How do I know when my backup is complete to my external hard drive

How do I know when my back up is complete to an external har drive...new user

Welcome to Apple Support Communities.
If you are using Time Machine, open , System Preferences, System, Time Machine.
It will show the status of the backup drive, including the date of the first backup, as well as the most recent.
Checkmarking the 'Show Time Machine status in the menu bar' will allow you to view the latest Time Machine backup by clicking on the icon in the menu bar, without going through System Preferences each time.
Clicking Open Time Machine Preferences... from the menubar takes you to the same Preference screen as shown above.
The first backup will take a while, up to several hours or more, because it is a complete backup of everything on your system.

Similar Messages

  • When i run Time Machine to back up my computer onto an external hard drive, i have no way of knowing when the back up process has been completed. I don't know when it is safe to disconnect the external hard drive - which is store in a separate location.

    When i run Time Machine to back up my computer on to an external hard drive, i have no way of knowing when the back up process has been completed.  This is necessary to know because i don't leave my external hard drive connected to the computer.  I routinely disconnect it after backing up the hard drive, and then i store the external hard drive in a different location from the computer.  So, knowing when the back up process has been completed would be a very helpful thing to have the computer specify. 

    Just enable Time Machine's menu extra (System Preferences -> Time Machine -> Show Time Machine in menu bar.
    This will add a little Time Machine icon to your menubar. When Time Machine is actively backing up your data, the icon will spin as a visual indicator. You can also click the menu icon to see the backup status, including how much data is left to back up.

  • I am trying to backup my Itunes onto my external hard drive. I am at the step where I on Itunes, click on File - Library - Organize library. I am suppose to check mark both boxes there, It won't allow me to check mark the second box, why? How to fix this.

    I am trying to backup my Itunes onto my external hard drive. I am at the step where I on Itunes, click on File ->Library ->Organize library. I am suppose to check mark both boxes there, the first being "Consolidate Files" & the second being "Reorganize files in the folder 'Itunes Media'. I am able to checkmark the first box but It won't allow me to check mark the second box, why? How can i fix this? Please help!

    Well you must have made a mistake somewhere. The last instruction of step four reads:
    When you've found your iTunes library folder, drag that folder to your external hard drive. This will begin the iTunes backup. The amount of time the backup will take depends on the size of your library. When the transfer is done, your backup is complete and your external hard drive can be disconnected.
    Normally dragging content from to a new location on a different drive will result in a copy action which is what you were supposed to do. At a guess you somehow managed to move the iTunes folder. Then when you started iTunes it created a new blank library for you assuming it had just been installed rather that raising a warning.
    Close iTunes. Rename the iTunes folder on the internal drive as iTunes (Empty) then copy the iTunes folder from the external back into the User's Music folder. Start iTunes. All should be well.
    When you've made sure it all works please read my User Tip and use that method to backup in future. Since you already have a folder with the backup in place you can skip the "Make New" operation in the fourth step and simply choose the external folder.
    tt2

  • Can i use my time capsule to wirelessly backup my macbook and its external hard drive, which up until now was it's time machine and storage? How?

    Can i use my time capsule to wirelessly backup my macbook and its external hard drive, which up until now was it's time machine and storage? How?

    The external drive must be connected to the Mac using either USB or FireWire
    You must remove the external hard drive from the list of items that are "excluded" from backups in Time Machine Preferences.
    Here's how:
    Open System Preferences (gear icon on the dock)
    Open Time Machine
    Click Options
    Look for the name of the hard drive in the list of "excluded" items and click on it to highlight it
    Click the -- (minus) button at the bottom of the list to remove the hard drive from the list of "excluded" items....so it will now be backed up
    Strongly recommend that you do the first backup using Ethenret from your computer to the Time Capsule since the entire contents of the external drive will be copied on the first pass. Ethernet will be 3-5 faster than wireless.
    Once you have the first backup done, you can use wireless for subsequent backups since they will nornally be much smaller....unless you add large files to the external drive.

