How does time machine work, and what does it really do?

i just got my macbook pro, and just wiondered what time machine does, and how t works

Hi p,
Basically, it's an incremental, hourly backup application (you provide the HD). After the first backup, it only backs up new/revised data (plus some overhead), so it takes up much less space than all separate backups. Some reading for you:
Basics: http://support.apple.com/kb/VI29
How to back up and restore your files: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427
Recovering Your Entire System
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/15638.html

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How will Time Machine work with a laptop?

I have a MacBook and an external HD. I rarely plug the HD into the MacBook, except for when I need to backup. How well will Time Machine handle this setup? My hope is, as soon as the HD is plugged in, an increment backup session will start, which hopefully won't take too long. Or is there a way to still backup over wireless network like it was originally promised?

It will back up whenever you plug in the HD. The time will depend on how many changes you made from the last backup. If you do it daily, then it is not going to be an issue. TM will probably change our attitudes on how we backup a little bit.

How dose time machine work

how can i manage when time machine backs-up?????

Not sure what you mean with manage?
Here is some excellent information on it:
http://pondini.org/OSX/Home.html

How do Time Machine work? And how can I make it work?

I really want to know how it works because I just got the Leopard but I dont know how this application works...

Hi, and welcome to the forums.
Start here: http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#tutorial=leopardtimemachine
and here: http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/timemachine.html

How can Time Machine restore older Mac Pro's - But not Disk Utility?

Hey,
So I had posted a discussion earlier last week asking about older MacPro's (2006 - 2008) versions that do not seem to run snow leopard if you just try to install with the MAC OS X 10.6.2 disc - I was trying to use my new Snow Leopard image that i have created for the new school year, and I tried to image a 2006 MacPro model and a 2008 MacPro model, etc... This would not work, it would let me start the imaging process and then it would give me an error that looked like this "ev/disk02o does not have enough space" And i just figured that was the computer code way of telling me that the image i had created was not readable by the computer or the disk utility, but this must be something that was written into the programing of Disk Utility or Snow Leopard because i found a loop hole - I was able to "restore" the backup of the new image that i made using Time Machine on the 2008 MacPro and even the 2006 MacPro - which both have earlier versions of the Intel chip. The restored image works fine, all programs work the same as a 2009 MacPro that i imaged the same image onto using disk utility and i have found no problems yet using any part of the system. MY QUESTION: I'm wondering how i was able to do this and if anyone has had a similar experience trying to get images accross a bunch of different models of MacPro's - Is Time Machine a "better" way to restore the disk image? Did Apple do this on purpose, so that you cant image newer images onto older machines? Very confused as to why it makes you use Time Machine...
Thanks again,
Kyle R.

You are reading things into that error message that are simply not there.
Take the error message at face value.
When it calculates all the "stuff" it has to get onto your disk to do the installation, it does not fit. (including the .dmg, the Virtual Disk created to mount the dmg, and all the temporay files that are added before the new version takes over and discards the old stuff) all that stuff in total does not fit.)
Sure the final image fits, and sure you can restore that final image using other methods: Time machine works, and I'll bet Carbon Copy Cloner and Super Duper work as well.
Using the method you were using, the sum of all the temp files and all the program files do not fit. It is NOT a conspiracy.

How Real Time Apply works while physical standby is open in Read Only mode

Hi,
With Active data guard option, we can open physical standby DB in read only mode, while redo log are being applied. (Real Time Query)
Standby Redo log (SRL) enables Real Time Apply (with "USING CURRENT LOGFILE" clause in recover database command on standby DB)
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What is the mechanism with allows us to open physical standby DB in read only mode while redo logs are being applied continuously ?
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Dear user7419391,
That is a new feature in Oracle Database 11g. MRP can use the real time apply in 10g but the concept here is different.
Taken from the following document;
http://www.ascent.co.za/documents/oracle/Oracle%20databse%2011g%20Active-Data-Guard%20datasheet.pdf
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The other link in the previous post is excellent and you really have to read it to understand the active data guard aspects.
Regards.
Ogan

Time Machine and File Vault - How does it REALLY work?

