Re installing Reaper

[kero]

So now I am becoming paranoid with lots of posts about Time Machine back ups.

If something goes wrong with the my macbook pro, I have Reaper, Ezdrummer 2 etc etc installed, but I have it backed up with time machine, so I can just use that, I won't have to re install everything will I?
I am sure I won't, just double checking!

[serr]

The only cons to Time Machine are the limited feature set.

If your system hard drive dies, you would need to install OSX manually on a new drive and then "migrate" your data and apps (including Reaper) back. The PITA part would be the manual reinstall of OSX and then putting up with the button pushing for the migrate.

The pros is that Time Machine by default will start backing your data and app installs up as soon as you plug a drive in and click OK (to use for TM backup). You can flat out refuse to comprehend that your hard drive is like a little file cabinet with all your stuff in it (ie basic computer understanding) and still not lose anything.

FYI Time Machine keeps an archive folder for older deleted files. If you deal with large audio files on a regular basis, your backup drive could fill up pretty quick. That would be another reason for a more featured app.

Carbon Copy Cloner would be your upgrade.
Keep the archive folder (of deleted files) or not (your choice).
Clones your entire drive 1:1. That means your backup drive will boot OSX and be exactly the same as your primary in every way. This makes backup restores very painless. Also, make sure your backup is current before doing any suspect installs and you can clone your system back if something goes wrong. A magic reset button that usually takes only 3 minutes.

[kero]

Originally Posted by serr

The only cons to Time Machine are the limited feature set.

If your system hard drive dies, you would need to install OSX manually on a new drive and then "migrate" your data and apps (including Reaper) back. The PITA part would be the manual reinstall of OSX and then putting up with the button pushing for the migrate.

The pros is that Time Machine by default will start backing your data and app installs up as soon as you plug a drive in and click OK (to use for TM backup). You can flat out refuse to comprehend that your hard drive is like a little file cabinet with all your stuff in it (ie basic computer understanding) and still not lose anything.

FYI Time Machine keeps an archive folder for older deleted files. If you deal with large audio files on a regular basis, your backup drive could fill up pretty quick. That would be another reason for a more featured app.

Carbon Copy Cloner would be your upgrade.
Keep the archive folder (of deleted files) or not (your choice).
Clones your entire drive 1:1. That means your backup drive will boot OSX and be exactly the same as your primary in every way. This makes backup restores very painless. Also, make sure your backup is current before doing any suspect installs and you can clone your system back if something goes wrong. A magic reset button that usually takes only 3 minutes.

Thanks Serr
I only have Reaper and ez2 on my computer, no music files or anything, everything is on an external hard drive, and that is also backed up.
So I guess Time machine is fine for this? I back up every month also.

[serr]

Fine yes.

I'd backup a bit more often than that, but that's up to you.
A file not backed up is a file you're totally fine with permanently losing.

I schedule Carbon Copy Cloner to backup every hard drive nightly. This includes both system drives on the Mac Pro. The only exception is my laptop that I treat as my personal machine and "R&D" machine. I run a backup clone on my system drive on the Macbook Pro every few days "manually". If I do something to screw up my system but maybe don't catch my mistake right away, I don't want to overwrite my backup clone with said mistake.

I don't keep an archive folder of old deleted files because it would explode into TB's of extra data. So I intentionally rely on not committing gross operator error with deleting my stuff by mistake. I do keep at least a 3rd safety copy of current projects though. Works for me.

[vdubreeze]

Originally Posted by serr

The only cons to Time Machine are the limited feature set.

Have to disagree here. TM is great. It's a terrific bundled program and all Mac users should keep a TM drive attached. But I haven't found it to be bulletproof enough to really consider my it my first line of piece of mind any more. One of my Macs, a 2012 13", also has had a problem, about twice a year, with TM giving the "Couldn't complete the backup to xyz" alert, and reformatting has been the only thing that has worked for me. My non-DAW MBP, which is the only one I keep pretty current system-wise, lost its ability to do automatic backups until 10.11.3 and that seems fixed now. I'm not saying it doesn't work, just that I don't have complete confidence in it.

CCC when I'm not there for 'work in progress' drives, TM for internals hourly (hopefully : ) and regular finder copies of changed files to several alternating drives while working. And two off site collections of portable drives, as an homage to the time my upstairs neighbor's plumbing exploded and soaked my storage closet : (

[clepsydrae]

Besides wholeheartedly agreeing that regular OS backups are a necessity in this era, I'd also point you towards the reaper portable install: when you run the installer, if you choose "portable install" it puts everything in one directory: all your settings, etc. (Your VSTs will be stored elsewhere, and projects/audio go wherever you save them, but all the key shortcuts and themes and SWS and your license and all that go in one directory.) Then you can just back up that directory to preserve your reaper universe. You can put it on a thumb drive and run it from other people's computers.

It is the Way. :-)