  • I have an iMac 2013 running OSX 10.9.4. I want to use Carbon Copy Cloner to backup user files to an external hard drive. Then I want to remove iPhoto libraries from iMac. What will happen to the iPhoto libraries that I back up when I run backup in a

    I have an iMac 2013 running OSX 10.9.4. I want to use Carbon Copy Cloner to backup user files to an external hard drive to free up space on my iMack Hard drive.
    So, say I make the backup today, delete iphoto libraries from my iMac, and then backup my iMac in a week. What happens to the iphoto libraries that are on the external backup drive now that I am backing up the iMac where they no longer exist?
    I will have them backed up to a separate second external drive as well.
    I'm just very cautious about removing them from the hard drive.
    Thanks for helping and understanding my crazy caution!

    I'd like to store my Aperture /IMovie Libraries on an external hard drive.
    That is fine and recommended.. use the fastest disk you can afford.. ie Thunderbolt>USB3>FW800>USB2.
    In addition, I'd like to partition the external hard drive so that Time Machine can use it to both back up my IMac and the external library drives.
    Let me be clear.. you want to partition the one disk.. use it for TM and move your files to the external disk.. and then backup to the same disk.. You can do it.. but that is not a backup.. that is an experiment in how long you can get away with running files and backups on the same disk before you lose everything.. like Russian Roulette.. pull the trigger enough times and laws of probability will do you in.
    You must have backups on a different disk .. otherwise it is pointless.
    Can I set up a RAID 5 format for redundancy?
    No.. you can buy special USB and Thunderbolt external drives that support RAID..
    BUT that is still not a backup.. let me show why.. you make a silly move and corrupt your file in aperture.. it is not that rare.
    Raid will corrupt all copies of the files.. it is replicated across all disks.
    Delete a photo it is deleted across all disks.. you have no recovery.
    Alway, always consider RAID system one disk.. backup onto another disk.. and if the photos or movies are at all important to you.. ie your family .. make another copy and store in a relatives house.. There is no such thing as too much redundancy.

  • How do I backup photos in iPhoto to external hard drive?

    How do I backup iPhoto photos to an external hard drive (not a Time Machine drive)?

    Just the Photos?
    File -> Export...
    This User Tip
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
    has details of the options in the Export dialogue.
    The iPhoto Library?
    Most Simple Back Up:
    Drag the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to another Disk. This will make a copy on that disk.
    Slightly more complex: Use an app that will do incremental back ups. This is a very good way to work. The first time you run the back up the app will make a complete copy of the Library. Thereafter it will update the back up with the changes you have made. That makes subsequent back ups much faster. Many of these apps also have scheduling capabilities: So set it up and it will do the back up automatically.
    Example of such apps: Chronosync - but there are many others. Search on MacUpdate or the App Store

  • I did backup from my Imac to external hard drive, how can I unzip that backup to my mac

    I did backup from my Imac to external hard drive, how can I unzip that backup to my mac again

    It may be Time Machine, but Time Machine doesn't store backups in .zip folders. Open Finder and select your backup external disk in the Finder sidebar, under "Devices". If you are using Time Machine, you should see a folder called "Backups.backupdb".
    If you are using Time Machine and you want to restore a full Time Machine backup, there are different methods depending on the Mac OS X version you are using. Open  > About this Mac, see Version and tell me what version you are using

  • How do i repair or recover data from a corrupt USB external hard drive that does not show up on my Mac desktop or disk utility

    How do i repair or recover data from a corrupt USB external hard drive that does not show up on my Mac desktop or disk utility?
    Last night i was using my external hard drive, for some reason the folder just closed and i couldn't find it on my desktop.
    After googling solutions, i found it in the disk utilities, i clicked on the 'repair' button many times, but it said the 'error...' message.
    So i ejected it to try again, now when i connect the USB external hard drive it doesn't show up on my desktop or disk utilities.
    I really just want to either repair or recover the data on it because it literally has everything (documents, work files, photos etc) on it,
    I downloaded an application to recover my files but it needs the USB to at least show up.recognise it which mine doesn't.
    I know i should've backed it up on another USB, this definitely teaches me for next time to back up all my files.
    Are the files lost forever or can i recover them by going to a shop or using a software?