Good afternoon,
I ran some tests and I can't figure out exactly how Time Machine behaves with Filevault.. here's what I did:
I ran a backup manually. It backed up about 265megabytes. This was right after iTunes downloaded an update for my iPhone. This is weird, because that is stored in Library/iTunes/iPhone Software updates, which is in my FileVault user data.
I ran a second backup right after. It backed up 726Kb. Sounds like not much has changed.
Then, I copied a folder (mp3 album) from my NAS to a folder called Time Machine Test in my home folder.. 91megabytes of files.
I started a backup. Sure enough, it backed up about 91megabytes.
After the backup completed, I mounted the Sparsebundle file, and my files were there. I could copy them back properly.
Can someone explain to me exactly what TM can backup while logged in, and what gets backed up only when I log off?
It seems to me like actual files are being backed up, while the complete encrypted sparsebundle is backed up at logoff only. But if that's the case, why isn't there an option to restore individual files other than by mountaing the TM volume manually?
Thanks

infrid wrote: We shouldn't accept this as a price we pay for using other operating system features. Gepeto is quite right : it's unnacceptable, and Apple should sort it out.
Hmm. I guess it depends on whether you want your Time Machine backups to be encrypted or not.
If you use a whole disk encryption solution like PGP, Time Machine works fine when logged-in but all your data is backed-up as though encryption were not present, because one you have booted, the encryption is invisible to applications including Time Machine.
If you enable FileVault, and remove your Home Directory from the exclusions, TM will back up the files in the same way when you're logged in but they will be unencrypted on the backup drive.
With FileVault enabled and Home Directory excluded, it is not the FILES that are being backed up, but the encrypted VOLUME which is essentially one big file containing all the individual files in your Home Directory. It's similar to a TrueCrypt encrypted volume in this sense. It needs to be backed up unmounted which is why it only happens when you log off.
The only thing Apple could do would be to create an encrypted volume for the TM backup and synchronize that with your FileVault volume. Not quote the same thing as Time Machine though.
Message was edited by: Gledders

How does Time MACHINE work with the Verizon Fios Router and External Harddrive??

Hello,
I just got a laptop MBP for my daughter who has got Verizon FIOS as her carrier. The Router has wireless capability and ethernet capable connections.
I want to set her up with an external hard drive for Time Machine Backups and to make it easier, I was wondering if I can somehow connect the external hard drive to the router so she can use her laptop anywhere in the house and have it backed up.
I clearly recognize that I can hook it up direct to the laptop but I thought if someone had an idea, this approach might be easier for her.
I haven't gotten the external hard drive yet so I thought I would ask before I do.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide me,
Skip

You can restore from the larger disk since Time Machine makes a complete copy of the Mac on the first backup on any new disk.
So, the first time your Mac backed up to the larger disk, the entire contents of your Mac's hard drive (minus any files that you excluded) were copied over. Then, Time Machine began to back up the incremental changes on all subsequent backups.

My iPhone was stolen and I have contacted the police who are using the meid number to locate. How does this work and what are my chances of getting the phone back?

My iPhone was stolen. I used Find My iPhone app to lock it and display a message. The phone has not connected to the internet to locate it. I contacted the police and they have taken my meid number. How does this work and what are my chances of getting the phone back? Are there other ways the theif can use it. I was told once they put in a new sim card and use it, whatever software the police have, it will show up.

Honestly? In the US (I can't speak to other countries, though I doubt it works much differently in a lot of the world) The police took your report and filed it either in their computers or, on paper. They will now not think of this again. The only time it will cross anyones mind is if, in the course of entering information into evidence about items recovered or seized at a crime scene, the serial number of an iPhone that was found/seized happens to match yours, in which case you will be contacted.
The police in the US can and will do nothing to 'blok' the phone and it's not worth their time to try and locate it unless you know for a fact that it was stolen by a big time drug lord, master criminal, or some other such prime target and they can get a court order to track the location of the phone in order to locate this individual for your own purposes. If they do that, they'll probably keep him under surveilance for a year or so before they act.
Basically, the police don't care about your phone. If they find it, they will give it back to you. They are not, however, going to go looking for it. They have better things to do.
I'm sorry, but that's the way it is.

