Configuring Time Machine to backup certain folders and files.

Can it be done? I have 3 externals and don't want it to back up one of them. I removed it from the backup list but it still continues to backup that particular drive. Also wondering if I could configure Time Machine to not backup certain folders. I felt like when I first set up Time Machine, I was able to do this.
Thanks everyone.

Hello Warren:
That should be available to you in system preferences>Time Machine>options.
Barry

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How can I get my time machine to allow me to recover files again? After upgrading to OS X, the time machine still backs up the files; but, I'm not able to navigate within the time machine or select any folders or files for restore.

How can I get my time machine to allow me to recover files again?
After upgrading MBA to OS X, the time machine still backs up the files; but, I'm not able to navigate within the time machine or select any folders or files for restore.
I've searched and can not find a solution to the problem that's being encountered.

Yeap that all makes sense now.
Do you only have the current backup showing in the TM display?? Won't it fill in the rest?
Over wireless are you waiting for the indexing to finish.. ??
Previous backup may not show for a couple of hours.
Long short of it.. Mavericks version of TM is a pain.
Sometimes it is easier to completely ignore the TM backup and do the restore manually.
I have posted the details here. See if this helps.
Can't access old files on time capsule

I really need to go back to the save I made a day ago, my time machine is not set up and files haven't been automatically uploading to cc is there anyway I can go back a day in saves?

Hi, I just had an issue with a photoshop document, my mac book temporarily crashed the screen glitches and deleted some vital layers I had constructed (took half a day) I thought I could correct it and saved it a few times in a panic and now i really need to go back to the save I made a day ago, my time machine is not set up and I just realised my files haven't been automatically uploading to cc is there anyway I can go back a day in saves?

Trevor.Dennis wrote:
So you don't have anything like Shadow Protect running in the background?
Video editing software only needs to save the steps taken to achieve the edit, and references the actual video files from the hard drive. So the saved files are only tiny, and it takes very little drive space to auto save to incrementing file names. Obviously, Photoshop files can be huge by comparison, so the only way to save with a different file name is to do it manually.
I think most regular posters to this forum make a point of updating the file name of a large project every hour or so, and as a direct response to reading so many horror stories like your own. The worst story I remember was from a poster whose computer had crashed half way through saving a large PSD file. After several response, questions and answers, it turned out he was using a laptop with a failing battery. He told us that he could see the battery was getting low, but left it and left it before finally hitting Ctrl s and running off to find the laptop's power lead. When he got back the laptop had run out of power and shut down, and his PSD file was lost forever. He may have been a prime candidate to a computing Darwin Award, but his stupidity still did the rest of us a service so we could learn from his mistake.
Ouch.
My digital audio workstation works on the same principle; it creates a backup save just in case things go wrong (which--knock on wood--hasn't happened to me) and only references audio/MIDI files that are related to the project.
My advice is to always, always back up sensitive documents. There are lots of ways of doing this, from manually to automatically. (e.g., A lot of higher-end routers let you connect external storage via USB so you can run backup software that detects any changes to a monitored folder over a network and then backs up any changed/updated documents to the connected storage. I prefer to do it myself manually, though.)

Time machine full backup after disk and disk permissions repair

my macbook would not boot so i inserted the snow leopard DVD and did a disk repair and disk permissions repair, after that it booted perfectly but when it went to do a backup it did a full backup of 149GB , i am unsure why it has done this and would like to know how to stop it as i am trying to save space on my time capsule.
thank you in advance

Brycycle wrote:
i do not wish to let it do a full backup so as to save space on my time capsule but this is the log up till when it started transferring data.
I'm afraid you don't have much choice. You do have lot of space available, though.
Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|new event db|
No pre-backup thinning needed: 165.92 GB requested (including padding), 507.60 GB available
The "deep traversal" means TM compared everything on your system to the backups, and estimates that about 138 GB is new/changed (it adds 20% for workspace on the TM disk - the "padding" in the message).
If there's about 138 GB on your system, see #D3 in [Time Machine - Troubleshooting|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/Troubleshooting.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum), for some common reasons for TM to do a new full backup.
If there's more, #D4 there has some common reasons for large backups.
If all you did was repair disk and permissions, neither should have resulted.
the reason i did a permission repair and disk repair while running from the install disk was because my laptop would not boot from the internal disk so i did both just to be safe.
That's fine; just do the Permissions Repair again, while running normally.

