How to backup efficiently and effectively iMovie 10.0

Question

I have a long list of Projects in my iMovie 10.0 and the focus of this question is about iMovie 10.0 backup files / folders and methodology.

I would like to backup everything so that if I move to a new Mac or if I have to restore after a system failure I will not lose anything of the work I've done (selected clips, project names, etc).

Sadly my external HDD size is identical to the internal one so I cannot use Time Machine (it takes more space than the source). I am now copying file manually but it is really a time consuming process and I'd hope to be able to use something quicker / more effective.

Can you please suggest the full list of files / folders I should backup and the tool I'd better use?

Answer 1

I was able to achieve the result I wanted using a tool that is available by default in Mac Os X and using the hardware I already have.

I've created a bash script with the following commands:

rsync -avz /Volumes/Snow\ Leopard\ Apps\ \&\ Data/iMovie\ Projects.localized/ /Volumes/Backup\ 1/iMovie\ Projects.localized/
rsync -avz /Volumes/Snow\ Leopard\ Apps\ \&\ Data/iMovie\ Events.localized/ /Volumes/Backup\ 1/iMovie\ Events.localized/
rsync -avz /Volumes/Snow\ Leopard\ Apps\ \&\ Data/iMovie\ Library\ 1.imovielibrary/ /Volumes/Backup\ 1/iMovie\ Library\ 1.imovielibrary/

The rsync command will only copy the different part of the files or the new files changed since the last backup.

For this reason performance is blazing fast.

Then I also made sure that the script is executed automatically at every boot using this tutorial: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6442364/running-script-upon-login-mac

Answer 2

Assuming your primary goal is to achieve exactly what you've stated:

I would like to backup everything so that if I move to a new Mac or if I have to restore after a system failure I will not lose anything of the work I've done (selected clips, project names, etc).

My strong recommendation is to purchase a new external hard drive and use Time Machine. After all, the idea of a fully working and current backup is to ensure you have a way to restore your data in the event of data loss, and the best way to do this is to have a full backup on a totally separate physical drive.

So, I would purchase an external hard drive that is at least 3x the size of your internal drive and set this up as your Time Machine drive. Preferably you'd purchase one that is more than 3x the size so that you can also back up whatever you need to from your other external hard drive.

I know this is not what you're actually asking for in terms of how you achieve you ultimate goal, but it really is the best option. External drives are not expensive and the peace of mind it'll provide is well worth the effort. And, after the initial backup (which may take some hours to do), each subsequent backup won't take too long and you won't have to manually do it (meaning you don't risk forgetting to do it).

Plus, it's very simple to use your Time Machine backup in the event of having to restore your data after a system failure or when migrating to a new Mac.