Save Mac Data with Snap Backup

For most Mac users, Apple's Time Machine is the best solution for backing up their data.  But for those who desire more control over exactly what data to backup, there's Snap Backup.  If you backup only your personal data instead of your entire hard drive, your backup files can be relatively small and often even fit on a USB flash drive (memory stick).

The trick is knowing exactly what folders and files to backup.

Follow the steps below to setup Snap Backup on your Mac OS X system to backup your:

• Documents Folder
• Desktop
• Safari Bookmarks
• Address Book Data
• iCal Data
• Mail (Mail.app) Data

1) Install Snap Backup Snap Backup is a free open source utility for archiving your data.

Get it at:

www.snapbackup.org/download

2) Configure Snap Backup
Go into the Applications folder and launch Snap Backup.

Your Documents folder and Desktop will be listed in the "Source: Data to Backup" section by default.  Now you need to add your Safari bookmarks.  Do this by clicking the Add File button and navigating to and opening the Library/Safari/Bookmarks.plist file.

Repeat the add process for each of following folders and files until they are all listed on the Snap Backup screen.

Source	Description	Data Location (under Home folder)	Type
Documents Folder	Work files	Documents	folder
Desktop	Work files	Desktop	folder
Safari	Bookmarks	Library/Safari/Bookmarks.plist	file
Address Book	Contacts	Library/Application Support/AddressBook	folder
iCal	Meetings	Library/Calendars	folder
Mail	E-mail	Library/Mail Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist	folder file

Data Location is relative to your Home folder (/Users/[YourUserName]).  For example, the full path for the Documents folder on my system is: /Users/dem/Documents

Click the Save Settings button.

3) Prepare for Backup
Optional: To make your e-mail more compact, you can empty your mail Trash (Mailbox → Erase Deleted Message).  Additionally, you should delete unneeded attachments (Message → Remove Attachments).

Quit Address Book, iCal, and Mail.

4) Perform Backup
In Snap Backup, click the Backup Now button to perform the backup.

Be sure to perform backups on a regular basis, and periodically copy your backup files to a USB flash drive, external hard drive, or other remote storage device.

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In the event you need to restore your data from a backup, follow the steps below.

Restore Steps:

1. Quit Address Book, iCal, and Mail
2. Use Finder to navigate to your Backup folder
3. Identify the backup file you wish to restore and double-click it (this will reveal the contents of the backup file)
4. Drag the contents into your Home folder
5. Launch Address Book, iCal, and Mail and check that your data has been restored.

If you have a suggestion for an enhancement to Snap Backup, please let us know using the feedback form.