empty the Trash (or Recycle Bin in a PC backup program), and the backup is complete. Setting up backup drives and copying all the data takes a long time the first time around. But thereafter, if you carry out regular backups such as once a day or every few days, the backup procedure should take only a few minutes. If you’re in the habit of leaving your drives switched on overnight, you can schedule the backups to run in the early hours of the morning.