WorkflowNotes/Referencemore ...

Backup Workflow (Quick Reference)

This is the only document you should need during a backup.

Step 1: Create the Encrypted Container

Open Disk Utility on your Mac (press Cmd + Space, type "Disk Utility", and hit Enter).
In the top menu bar, click File > New Image > Blank Image…
Configure the settings exactly like this:
- Name: This is the name of the disk when it opens (e.g., Secure_Archive).
- Size: Change this to 60 GB or 70 GB (give yourself a bit of breathing room past your 52GB).
- Format: Choose APFS (or Mac OS Extended if you are on an older macOS version).
  
  Quick Tips for Absolute Peace of Mind & to be SURE it can be opend on a non-mac:
  - Use 128-bit AES Encryption: When creating the image in Mac's Disk Utility, select 128-bit AES encryption instead of 256-bit. Both are entirely unhackable for a personal backup, but 128-bit is significantly more "standard" and makes it much easier for Windows tools like 7-Zip to process without errors.
- Partitions: GUID Partition Map (for modern macs)
- Image Format: Sparse Bundle Image (UDSB).
Click Save. Disk Utility will take a moment to create the secure container.
1. Then use finders copy and paste Command C / Command V to copy files into the archive –

Working Archive

A sparsebundle is your editable encrypted archive.

Double-click the .sparsebundle.
Enter your password.
Copy new files into it using Finder.
Eject the mounted drive when finished.

Done.

When the Archive is Finished

If you no longer expect to edit it:

hdiutil detach "/Volumes/SprungAug26Archive"

ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent \
SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle \
SprungAug26Archive.zip

Upload the ZIP to Google Drive (or another backup location).

Before Deleting the Original

Never assume the backup is good.

Run:

du -sh "/path/to/SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle"

hdiutil verify "/path/to/SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle"

Then:

Mount it
Open several files
Confirm everything works

Only then delete the original.

Philosophy

Sparsebundle = Working Archive
ZIP = Finished Archive

Don't ZIP something you expect to keep editing.

Password

There is no password recovery.

Store the password somewhere safe.

Reference – Sparsebundle Notes

Reference material for future Shawn.

Why use a Sparsebundle?

Instead of one enormous file, macOS stores the archive as many small "band" files.

Advantages:

Grows only as needed.
Easy to keep adding files.
Efficient for incremental cloud syncing.

Google Drive Desktop may upload only the changed band files after an update.

Finder Size vs. Actual Size

Finder can report the package size instead of the real storage used.

Always trust:

du -sh MyArchive.sparsebundle

Mounted vs. Ejected

Think of the sparsebundle as a locked safe.

Ejected

Files remain on your SSD.
Archive is encrypted.
Nothing inside is accessible.

Mounted

macOS presents it as another drive.
You can add, remove, and edit files normally.

When you eject it, the mounted drive disappears, but the archive itself never moved.

Encryption

AES-256 and AES-128 are both excellent choices.

AES-256 offers the strongest protection.
AES-128 mounts slightly faster on some systems.

Either is appropriate for personal backups.

Why ZIP Later?

A sparsebundle is designed to be edited.

A ZIP is designed to be stored.

Once an archive becomes permanent:

Eject it.
ZIP it.
Verify it.
Upload it.

My zip workflow would be

# Make sure it's not mounted
hdiutil detach "/Volumes/SprungAug26Archive"

# Create archive
ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent \
/Volumes/TBMatey/SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle \
/Volumes/TBMatey/SprungAug26Archive-2026-08-03.zip

# Verify it exists
ls -lh /Volumes/TBMatey/SprungAug26Archive-2026-08-03.zip

# Optional but highly recommended
shasum -a 256 /Volumes/TBMatey/SprungAug26Archive-2026-08-03.zip

Then upload one ZIP file to Google Drive.

Future Improvements

If you ever begin updating the archive frequently, you might investigate:

rsync
Automation
Scheduled backups

Until then, Finder copy/paste is the simplest workflow.

Is it there or not there?

TO CHECK

Let's ask the filesystem directly.

Run:
```
du -sh "/Volumes/TBMatey/SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle"
```
and also:
```
du -sh "/Volumes/TBMatey/SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle/bands"
```
I suspect you'll get something like:
```
52G    SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle
52G    bands
```
Another check

Let's see how big the band files are:
```
find "/Volumes/TBMatey/SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle/bands" -type f | head
```
and
```
ls -lh "/Volumes/TBMatey/SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle/bands" | head
```
Most will probably be 8 MB bands.

787 bands × 8 MB ≈ 6.1 GB, though, which doesn't match the 48 GB of used data, so I'm curious what band size this image was created with.|

The SprungBakAug2026.sparsebundle file stays around forever and can call the Archive which loads like a drive on your computer – e.g. SprungBakAug2026Locked – then you eject this file and it disappears until you click the .sparsebundle file again.

It takes up space on your Mac hard drive even when it is ejected.

Here is exactly how it can be "there and not there" at the same time:

Think of it like a physical Security Safe

When you Eject the drive, you are locking the door to the safe and hiding the contents from your Mac's operating system.
- When Ejected: The safe is closed. Your Mac cannot search the words inside your notes, apps cannot read the code files, and Obsidian can't see it. It looks like just one single, locked, solid file sitting on your desktop. It takes up exactly 52GB of physical space on your hard drive because the data is physically sitting there.
- When Mounted (Double-clicked): You are unlocking the safe door. The Mac splits the view: it keeps the locked safe file on your desk, but it also creates a virtual "doorway" (the silver external drive icon) so you can reach inside and change the files.
Why it feels like it "disappears"

When it is ejected, macOS completely unloads it from your computer's active memory (RAM). It stops tracking the file paths or monitoring the files inside. It is completely dormant.

So, while it does take up 52GB of storage room on your Mac's SSD, it uses zero computing power, zero RAM, and is 100% invisible

After download – check image structure

If you want a stronger integrity check, macOS has one built in.

After downloading:

hdiutil verify "/path/to/SprungAug26Archive.sparsebundle"

Why Sparse Bundle is Actually Perfect For You

A Sparse Bundle is the absolute best format for uploading a giant 52GB archive to Google Drive.

How it works: Instead of creating one giant, solid 60GB file on your hard drive immediately, a Sparse Bundle starts tiny (only a few megabytes). As you drag your 52GB folder inside, it grows dynamically to perfectly fit your data.
The Google Drive Secret Weapon: A Sparse Bundle breaks your encrypted data into tiny 8MB chunks behind the scenes. If you modify a single note in your archive later, Google Drive only has to re-upload the tiny 8MB chunk that changed, rather than re-uploading the entire 52GB file all over again!

Keep adding new content to it
Because it is a Sparse Bundle, it will only take up the actual size of your current files on your hard drive (roughly 52GB). The 85GB setting simply acts as the maximum ceiling, giving you an extra 33GB of free space to safely drop in new notes, code snippets, or project folders over time.

How to manage it moving forward:
1. Mount to Edit: Whenever you want to add or organize files, double-click the .sparsebundle file, type your password, and work inside it like a normal folder.
2. Eject to Lock: When you are done, right-click and Eject it.
3. Upload to Backup: Upload the .sparsebundle container back to Google Drive to keep your cloud backup up to date.
Go ahead and type in 85 GB in that size box, make sure Sparse Bundle Image (UDSB) is highlighted, and click Save!