Backing Up PowerMac Rips to a USB HDD

With respect, and to be fair to the Mac, it sounds like a little bit of user error when you first drag & dropped the files to be copied...It does happen, especially if you have your desktop rather untidy...I've done it myself and cursed as I watch multiple files splatter all over the desktop !

For future help, if you ever do it again, simply hit CMD & Z (Undo) and it will simply pop all the files back to their original locations (this must be the very next action you do after the accidental copy) ....It would have saved you some of your subsequent pain !

There are stacks of back-up routines, some quite advanced, that could be advised but I think it may be an idea to start off with something very simple....I would have recommended using the built in Time Machine application (which would have backed up your whole Mac as well) but as you want to move the HDD between Mac and PC, this is perhaps not the best solution...There are software solutions that you can set up to simply back-up a target folder, i.e your music folder, or indeed you could script this action on the Mac...

One very simple way, if you're not very confident with drag and drop, is to right click the folder concerned, select Copy, then navigate to your external HDD, open a window where you want the folder, right click again and select Paste....It's a slightly 'crude' way of doing it (and you will need some overhead room on your OS HDD for the copy) but it will at least ensure you do not accidentally move or affect the original files/folder....

HTH, Steve.

USB drive: I suspect this is formatted as NTFS. This is compatible as read only under MacOS X. You need it formatted as FAT32 to be compatible with both Mac and Windows.

iTunes Files: As you've found out, the problem with WAV is that they do not (usually) contain MetaData so rely on file name / folder structure to define Artist and Album title. I would encourge you to use AIFF (or ALAC) with iTunes on the Mac.

As for getting them back into iTunes - unfortunately you may be out of luck unless you can move them back into the iTunes Media folder with the original structure and have iTunes recognise them. On possible saving fact is that if you downloaded the update to iTunes 9.2 before you "lost" the music files you will have a previous version of the library which you could reload. Other than that you may have to resort to re-ripping your CDs As the easiest method to sort it - Sorry.

If you have to Rerip, personally I would take the opportunity to use XLD to rip them, and store then as AIFF. This will give you confidence the rip is accurate (XLD) and store metadata / tags (AIFF).

Eloise

Actually that's a good point from Eloise about the HDD formatting - I overlooked that as being the reason why the drag and drop copy didn't go....Apologies Huw, I take back the user error statement !

Steve.

Hi Guys,

Really appreciate your help on this. SC, there is almost certainly user error involved

I was expecting a message such as would you like to copy / move / delete etc when I tried to get the files on to my USB disc.

Subsequent to trying the move I was looking at FAT32 / NTFC as being the root of the problem. I'm using Windows 7 and looking at the HDD it is in NTFC. I suspect that I would have to convert to FAT32 and back up all my files and photos, Music etc (in various formats) to be able to use it with the Mac. Do you know if it is possible to set up a FAT32 partition without wiping the disc first?

The Heath Robinson way of copy/drag you mention seems my best choice.

I have loads of FLACs I would like to move on to my Mac, can I guess I would need to put them on the Mac and then import. Does iTunes let you import and convert FLAC to AIFF or would I have to convert in one bit of software and then move to my Mac. I have lots of software on my PC but little on my Mac as I'm trying to maximise HDD space.

BTW now half way through recording CDs in AIFF!

Regards,
Huw

quote:

Originally posted by HuwJ:
...

I have loads of FLACs I would like to move on to my Mac, can I guess I would need to put them on the Mac and then import. Does iTunes let you import and convert FLAC to AIFF or would I have to convert in one bit of software and then move to my Mac. I have lots of software on my PC but little on my Mac as I'm trying to maximise HDD space.
...

Regards,
Huw

On the PC-side the program dBPoweramp could convert your FLAC into AIFF.

On the Mac sid a program like the forementioned XLD could do the conversion. Don't know how this one handles the tag-conversion since I don't own a Mac and have not used XLD actually.

-
aleg

I would say that for 60 quid you can get a 1TB usb harddrive, perhaps just start again?

I am not sure why you want to convert the flacs? Just use songbird

If you have an Airport Extreme router you can attach the USB HD directly to this and have your PowerMac perform automated updates.

quote:

Originally posted by SC:
select Copy, then navigate to your external HDD, open a window where you want the folder, right click again and select Paste....It's a slightly 'crude' way of doing it

If copy -n-paste is crude, I dont want to be refined. Are PC users the only ones who use keyboard commands? Crtl-x-c-v-a etc are my best friends!!!

Not at all - I use them all the time too..! I'm not sure PC users can claim sole rights over the keyboard, just yet..

In fact, they are almost compulsory when working daily in PS and InDesign (although, I have my most used, and application specific, key-strokes set as 'hot-buttons' on the Wacom tablet)....

I was just meaning, compared to the 'norm' Mac action of dragging items to initiate a copy, cut-n-paste feels rather crude and long winded - although it has the advantage of feeling a little more 'secure', hence my suggestion...

Steve.

Well I thought I had things in hand. I backed up my back up and reformatted my USB drive as exFAT, which was the only choice with NTFS in Windows 7.

I plugged the USB drive in to my Mac and 'Bob's your uncle' the Mac would not recognise it!

Is exFAT the same as FAT32? Could I format it using the Mac in a way that Windows 7 would see it or am I doomed to buy a second HDD?

Regards,
Huw

Format it on your mac.

Not too bad a price:

Netgear 500Gb Stora

As patrick says format on the mac as fat 32.

I assume Windows 7 will see the HDD then?

I've not tried to format using the Mac before. You seem to get quite a complicated set of windows when you try. Basic instructions of which bit to use would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Huw