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Mac to PC DVD backup

Do you know a way to backup Macintosh files on a PC to DVD, and retain the Mac attributes for the files?

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There are a number of options available depending on the scale of your backup requirements and of course, budget. The easiest approach is to use a commercially available backup software solution. Many products offer Mac OS backup client software and the ability to install the backup server components on a PC (or Windows) based system. These software products can write data to many different types of storage devices including DVD. This form of backup also provides the ability to preserve all Mac OS file attributes. It is the simplest approach, but cost considerations must be given to the software products.

More cost efficient alternatives are also available but imply various amounts of manual intervention. You could use software that allows file sharing between Macs and PCs. There are a number of solutions out there, some of which are freeware (i.e.: Samba). Others can be purchased (DAVE, ADmitMac, etc.). Once you have setup file sharing, files can be transferred from the Mac to the PC and subsequently copied (backed up) to DVD. Depending on the sophistication level of the file sharing utility you choose, additional steps may be required to preserve the Mac file attributes. For example, using a "ZIP" type utility on the Mac to package the files prior to sending them to the PC would ensure that Mac file attributes are preserved within the package.

This was first published in July 2005

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