Can you configure Time Machine to backup external HDD's too

I have my "stuff" on 3 separate external HDDS - 1 for photos (50GB), 1 for Music (140GB) and 1 for VIDEO (350GB).
I want to buy a 2TB drive as a backup drive and have time machine manange this so that the MAC and the 3 external drives are all backed up to this 2TB drive.
Is this possible with TIMEMACHINE and secondly, even if it is, is there a better 3rd party application for managing this?
Thanks for any help

TM does back up directly attached external drives that are formatted as Mac OS Extended, but you must specifically include them. I think they are excluded by default in the Options… area of TM Prefs.
You can always find something better depending on how you frame the criteria. You should always have more than one backup of the items you describe, with at least one off-site. As drive prices have dropped significantly, this is more a reality for the home users as compared to corporate endeavors.
There are several programs that work well for that. Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper both have the benefit of being able to make an bootable clone of your startup drive--nice feature if your boot drive fails. They are also starting to make Fire Safes with a USB drive inside for backup. I believe Retrospect Backup is still around, also.
I've heard of people who swap drives for TM so that they get two backup sets, but I haven't tried that. Mostly, I back up the pictures to iPhoto Libraries on DVD.
Cloud backup services are starting to gain steam. Carbonite, Mozy, DropBox… These all scare me as I don't have physical control of the media--but that might be a good thing.

My Time Machine won't back up and files won't open when double clicked.

I'm not sure if these are related, but recently my MacBook Pro has been acting much more sluggish than usual.
To start, I have a 13in MacBook Pro Mid 2012 model with a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 memory. I've got it new in the summer of 2012, and haven't had any real problems until now. I have a 1TB Hitachi external hard drive with over 600GB left of storage. I'm running Yosemite.
Lately, as in the past few weeks but more noticeably the past few days, I can't open files if I just double click on them from my desktop or from searching them outside of the application. For instance, if I click on a word document on my desktop, it will cause the work icon to bounce for a while, pretending to open, but it never does. If the application is already running, the file just won't open. If I search from the "open" selection within the application, it works fine. This is true for all of my Microsoft Office apps, Photoshop, Preview, iTunes, and everything in between, all of which I had never had a problem with before.
Next, anytime I try to backup my system using Time Machine, it simply shows the "Preparing Backup" status and never starts. I've had the hard drive and used it as a Time Machine since I got the computer, and have had zero problems at all.
I've tried CleanMyMac2, Memory Clean, and I've always kept my Mac very clean and organized, as in no duplicate files, moving my biggest files onto my hard drive, and deleting any of my unnecessary files. I know I don't have a ton of RAM left, but I'm honestly not completely sure what to do about that, as this model apparently doesn't have RAM updates available.
Think you all can help?
Thanks so much.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Step 1
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.
Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”
While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your documents or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this behavior; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.
Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?
After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.
*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.
Step 2
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Please take this step regardless of the results of Step 1.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of Steps 1 and 2.

Time Machine incomplete backup - how to recover files

I did not complete a Time Machine backup due to a failing hard drive. I can see from the space left on my external drive that Time Machine backed up a substantial number of files. Is there a way to go into the backup file to recover a few key files? - Luckily I also have a Carbonite cloud back up too but one file did not make it to Carbonite
Thanks

How do I configure Time Machine to backup my entire hard drive to my Thecus N4200 RAID NAS box please.

The question is the content.....

First thing to do is go to the Pondini tips page, then follow the link to his full TM site for all the details.

Time Machine - can it backup selected folders and/or files?

Hello All,
I have searched for an answer to this question, but found no answer.
Can I select certain files or folders in TimeMachine to backup, instead of having to backup a whole disk (only).
I am sure I am not the only person with this question, but I could not find a post on this topic.
Thanks for any information,
eholz1

Time Machine is designed as a simple backup system to handle an entire system, and provides only limited flexibility. You can exclude things from Time Machine backups, but there's no way to start with nothing being selected and add just specific folders. If backing up only certain folders and files what you really wish to do, I'd suggest you look into a different backup solution, of which there are many.
Regards.

When installing maverick mailboxes disappeared, only have current emails. All the folders and content missing. Could anyone be of help. I do have Time Machine for backup.

When installing maverick mailboxes disappeared, only have current emails. All the folders and content missing. Could anyone be of help. I do have Time Machine for backup.

Solved the problem by clicking the gray triangle next to "On My Mac" and drilled down!

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.

Using Time Machine to backup and restore multiple external hard drives

I currently use Time Machine to back up my primary HD on my MBP as well as two other external hard drives that I use to store video editing and other large files.
Unfortunately, one of the external drives (500GB LaCie) recently died. I have purchased a replacement drive (1T LaCie) and I would like to restore my most recent time machine backup of the 500GB drive to the new 1T drive.
As I am new to time machine and have never actually tried to restore anything, can someone walk me through the process? I have already noticed that when I open time machine, the finder window shows only those drives that are currently mounted. Since the drive I want to restore is dead, I obviously cannot mount it...so I 'm not exactly sure how this is supposed to work.
Thanks!

