Data Backup

Data Backup keeps versioned backups of the folders and files you choose, on another drive or in the cloud. Each backup adds a new version that stores only what changed since the last one, every backup is checked once it's written, and you can go back to any version you still have — a whole folder or a single file.

Opening it

Choose Data Backup (Versioned)… from the More menu in the main window. The window lists your backup sets as cards, one per set.

The idea: backup sets

A backup set is a group of folders and files that are backed up together to one destination, on one rule for when to run. You can have several — say, your documents to an external drive every evening, and a photo library to a cloud account once a week.

Storage Studio starts you off with a set called Fast drive working set, which protects the folder Storage Studio keeps on your external drive. It does nothing until you give it a destination, and it can be switched off but not deleted. Click New backup set to add your own.

%% caption: The parts of Data Backup
mindmap
  root((Data Backup))
    Backup sets
      Folders and files to protect
      One destination
      When to run
    Destinations
      A folder on another drive
      Your own cloud accounts
      Storage Studio's own vault
    Versions
      Only what changed is stored
      Checked after each backup
      Older versions thinned out over time
    Restore
      A whole version
      Chosen files and folders

Setting up a set

1. Click Add folder or file and choose what to protect, then click Protect. Add as many folders and files as you like.
2. Click Destination and choose where the backups go — see Where a backup can go. A cloud account asks for a passphrase the first time; see The backup passphrase.
3. Choosing a destination for a set that already has something to protect starts its first backup straight away. If you chose the destination first, click Back up now once you've added your folders.
4. Turn on Back up automatically so it keeps itself up to date. By default it backs up shortly after you change something; click Change… to pick a schedule instead — see Backup schedules and triggers.

Back up now starts a backup at any time, whether or not Back up automatically is on.

Reading a card

The coloured pill beside the set's name tells you where it stands:

While a backup runs, the card shows a progress bar, how much has been uploaded, the speed and the time left, and Stop — a stopped backup picks up where it left off next time. Afterwards it shows Last backup with how long ago, plus · verified when the check passed. Check re-runs that check on demand, and Versions… opens the list of versions to restore from. If anything needs your attention, see What backup messages mean.

What's left out

Backup sets skip things that are rarely worth keeping: items in the Trash, temporary files, cache folders, developer package folders and some hidden system files. A file that can't be read at the time — locked or in use by an app — is skipped rather than failing the whole backup.

Data Backup and other kinds of backup

Data Backup protects your files. It's separate from Storage Studio's backup of its own settings, and it works alongside Time Machine rather than replacing it — see Storage Studio and Time Machine.

See also: Backup versions: what's kept and for how long · Restoring from a backup · Backup speed, battery and the network · Incremental backup