Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
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I tried to copy my home folder to my backup HD (since I was informed it contains everything I need to backup...iTunes music, documents, etc.)...but when I dragged the home folder into the LACIE FW HD icon on the desktop, it tells me, "One or more items can't be copied".....what do I need to do?
****if possible, can someone change this thread title to "trying to copy the home folder..."******** Last edited by Mr. X : 2005-01-18 at 21:34. Reason: title was misleading |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Philadelphia, PA
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I hate that "One or more items can't be copied" pop up. That pops up when there something in a folder that you can't move.
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ಠ_ರೃ
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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You may have to copy the individual folders. Documents, Music, etc. You should probably also move the Library folder so you don't lose things like Safari bookmarks and saved Mail messages.
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The best way of copying whole folders is to download Carbon Copy Cloner
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html This will clone what ever you ask it to - exactly. So if you wish to clone just the Home folder it will do that and not come up with cannot copy prompts. In fact if you want to make a clone of your hard drive it is perfect as it copies all the hidden files. |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Thanks for the link...but I figured it out. I had to erase the LaCie HD first. Now I'm able to copy the home folder without any problems.
Is the home folder all I need to copy for backup? Again, I'm interested in backing up iTunes music, documents, pictures, emails, etc. oh yeah..thanks for changing the title for me...appreciate it... Last edited by Mr. X : 2005-01-22 at 00:17. |
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I use Apple's own Backup program and it backs up my entire home folder easily and very reliably every time. It even does it automatically every night as long as my external HD is plugged in. I reccomend Carbon Copy Cloner if you are cloning your entire hard drive but I find that Apple Backup's UI is 100 times easier and more intuitive to work with for user folder backups.
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
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input on this question. surfin (the net) with Aloha the coconut wireless |
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
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so my question would I have to take the folders out that have the other files I downloaded before copying? I notice you replied and said that the Library should also be copied as not to lose e-mail or bookmarks and that is something I definitely want to copy. mahalo for you time surfin' (the net) with aloha the coconut wireless |
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ಠ_ರೃ
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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Just go through the Library folder in your Home folder and move over the small number of folders that you actually need:
~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook ~/Library/Mail ~/Library/Safari That's all you really need. |
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Less than Stellar Member
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As long as you use OS X the way it's intended. That is, using your home folder for your stuff and not scattering it about in other folders (like the applications folder or the root of your drive).
If it's not red and showing substantial musculature, you're wearing it wrong. |
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
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surfin' (the net) with aloha the coconut wireless |
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
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but thanks for your time surfin' (the net) with aloha the coconut wireless |
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ಠ_ರೃ
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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So obviously your course of action should be to copy everything BUT the library folder. Then only copy over the things from the library folder that you need. There shouldn't be much; I listed three of the only things you'll need (and that's only assuming you use Address Book, Mail and Safari). |
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
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surfin' (the net) with aloha the coconut wireless |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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ಠ_ರೃ
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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As far as I can tell, all you're worried about is having to move the folders individually. Well, seriously, just select all the folders except your Library folder and drag them over. Then select the few folders from your Library folder that you need and drag those over. You do know how to select more than one thing at a time, don't you? |
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Selfish Heathen
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
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"Backup"
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http://ga.rgoyle.com
Join Date: May 2004
Location: In your dock hiding behind your finder icon!
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I don't use .Mac, but when I backup this is what I do...
1.) Logout. 2.) Login as root (Search for enabling the root account). 3.) Create an archive of my normal users home folder (/home/paul). 4.) Copy the archive to your backup media of choice. 5.) Logout. 6.) Login as normal user again. OK, I have given up keeping this sig up to date. Lets just say I'm the guy that installs every latest version as soon as its available! |
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Selfish Heathen
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
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Passing by
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London, Europe
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Re backup software, for anyone with a dotmac subscription Apple's Backup 3 is indeed simply the most straightforward and useful around - much much better Backup 2 for those that used it in the past and hated it. |
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http://ga.rgoyle.com
Join Date: May 2004
Location: In your dock hiding behind your finder icon!
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Perhaps Brad has a point!
I was thinking that there would be some permission issues with files being in use, however, this does not appear to be the case (I am currently backing up my home folder as I type and have not had any errors yet). So here is revision 2 of my backup strategy... 1.) Delete anything you do not want. I am on my third backup command 'cos I keep spotting things I do not want! eg, EyeTV archive of all sorts of random crap (it's huge!) and/or your~/Library/caches folder. 2.) Quit all applications. 3.) Empty the trash! 4.) Open terminal and type the following commands... Code:
cd /Users
tar -zcvpsf backup_filename.tgz home_folder_name so for me, with my home folder being /Users/paul it would be...Code:
tar -zcvspf paul.tgz paul I prefer to use the command line as it seems to be a lot faster than choosing the archive option from FinderOK, I have given up keeping this sig up to date. Lets just say I'm the guy that installs every latest version as soon as its available! |
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: UK
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I am not sure if you can exclude a directory in this manner - but it would be easy to create a script to make a list of excluded files (see "man find"). Also - if you want to just create a copy of your directory rather than a monolithic archive - you can do something like: Code:
tar cvf - <source> | (cd <destination> ; tar xvf -) Euain |
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Devonshire - nearly twinned with Narnia
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Code:
tar rvfX ~/backups/home.tar ~/scripts/exclude_files.txt ~/Documents/* >> ~/scripts/backup.log This is because I have a 1.2GB VPC file in ~/Documents/Virtual\ PC\ List/ that I don't want to back up. The exclude_files.txt contains the lines:Code:
# For some reason tar needs absolute paths here
/Users/matt/Documents/Virtual PC List/* Last edited by mattf : 2005-11-28 at 06:43. Reason: more than one line = lines |
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