De-clutter! Space is limited. Organize your files into folders and make sure you know where everything is located within your folders. Determine if there are files you can live without and move them to the Trash. The Spotlight utility finds files by name or file type. To use Spotlight hold down the Command Key and tap the space bar to search for the name of the document or the extension, then open the file and export/Save As into the location you’ll remember. This can be done offline without the internet.
De-authorize your iTunes Store account so that any music or other iTunes Store content can be re-installed on your new MacBook. Instructions can be found at: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1420
Open iCal. Go to file, export, calendar archive,save to Google drive or your backup source
Open Address Book. Go to file, export, address book archive, save to Google drive or your backup source
Export any finished iMovie projects and copy any unfinished iMovie projects to an external storage device (flash drive, etc). This can be done offline without the Internet.
Backup the Test and Banks folder inside the ExamView folder located in the Macintosh HD or the Applications Folder.
Questions and Answers
What folders should I backup?
From the teacher home folder:
Desktop
Documents
Library
Movies
Music
Pictures
Public
Sites
What if I already have a time machine backup?
Time machine works well when returning data to the same device and operating system. We do not recommend using a time machine back when migrating to a new operating system or device. We are moving forward three operating systems and recommend restoring individual files and folders rather than using a restore process.
Do I need backup the software on my computer?
Your new computer will come preloaded with the standard district applications. Check your applications folder, if you have any question about a specific application please contact laptop_refresh@aaps.k12.mi.us. You are responsible for any applications that you have personally installed on your computer.
What kind of external drive should I buy?
The main things to look for are capacity and connection options. It is recommended to use a drive with at least twice the capacity of the volume that you’re backing up.
As for connections, Thunderbolt may be the fastest option, but the current teacher Macbook was built before that port debuted. Your current Macbook will support USB 2.0.
If you want to protect your data further, consider rotating a couple of backup drives, keeping one of them off-site. If you have only one drive, and it’s attached to your Mac during a fire or robbery, your would-be backup may be of no help in retrieving your lost data.
Do I need to backup my email?
No, your email and folders are still stored on the @a2schools.org domain. It is a good idea to backup important emails and attachments regularly.
What about Apple Mail?
Apple Mail is not officially supported by the district.
What about my iPhoto or PhotoBooth library?
When you backup you Pictures file to your external drive, if you iPhoto library is contained in that folder the entire iPhoto library will be backed up. Individual photos from iPhoto or from PhotoBooth can be uploaded into Google Drive , just like the other files that you backup you are limited to 25GB of total storage space on Google Drive.
What about my music?
If you backup your music folder containing your iTunes library it should contain all music that is on your computer both purchased music and music you imported from "original" media.
If you purchase your music through your iTunes account, you will need to “De-Authorize” your iTunes/Apple store account. (See the checklist item above.) You will then need to "Re-Authorize" your new computer with your iTunes account.
How much storage do I have on Google Drive?
As of April, 2014, users in schools have 25GB of storage in Google Drive.
What is a USB (Jump) drive?
Most computers have at least one Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports. You can use these ports to connect many different kinds of peripheral devices directly to your computer, including printers, cameras, keyboards, or joysticks.
A USB port is a rectangular opening about 1/2" wide and 1/4" high. It should have a symbol that looks like this next to it
. iMacs and other Mac desktops usually have USB ports on the back of the computer. Laptops have USB ports on the side.
Insert the jump drive to the the USB port. On a Mac, the jump drive will be listed as a "removable disk" on your Desktop and in the Finder's sidebar. This drive works like any other drive; you can drag-and-drop, copy, or save files just as you would with any other drive.
Before you remove a drive, be sure to close all the files stored on the drive and wait until the light on the drive is no longer blinking. (A blinking light indicates that data is being written to the drive.) On a Mac, before you physically remove the drive, first eject the drive by dragging its Desktop icon to the Trash or by clicking on the Eject icon in the Finder sidebar.
Is there a Dropbox-like app that would allow me to just drag folders up to Google Drive?
