Backup

myTracks is designed in such a way that it stores the files for your GPS files automatically at a central location. Especially in the context of backups you may rise the question where these files are stored so that you are able to restore these files from a backup.

Location of GPS and other important files

The GPS tracks and additional information are stored in the following folder (this folder is called Application Support Folder):

/Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Containers/info.stichling.myTracks/Data/Library/Application Support/myTracks

In Finder you can navigate to the folder /Users/<USERNAME>/Library by holding down the option key and selecting Library from the Go To menu.

Besides the GPS tracks the Application Support Folder contains additional files needed by myTracks to work properly. It's important to not change any of these files manually. It's not possible to change the location of the Application Support Folder.

Configuration of Time Machine and other backup software

When you configure Time Machine or other backup applications you have to check whether the Application Support Folder is part of your backup. By default this folder is part of a Time Machine backup because the location of the Application Support Folder conforms to Apple's guidelines.

Restore

To restore myTracks data from a backup please follow these steps (Time Machine is used in the following descriptions):

  1. Quit myTracks if it is currently running.
  2. Optional: Create a ZIP file of the Application Support Folder because Time Machine may not have archived your current data (just to be sure).
  3. Open the Application Support Folder in Finder. Select Open Time Machine in the Time Machine menu.
  4. Select the point in time you want to use as restore point.
  5. Check that not a single file is selected but the complete Application Support Folder. Now click Restore.
  6. Finder will present a dialog asking what to do with existing files. It's important that you replace all files. If only a subset of the files is retored myTracks may not work correctly.

Export of the track library

As explained before it's always a good idea to have the Application Support Folder within your backup. Additionally you can export the complete track library to a folder on your hard drive. To do so please follow these steps:

  1. Select Library within the left sidebar.
  2. Select Export GPX folder... in the File menu. Now select a folder on your hard drive where you want to export the tracks to.

myTracks will copy all tracks as GPX files to this folder. For every folder within the track library myTracks will create a folder on your hard drive. The file and folder names on you hard drive must be unique. Therefore please check whether the names of your tracks and folders are unique as well.

Import of a track library

If you have exported your track library at some point in time you can import this folder later on. To do so please select Import GPX... in the File menu. Now select the folder containing your GPX files. myTracks will import all GPX files of that folder including all subfolders.

Transfer to another Mac

In case you want to transfer your data from one Mac to another please choose one of these two options:

  1. Copy the complete contents of the Application Support Folder from one Mac to the other. This will not only transfer all your tracks but also bookmarks, POIs, etc. But all existing tracks etc. of the target Mac will be removed.
  2. Export the track library to a folder as explained before and import that folder on the other Mac. If you choose this method only the tracks will be transfered. If you already have tracks on your target Mac these tracks will remain and myTracks will only add the imported tracks.

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