How does the time machine work

how does the time machine work....I need to find an older version of a document...

Hi mogburn,
Time Machine is part of the System software, not a feature of the word processing and page layout application, Pages, the topic in this community.
That said, Time Machine is pretty easy to get into.
In the Finder, open the folder containing the current version of the file.
Select the file, then click on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and choose Enter Time machine.
The folder window will move to the center of the screen, and two arrows will appear near the lower right corner of the window.
Click the one pointing back to go back in time, and the one pointing toward the front (of the computer) to return to the present. The display will stop at each saved version of the file along the way.
Need more details? Try asking in the Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard community.
Regards,
Barry

How does time machine work when being used with a mac pro?

How does time machine work when backing up a mac pro?
Considering the fact that the mac pro can hold 8TB and a external (non NAS) hard drive can hold only 2TB does time machine only backup the OS disk.

macnewcomer22 wrote:
Considering the fact that the mac pro can hold 8TB and a external (non NAS) hard drive can hold only 2TB does time machine only backup the OS disk.
Time Machine will backup everything by default, on every disk in your Mac.
Choose System Preferences > Options to exclude items. You could exclude everything except your OS...but I'd think it is your data that's more important to you, if you have to make choices.
See...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1964018
While it's true you can store almost 8TB, how much do you think you'll actually store? If you have 1TB of data you want to store then a 2TB drive can do it. Also when your TM drive begins to get full it will begin deleting the oldest backups to make room.
You could also get a Drobo with 8 bays...
http://www.drobo.com/products/index.php
-mj

Does anyone know what this error code means?My itunes will not open, no matter how many times i downlaod and restore it??? "The procedure entry point xmlITexTextReaderName could not be located in the dynamic link library libxml2.dlll."

Does anyone know what this error code means?My itunes will not even open, no matter how many times i downlaod and restore it??? "The procedure entry point xmlITexTextReaderName could not be located in the dynamic link library libxml2.dlll." Please let me know if your know anything! It is greatly apprecitated!

Taken at face value, you're having trouble with an Apple Application Support program file there. (Apple Application Support is where single copies of program files used by multiple different Apple programs are kept.)
Let's try something relatively simple first. Restart the PC. Head into your Add or Remove Programs control panel, select "Apple Application Support", click "Change" and then click "Repair".
If no joy after that, try the more rigorous uninstall/reinstall procedure from the following post. (Although the procedure is for Vista and 7 and you've got XP, just read "Computer" as "My Computer", read "Uninstall a program control panel" as "Add or Remove programs control panel" and assume the system is 32-bit, and you'll be doing the right things.)
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I am trying to upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard. When I insert the disk and install starts, it states "This disk is used for Time Machine backups" and Mac OSX can't be installed. Does anyone know how to correct this (since Tiger doesn't have Time Mach

I am trying to upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard. When I insert the disk and install starts, it states "This disk is used for Time Machine backups" and Mac OSX can't be installed. Does anyone know how to correct this (since Tiger doesn't have Time Machine)?

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2986

How does Time Machine works?

Hey, I'm a new mac user and started to use time machine. There are some questions I don't understand. For the size of the external drive, what size do I need if my internal drive on my macbook pro is 500GB? I only used 100GB. And does the external drive have to be connected to the laptop all the time? Can I just plugged it in every night as I'm in college and it's quite annoying to have a hard drive hangging with your laptop. Any answers are appreciated.

For all things about Time Machine, see the Great Pondoni's webpage - http://www.pondini.org/OSX/Home.html.
The general 'rule of thimb" is that you need an external drive 2-3x the size of your internal drive - this will allow to to keep incremental backups going for months (I've a 512GB SSD and my Time Machine disks, two 2TB drives, will let me restore as far back as June 24, 2012).
You don't have to leave the drive plugged in all of the time - local backups will be made to your internal drive until you plug your external drive back in again. You can also disable backups when you're running on battery power.
I recommend having at least two backups - one a Time Machine backup and one clone. You can read more about this at Pondoni's site as well.
Good luck,
Clinton

How does time machine work, and what does it really do?

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