Configure Time Machine separately for each user?

I have two user accounts on my Mac, a work account and a home account. At work, they just got a new Xserve and we're being encouraged to use that for Time Machine backups. At home, I've got a mini with an attached external drive that I'd like to use.
According to http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5752907, TM wants to back up all accounts on the machine by default. For my backup at work, I've excluded everything except my work user account directory. It seems to be basically working — it's slow and quirky but I guess that's "normal".
Now for my home backup, I want to exclude everything except my home user account directory. I'm a little concerned though, since all the excludes I set up in the work account are also showing up in the home account. Is there anyway for different users to have different TM settings?

1. Will Time maching will back these up so that if I were to crash this computer or get a new one, they will all transfer over, and are safe there?
Yes.
2. I tend to move my laptop around alot so if I am going to turn off time maching should I turn the program itself off, and then eject the disc?
Not strictly necessary, but don't just yank the data cable while a backup is taking place.
3. If I can do the above, when I plug the external harddrive back in a day or two later, will it just begin backing up from where it left off?
Yes.
4. Since I have such a small amount of space that is being backed up to a terabyte harddrive do I need to partition it for any reason or is it alright to just let it back up forever until it fills up then starts deleting old stuff?
You don't need to partition unless you want to use some of the space for other purposes. Keep the TM repository on a partition by itself.

Similar Messages

Time Machine Permissions for other users

I just replaced my HD. Had no success with full system restore but eventually did a lot of drag and drop from time machine to my current account. I managed to get my photos, some mail docs, Itunes music those were the main items.
The problem is that I have two other users on the same computer whose accounts have the "red dash" on their folders indicating that their tm files are not accessible. Even when logging into their acccounts, they look the same.
What is the best way to get to those documents and restore them through drag and drop. I have no interest in reformatting and trying a full s;ystem restore at this point. Tried that a number of times and it didnt' work and I've put together most of what I had.
Any ideas or help will be appreciated.
mcneillclan3

It sounds like when you created the accounts on the new system, the UIDs (numbers that identify a user account) don't match up with what the old ones were on the TM backups. There is a way to fix it but it's kind of tricky.
Why did you have no success with the full system restore? Getting it working will likely be the easiest way to fix everything up.

Time Machine warning for Aperture users

I guess some people here will be using Aperture and Leopard.
See this:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1017&message=25380995
Hard to believe really.
AC

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1197983&start=15&tstart=0
does this affect iphoto users as well? i don't think so.
thanks.

Restore using Time Machine to new hard drive, but last "full" backup was 2012. how do I restore the rest of the Time Machine backups, particularily IPHOTO libraries for each user?

Restore using Time Machine to new hard drive, but last "full" backup was in 2012. How do I restore the rest of the Time Machine backups, particularily IPHOTO libraries for each user?
I entered Iphoto for my user and only photo up until 2012 were in the library. I thought the restore would do the incremental Time Machine backups too.....
Running 10.8.2

It usually means you are running Mavericks but have an earlier version of iPhoto. Open the App Store and upgrade your version of iPhoto to the Mavericks version.
The iWork apps are free with a new iOS device since 1 SEP 2013. They are free with a new Mac since 1 OCT 2013. They are also free with the upgrade to OS X Mavericks 10.9 if you had the previous version installed when you upgraded.The iWork apps are free with a new iOS device since 1 SEP 2013. They are free with a new Mac since 1 OCT 2013. They are also free with the upgrade to OS X Mavericks 10.9 if you had the previous version installed when you upgraded.
iWork and iLife for Mac come free with every new Mac purchase. Existing users running Mavericks can update their apps for free from the Mac App Store℠. iWork and iLife for iOS are available for free from the App Store℠ for any new device running iOS 7, and are also available as free updates for existing users. GarageBand for Mac and iOS are free for all OS X Mavericks and iOS 7 users. Additional GarageBand instruments and sounds are available for a one-time in-app purchase of $4.99 for each platform.

I have 2 macbooks each with an account for me and one for my wife. I use one Macbook logged in with my account and my wife uses the other Macbook only loged in on her account. We both make regular time-machine back-ups each on a separate external disk

I have 2 Macbooks each with an account for me and one for my wife. I use one Macbook logged in with my account and my wife uses the other Macbook only logged in on her account. We both make regular time-machine back-ups each on a separate external disk. Is it possible to update her account on my macbook using her external disk without overwriting my stuff on the same Macbook and vice versa?

