Can I use a 2tb external drive with Time Machine to backup my Mac Mini (256gbSSD + 2tbHDD)?

Can I use a 2tb external drive with Time Machine to backup what I have on my Mac Mini?
My Mac Mini has one 256 SSD and one 2tb HDD. I want to use Time Machine to do a backup of everything.
Would an external 2tb My Passport Drive by Western Digital work for the backup?
It seems like it would not work because the total storage on the Mac Mini is 2304 gigabytes (SSD + HDD).
And the external Western Digital drive is only 2048 in gigabytes versus 2304 gigabytes the Mac Mini has.

No. A Time Machine backup drive should have at least twice the capacity of the drive it backs up. You would need at least a 4 TB backup drive for Time Machine.
Might I suggest as an alternative that you not use Time Machine but a third-party backup utility that simply overwrites older files with new ones such that the backup drive can be the same capacity as the drive backed up.
Suggested Backup Software
  1. Carbon Copy Cloner
  2. Get Backup
  3. Deja Vu
  4. SuperDuper!
  5. Synk Pro
  6. Tri-Backup
Others may be found at MacUpdate.
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore.  Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.

Similar Messages

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    carolsm wrote:
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    pitou wrote:
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    Time Machine 101
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    Apple - Support - Mac OSX v10.5 Leopard Time Machine
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    - Corza - wrote:
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    See here  >  Can I use my TM disk for other stuff?
    From Here  >  http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html

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