# Backup Strategy: Auto File Copy on MacOS?



## Ian Oliver (Dec 5, 2018)

In a time long long ago I began trialing LR and initially used it's backup scheme that for each import creates a new directory like 'Imported on May 12, 1804'. Sadly, I continued using this until recently. 

I think I would like to change to keeping an identical copy of the images and file structure on my edit machine on our backup server. This would make life easier should something ever happen and also provide for easier access to images from other computers.

1) Thoughts? Good idea? Bad idea?

2) Best way to accomplish this? I think I'd like an app that runs in the background on my iMac that will simply keep a duplicate of my images directory on my server. Recommended app?

Thank you,


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## Johan Elzenga (Dec 5, 2018)

Take a look at ‘Hazel’. It’s a system preference that will watch folders and perform actions on them if something changes in such folder.


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## Ian Oliver (Dec 6, 2018)

Thanks. I've been playing with Hazel this morning. This just might do the trick.


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## Conrad Chavez (Dec 7, 2018)

You might also look at using a backup/synchronizastion application. For example, in Carbon Copy Cloner you can set up a timed Task that mirrors a drive to another drive at regular intervals.

Hazel still looks very useful as a way to reorganize files, automatically among other things; I think I'll try it too. But if the main goal is to maintain an exact backup of a drive, you should also look at Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper!, and ChronoSync. They are built specifically to keep two drives in perfect sync. Because they're built to be system backup utilities, they tend to take data integrity very seriously. And they're useful for other things, like creating a bootable clone backup of your Mac.


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## Johan Elzenga (Dec 7, 2018)

The power of Hazel is that it works immediately, and completely in the background. As soon as something has changed, Hazel acts. A clone utility like CCC needs to be started at regular intervals. Even though CCC does run in the background too, it's not instantly like Hazel. The advantage of CCC is that it is much easier to setup, however. I use both.


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