Time Machine does not do individual accounts. It records the complete drive. So if you were to use her TM backup on your Mac it would make your Mac just like hers. Both yours and her account on your MAC.
Just copy the missing files over from her Mac to yours. If there are differennt programs on each then they would need to be installed on both.

HT3728 do i have to do separate backup to hard drive for each user?

Do i have to do separate backup to hard drive for each user?

Sorry, I am not understanding what you are trying to say.
Time Machine is software on your Mac that allows it to back up to another hard drive.
A Time Capsule is an Apple wireless router with a built in hard drive that can be used to store Time Machine backups from one or more Mac computers.

I have a mid2009 MacBook Pro for which I have been using a USB WD HD for Time Machine. I'd like to get a wireless HD and start a new Time Machine backup for this Mac and retire the 5 year old WD drive. Can I start over?

I have a mid2009 MacBook Pro running Mavericks for which I have been using a USB WD HD for Time Machine. I'd like to get a wireless HD and start a new Time Machine backup for this Mac and retire the 5 year old WD drive. Can I start over?

no archive/ backup is perfect, HD clones can be set to make incremental additions, same as time machine however, though they are more time involved in doing so.
See the + and - of all data backup/ archives below and "spread it around".... or the "dont put your eggs all in one basket" philosophy.
Peace
Data Storage Platforms; their Drawbacks & Advantages
#1. Time Machine / Time Capsule
Drawbacks:
1. Time Machine is not bootable, if your internal drive fails, you cannot access files or boot from TM directly from the dead computer.
2. Time machine is controlled by complex software, and while you can delve into the TM backup database for specific file(s) extraction, this is not ideal or desirable.
3. Time machine can and does have the potential for many error codes in which data corruption can occur and your important backup files may not be saved correctly, at all, or even damaged. This extra link of failure in placing software between your data and its recovery is a point of risk and failure. A HD clone is not subject to these errors.
4. Time machine mirrors your internal HD, in which cases of data corruption, this corruption can immediately spread to the backup as the two are linked. TM is perpetually connected (or often) to your computer, and corruption spread to corruption, without isolation, which TM lacks (usually), migrating errors or corruption is either automatic or extremely easy to unwittingly do.
5. Time Machine does not keep endless copies of changed or deleted data, and you are often not notified when it deletes them; likewise you may accidently delete files off your computer and this accident is mirrored on TM.
6. Restoring from TM is quite time intensive.
7. TM is a backup and not a data archive, and therefore by definition a low-level security of vital/important data.
8. TM working premise is a “black box” backup of OS, APPS, settings, and vital data that nearly 100% of users never verify until an emergency hits or their computers internal SSD or HD that is corrupt or dead and this is an extremely bad working premise on vital data.
9. Given that data created and stored is growing exponentially, the fact that TM operates as a “store-it-all” backup nexus makes TM inherently incapable to easily backup massive amounts of data, nor is doing so a good idea.
10. TM working premise is a backup of a users system and active working data, and NOT massive amounts of static data, yet most users never take this into consideration, making TM a high-risk locus of data “bloat”.
11. In the case of Time Capsule, wifi data storage is a less than ideal premise given possible wireless data corruption.
12. TM like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
13. *Level-1 security of your vital data.
Advantages:
1. TM is very easy to use either in automatic mode or in 1-click backups.
2. TM is a perfect novice level simplex backup single-layer security save against internal HD failure or corruption.
3. TM can easily provide a seamless no-gap policy of active data that is often not easily capable in HD clones or HD archives (only if the user is lazy is making data saves).
#2. HD archives
Drawbacks:
1. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
2. Unless the user ritually copies working active data to HD external archives, then there is a time-gap of potential missing data; as such users must be proactive in archiving data that is being worked on or recently saved or created.
Advantages:
1. Fills the gap left in a week or 2-week-old HD clone, as an example.
2. Simplex no-software data storage that is isolated and autonomous from the computer (in most cases).
3. HD archives are the best idealized storage source for storing huge and multi-terabytes of data.
4. Best-idealized 1st platform redundancy for data protection.
5. *Perfect primary tier and level-2 security of your vital data.
#3. HD clones (see below for full advantages / drawbacks)
Drawbacks:
1. HD clones can be incrementally updated to hourly or daily, however this is time consuming and HD clones are, often, a week or more old, in which case data between today and the most fresh HD clone can and would be lost (however this gap is filled by use of HD archives listed above or by a TM backup).
2. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
Advantages:
1. HD clones are the best, quickest way to get back to 100% full operation in mere seconds.
2. Once a HD clone is created, the creation software (Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper) is no longer needed whatsoever, and unlike TM, which requires complex software for its operational transference of data, a HD clone is its own bootable entity.
3. HD clones are unconnected and isolated from recent corruption.
4. HD clones allow a “portable copy” of your computer that you can likewise connect to another same Mac and have all your APPS and data at hand, which is extremely useful.
5. Rather than, as many users do, thinking of a HD clone as a “complimentary backup” to the use of TM, a HD clone is superior to TM both in ease of returning to 100% quickly, and its autonomous nature; while each has its place, TM can and does fill the gap in, say, a 2 week old clone. As an analogy, the HD clone itself is the brick wall of protection, whereas TM can be thought of as the mortar, which will fill any cracks in data on a week, 2-week, or 1-month old HD clone.
6. Best-idealized 2nd platform redundancy for data protection, and 1st level for system restore of your computers internal HD. (Time machine being 2nd level for system restore of the computer’s internal HD).
7. *Level-2 security of your vital data.
HD cloning software options:
1. SuperDuper HD cloning software APP (free)
2. Carbon Copy Cloner APP (will copy the recovery partition as well)
3. Disk utility HD bootable clone.
#4. Online archives
Drawbacks:
1. Subject to server failure or due to non-payment of your hosting account, it can be suspended.
2. Subject, due to lack of security on your part, to being attacked and hacked/erased.
Advantages:
1. In case of house fire, etc. your data is safe.
2. In travels, and propagating files to friends and likewise, a mere link by email is all that is needed and no large media needs to be sent across the net.
3. Online archives are the perfect and best-idealized 3rd platform redundancy for data protection.
4. Supremely useful in data isolation from backups and local archives in being online and offsite for long-distance security in isolation.
5. *Level-1.5 security of your vital data.
#5. DVD professional archival media
Drawbacks:
1. DVD single-layer disks are limited to 4.7Gigabytes of data.
2. DVD media are, given rough handling, prone to scratches and light-degradation if not stored correctly.
Advantages:
1. Archival DVD professional blank media is rated for in excess of 100+ years.
2. DVD is not subject to mechanical breakdown.
3. DVD archival media is not subject to ferromagnetic degradation.
4. DVD archival media correctly sleeved and stored is currently a supreme storage method of archiving vital data.
5. DVD media is once written and therefore free of data corruption if the write is correct.
6. DVD media is the perfect ideal for “freezing” and isolating old copies of data for reference in case newer generations of data become corrupted and an older copy is needed to revert to.
7. Best-idealized 4th platform redundancy for data protection.
8. *Level-3 (highest) security of your vital data.
[*Level-4 data security under development as once-written metallic plates and synthetic sapphire and likewise ultra-long-term data storage]
#6. Cloud based storage
Drawbacks:
1. Cloud storage can only be quasi-possessed.
2. No genuine true security and privacy of data.
3. Should never be considered for vital data storage or especially long-term.
4. *Level-0 security of your vital data.
Advantages:
1. Quick, easy and cheap storage location for simplex files for transfer to keep on hand and yet off the computer.
2. Easy source for small-file data sharing.

