1698 errors in copying Safari webbookmark files: 1. Why? 2. Is that cache needed?

[ProfN]

I wish to preface this post by saying I'm very impressed by the speed and fidelity of Retrospect 6.1's Duplicate feature in cloning from one hard drive to another.

 

The log for Duplication of the OS 10.4.3 boot volume to an external HD just showed 1698 errors--all in the copying of webbookmark files from OS 10.4.3/Users/~/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari

 

I checked my Safari bookmarks.plist and found that it contains 1698 bookmarks-- the identical number of errors in copying webbookmark files

 

 

 

1. What might cause that many webbookmark errors? ( I was running Safari 2.0.2 during the 15 minutes it took to copy and finish comparing my boot volume, but I only opened a couple bookmarks.)

 

2. What would be the downside of trashing that cache rather than just excluding it? Is it needed for Safari's bookmarks.plist to function?

 

Respectfully, Norm

[ProfN]

Hmmmmmmmmmm? Without making any changes whatsoever between the first error-heavy running and a new run, Retro 6.1 had no errors duplicating the same webbookmark files to the same external HD clone as before.

 

 

 

But I'm still curious on whether it would be safe to trash the cache or whether the Safari bookmark.plist requires the webbookmarks in order to work with the saved bookmarks?

 

 

 

Respectfully, Norm

[CallMeDave]

~/Library/Caches/Metadata/ is for Spotlight. And Spotlight and Retrospect interact.

 

I'd ignore it.

 

David

[ProfN]

Thanks for clearing that up, Dave.

 

If the metadata is duplicated to another hard drive, does Spotlight search on the clone if you switch over to the duplicated drive or does it hunt for the files on the original/source hard drive? (I'm trying to figure out whether or not to exclude from duplication to another hard drive the metadata files.)

 

Respectfully, Norm