This is a frustrating issue compounded by Apple’s penchant toward hopelessly poor documentation.
My problem concerns an old G4 (AGP) with an OEM Adaptec SCSI board and internal SCSI drives. That probably doesn’t matter but one of the drives (one of three) recently died. I had a back up with Time Machine to a firewire drive. But, when I put in a new SCSI drive and tried to restore - the fun began! At first I tried to select the old drive in the TM - from the “my computer” folder and copy it to the new differently named drive. That resulted in a “Preparing Copy” hang. 18 hr later I gave up! I then tried to open the TM drive directly and move the old disc (as a full folder) to the new drive - same result happened. Finally, I found this discussion. It worked for me!!! I renamed the new drive the same as the old one and starting from that newly named folder went into the Time Machine, found the latest copy and after a “select all” of all the files and folders there, accomplished a successful restore! Now, what I suspect really happened is the “select all” step. Using this this technique you have to actually go to the backed-up folder within TM and select all the files in it, then restore. Perhaps if I had done that with one of the other attempts it would have worked - who knows - I didn’t do the experiment? Thanks to Scott (a lot!) on this one.

Using Time Machine to backup a iMac G5 and restore to an intel iMac

Is it possible to use Time Machine to backup my iMac G5 and restore my backup to a new intel iMac?
The reason being is that I my mother-in-law's company bought her a new intel Mac and she wants to trade with me since she only uses her Mac for e-mail, photos and accounting software.
I was thinking of making sure her data is preserved by using the migration assistant to transfer her data to my iMac G5 and then using my time machine backup to restore to her intel iMac. I have concerns about this method after reading about the intel/powerpc issues with time machine. I also have concerns that perhaps the version of MacOS 10.5 installed to my iMac G5 will not be optimized for intel.

Well, not entirely. You cannot install or restore a PPC version of OS X to an Intel Mac because the PPC system will not work on an Intel Mac. You can copy your personal files, most preference files, and third-party applications (although it would be preferable to update all PPC-only apps to universal binaries which perform better on Intel machines.
Another possible concern is if your mother's company is transferring the ownership to her or simply purchasing the unit for her to use. In the latter case the computer belongs to the company, not your mother. She cannot then give it to you because it isn't hers. This problem should be resolved beforehand because the company may one day want the computer back.
Folders You Can Move to Your new Mac
From the Home folder copy the contents of Documents, Movies, Music, Pictures, and Sites.
In your /Home/Library/ folder:
/Home/Library/Application Support/AddressBook (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Application Support/iCal (copy the whole folder)
Also in /Home/Library/Application Support (copy whatever else you need including folders for any third-party applications)
/Home/Library/Keychains (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Mail (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Preferences/ (copy the whole folder)
/Home /Library/iTunes (copy the whole folder)
/Home /Library/Safari (copy the whole folder)
If you want cookies:
/Home/Library/Cookies/Cookies.plist
/Home/Library/Application Support/WebFoundation/HTTPCookies.plist
For Entourage users:
Entourage is in /Home/Documents/Microsoft User Data
Also in /Home/Library/Preferences/Microsoft
For FireFox:
/Home/Library/Applications Support/FireFox
/Home/Library/Preferences/org.mozilla.firefox.plist
Credit goes to another forum user for this information.

Time machine only copies User Info and Users (Applications, Library, and System are missing) from my quad core Mac Pro. 45 Gb of 162 Gb are missing. Any one having success with time machine copying all folders using Mavericks? What do I need to do dif

Time machine only copies User Info and Users (Applications, Library, and System are missing) from my quad core Mac Pro. 45 Gb of 162 Gb are missing. Any one having success with time machine copying all folders using Mavericks?
What do I need to do differently?

The late, great Pondini was investigating that issue before he passed away.
See here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5125969
I think there might be information there on how to reset Time Machine to do a full backup. I think you basically have to reset it and start over.

HT1175 How do I get Time Machine to backup Documents and Photos?

My backups do not include photos and my documents folder. How can I get them included in the backup?

Time Machine will backup everything on the Mac unless you specifically Exclude the files from being backed up. If the Documents and Photos folder are not being backed up, then someone placed them on a list of items to be Excluded from backups.
These folders will appear in the list of Excluded items.
Click the Time Machine "clock" icon at the top of the Mac's screen
Click Time Machine Preferences
Click Options
Click on the Documents folder to highlight it, then click the - (minus) button at the bottom of the list to remove the Documents folder from Excluded items.
Time Machine will now back up the Documents folder on the next pass.
Do the same for the Photo folder and it wil be backed up on the next pass as well.

Configuring Time Machine to backup certain folders and files.

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