Time Machine backup with multiple user accounts

How do I backup a machine using a Time Capsule/Time Machine that contains multiple user accounts? Ultimately I'd like to flexibility of using the Restore from Time Machine Backup command to port the user data of one account onto a new Mac. Thanks for any insight.

If Time Machine is enabled in one account, then when that account is active Time Machine (which is set up in that account) will backup the entire drive unless you exclude something. That backup will contain everything on the drive being backed up. You can restore either account separately, but when logged into one account you will not have access to files belonging to the other account. You can restore individual files and folders from either account, however.

Time Machine not saving all Users

Hi,
I have just used Time Machine for the first time and noticed that it was saving "x" of around 142gb as its first save.
However, I noticed that when I go through the back up history, whilst it saved my wife's account/user files it hasn't saved mine. The icon of my "house" in the Places section doesn't highlight when you scroll over it with the mouse. It does in the "Now" window.. but page through the back up history and it's not saved. My files are also not found in the Users folder.
Any help really appreciated.
Mark

Are you using File Vault?
That's the only reason TM won't save your home folder on each backup. It should, however, save the encrypted disk image when you log out.
If not, start with a Finder window showing your home folder, then go into Time Machine. It should appear that way.
And be sure you're not looking at the first (lowest) window in the "cascade" of the "Star Wars" background; that's the +Today (Now)+ window, representing what's currently on your system. Navigate to the actual backup (behind the Today window) or via the timeline on the right.
You might want to review these:
Time Machine Tutorial
Time Machine 101
How to back up and restore your files
Time Machine Features
Apple - Support - Mac OSX v10.5 Leopard Time Machine
and perhaps browse the Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip* at the top of this forum.
If you have a problem setting-up or using Time Machine, start with the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip* at the top of this forum. It will show you how to locate the message(s) that describe the problem, then help you fix it.