    Thank you for responding.
    This might sound stupid since i'm not really knowledgeable with Macs,
    but since all my files were moved from my mac computer to the external hard drive,
    is it possible to recover those files through my Mac - like recovering deleted files? 

  • How do I get my MacBook Pro to recognize my Toshiba external hard drive?

    How do I get my MacBook Pro to recognize my Toshiba external hard drive? I'm working on transferring my music from our home computer to my new laptop and I already got all my music onto the hard drive but now, when I plug it into my MacBook Pro, it doesn't recognize it. There isn't an icon that pops up and nothing happens at all. The blue light on the hard drive that indicates that it knows it is plugged into something comes up but that's about it. Someone told me I might have to "format" it but I don't know what that means and I don't know how to do it. I just want to get my music from the hard drive to my laptop so please help!

    natgray17 wrote:
    I don't know about your first question... I went to finder, preferences, then general but I didn't see anything for the hard drive. 
    Huh, in the Finder menu, Preferences, you will see this:
    Nope, disk utility cannot see it. I've tried unplugging it and plugging it back in but it still won't recognize it.puter that's a Mac...
    If DU cannot see it then the preferences is just an academic exercise.
    If this is a USB drive then as mentioned above you may need a powered USB hub since there may not be enough power from the USB to run the drive.  What else do you have plugged into the USB ports?  If there's some stuff you can unplug it then do it and see if your drive mounts.
    What do you mean from a Windows machine? It's a Toshiba hard drive and I put my music on it from my home computer that's a Mac...
    Which is all I wanted to know, i.e., whether the drive came from a Winows machine.  So it's been formatted and created on a mac.  Therefore it should mount on this other mac machine.  So it most likely is a power problem.

  • HT1751 I am trying to backup my iTunes to an external hard drive, but it won't let me click and drag or copy and paste into the external drive.

    I am trying to backup my iTunes to an external drive, but my Mac won't let me drag and drop into the external drive or any of its folders.
    Any suggestions?
    Thanks,

    I think I know what I did....my external hard drive has been used to back up my PC.  I was trying to back up my iTunes on my Mac.  I forgot that the formats mattered.  Thanks.

  • When loading songs into iTunes, from my external hard drive. It seems to be copying the music onto my MacBook Air.

    When loading songs into iTunes, from my external hard drive. It seems to be copying the music onto my MacBook Air.
    How do i have iTunes only read the songs from my hard drive, rather then copying them?

    You may find these Links of Interest...
    Moving iTunes Media Folder
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449
    http://macmost.com/moving-your-itunes-media-to-an-external-drive.html

  • How can i save my individual playlist on itunes on my external hard drive because i want to buy a laptop and install itunes and move all my music and playlist thats on my desktop to my laptop and almost all my music is from a bunch of cd's i own

    how can i save my individual playlist on itunes on my external hard drive because i want to buy a laptop and install itunes and move all my music and playlist thats on my desktop to my laptop and almost all of my music is from a bunch of cds i own

    Hello ryane84
    The easiest and most efficient way to copy your music is to follow the steps under the External drive section. Make sure that you have organized the iTunes library first before you copy it over. Then put the copied iTunes folder in the same Music folder on your computer.
    iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4527
    Regards,
    -Norm G.

  • How do you back up a Mac Book Pro to an external hard drive?

    How do you back up a Mac Book Pro to an external hard drive?

    So you might also want to check this out in order to make a bootable drive of your computer:
    http://macintoshhowto.com/repair/back-up-computer.html

  • How can I back up my I Tunes library to an external hard drive?  Also how do I add my new content to the back up?

    How can I back up my I Tunes library to an external hard drive?  Also how do I add my new content to the back up?

    See this User Tip.
    tt2

  • HT1349 How do I save my purchased music from Itunes to a external hard drive so I dont lose it?

    How do I save my purchased music from Itunes to a external hard drive so I dont lose it?

    Right-click(Windows) or control-click(Mac) any item in the iTunes library other than a rented movie, reveal it in the Windows Explorer or Finder, and navigate up the folder hierarchy.
    (63453)

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