Duration of iCloud backup

[Dennis Kane]

Hello Gang,

I enabled a full documents folder and desktop backup of a computer to iCloud. I would like to estimate how long this will take. Problem is that once you’ve enabled the backup, the computer will not report the size of the documents folder, I guess until it’s done. Any suggestions on determining the size of the documents folder while the backup is in progress? Maybe it’s time to fire up terminal.

Dennis

[Dennis Kane]

Found it. There is a progress icon in any Finder window next to iCloud Drive in the sidebar menu.

Begin forwarded message:

[all...@podfeet.com]

👏🏻 to Ben.  I was just about to write the same thing only less articulately.  (see?)

Allison

On Dec 4, 2024, at 10:53 AM, Benjamin G Levy via LAPUG-list <lapug...@lapug.com> wrote:

Dennis,

It’s really important that you NOT consider iCloud a backup. That is not its function and it’s not what it does.

A backup is a snapshot in time that one can return to to recover data.

iCloud is file synchronization to the cloud and that sync is shared to all of your subscribed devices.

If you delete a file from a synchronization like iCloud, the file gets deleted from all devices and the cloud.

A backup remains as that frozen moment in time, while synchronization is an ongoing and changing thing.

iCloud does offer file recovery for a span of 30 days, but if you deleted an item 31 days ago it is not accessible, whereas a backup would still be available to you.

An additional reason to not think of iCloud as a backup is that it is limited in what is synchronized. It synchronizes your Desktop and Documents folders, and if enabled, certain other data types when stored in the appropriate places (Keychain Access, Photos, Music). Anything not stored in those places is not synchronized and not available to other devices, or the cloud.

Many of us have photos stored in the Pictures folder in the Home folder, that are not in the Photos app. Those photos are not part of the synchronization that iCloud offers. They exist on the storage of the device they are on.

If the purpose is an actual backup and not synchronization, please look to Time Machine or one of the other solutions out there that will provide a complete and recoverable backup.

Hope this helps!

B

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Benjamin G. Levy  -  Solutions Consulting, Los Angeles
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Apple Certified Trainer | Apple Certified Technical Coordinator
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[Dennis Kane]

Thanks. Yes, I know that iCloud Drive is just a sync and not a real backup. Maybe the best way to think of it is that the master files are in iCloud and only copies are on your devices, but even that oversimplification is potentially deadly. That might make you think that if you toss a file locally, it will still be on iCloud. If you delete the file locally, you will delete it from iCloud, right?

I was hoping to use iCloud Drive as a tool complementary to Time Machine to supply some resilience to my wife's file storage. That is, a convenient and immediate file recovery if her computer malfunctions. Is iCloud Drive more trouble than it is worth? To put it another way, do the problems that file synchronization could cause make it a potential conflict with a legitimate file backup strategy?

What I really want to do is find the easiest set it and forget it approach to file backup. Time Machine requires that a disk drive or server is connected and with enough space available. I know that sounds easy, but I have found a better lazy man's success with online services. I have Backblaze set up on my computer. I may have looked at iDrive previously. Any objection to depending on online back services? If not, what is your favorite?

Regards,

Dennis

On Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 12:10:53 PM PST, Benjamin G Levy via LAPUG-list <lapug...@lapug.com> wrote:

Thank you Allison! I love being on the right side of history…. LOL!

B