How can I prevent Firefox profiles from becoming large and taking up space on the C drive for each user?

I have many users logged into a Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Server (Terminal Server) and all of them use Firefox. Each one of their profiles get very large due to their Firefox profiles.
Seems that all the space being taken up by the cache folder. (C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\Profile.default\Cache)
Is there a way to enforce a policy within the program to clear the cache for each user either each time the browser is closed or when the user logs off?

when you lock the preferences with the mozilla.cfg file in the firefox program folder as it's described in the mozillazine kb article above, it should apply for all users...

How to allocate disk size for each user in iMac?

Hi folks,
I have iMac (Mac OS X, version 10.7.5) for Family, and each of my family member has account on it.
Now, kids download many large files (several GB size files) and HD is getting full.
So, I'd like to set maximum disk size for each user.
Could you prvide instruction how to configure disk size for each user?
Regards,
Hiro

I don't know of any way to do that by user.
I used to partition my HD and that sets a hard limit by partition, but by user? I don't think it can be done.

Any way to configure time machine?

Hello:
I have heard that there is a way to configure time machine so you can specify how often to back up the hard drive. Any thoughts?
I am not sure why Apple chose not to allow the user to specify the time interval. Right now, I have 150 GB on my hard drive and over 300 GB in backups.
Thanks,
P

There is a third-party utility called TimeMachineScheduler - VersionTracker or MacUpdate.

Hello, my mail is gone and I can't find it anywhere. Its not in library and I have not configured Time Machine yet. Help please?!

Hello, my mail is gone and I can't find it anywhere. Its not in library and I have not configured Time Machine yet. Help please?!

Use Find Any File, if the old messages might have been in a specific mailbox, to look for a file by the name of the mailbox to see if there are any larger versions of that mailbox.
http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/
If your Mail is indeed gone, you may be able to recover it with one of the data recovery tools here:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1689
But act quickly. Every action while the computer is turned on weakens its chances of recovery. There is a slim chance also your email provider may have tape backup from before you checked your messages and after it arrived at their server for certain messages. You may want to ask them if that might have happened.

No configured time machine found

Upgraded to Lion recently and since have had issues with time machine. Continuous amber flashing light, I have tried re-setting and when attempting to view through the utilities I get message no configured time machine found - airport utility will continue searching.
Can anyone step me through what I should do please?

I could say get rid of Lion. but that is probably not acceptable.
The airport utility in Lion isn't a lot of use.. so Apple released a real utility 5.6 for lion with some setting up stuff in it.
You will probably need to reset the TC and redo the setup.. you might also need to plug in ethernet to accomplish this.
Stability of the TC with Lion is also an issue.. but get started and see what happens.
Your issue is with Time Capsule by the way.. ie the hardware box that is a router and hard disk.. not Time Machine the backup software in the computer.

ZFS for each user

Hello,
how can I change this behavior?
Every time I create new user ZFS will create new filesystem for his home directory.
Now I have 10 users and 10 filesystems.
rpool/export/home
391M 9.62G   390M /export/home
rpool/export/home/user1
35K 9.62G
35K /export/home/user1
rpool/export/home/user2
35K 9.62G
35K /export/home/user2
rpool/export/home/user3
35K 9.62G
35K /export/home/user3
rpool/export/home/user4
35K 9.62G
35K /export/home/user4
rpool/export/home/user5
35K 9.62G
35K /export/home/user5
I want to have /export/home/userX as normal directory under /export/home/ filesystem
Thank you

Nicco,
Providing a ZFS file system for each user's home directory allows you to snapshot or set quotas on individual file systems or apply some other kind of characteristic per file system. This provides flexibility when you have a smallish number of users, but is unwieldy with 100s or 1000s of users.
I couldn't find a really easy way to disable this feature, if you want to go back to the previous model of one file system for many users, but this works:
1. Create the home directories first.
# mkdir /export/home/bob
2. Then, create the users and specify the existing directory.
# useradd -d /export/home/bob bob
Thanks, Cindy

Configure Time Machine separately for each user?

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