HT201250 time machine- storage?

if i want to use my external back-up drive for storage as well as back up in case my computer crashes... how do i make time machine save files that i have deleted from my computer's hard drive?
does time machine re-back up files that are already on the hard drive and waste space or just fill in the blanks when i add new files to my computer?

how do i make time machine save files that i have deleted from my computer's hard drive?
You cannot.  Anything you delete from your main drive will eventually be deleted from Time Machine.  If you want additional storage for stuff that does not fit in your main drive DO NOT use Time Machine as its home.
does time machine re-back up files that are already on the hard drive and waste space or just fill in the blanks when i add new files to my computer?
Any file that has NOT changed between 2 Time Machine backups will ONLY get a pointer to the file's copy in the previous backup, which might be a pointer to its previous backup, etc...  If a file changes (or new files are added) between Time Machine backups, then the file will be copied into the next Time Machine backup.
So you might have only 1 real copy of a file in a Time Machine backup if it has never changed.
When older backups are removed, the pointers to the files in the backup are decremented.  If any file's or directory's number of file pointers goes to zero, then the file is deleted.  As long as one pointer still exists, the file will remain in the Time Machine backup.
In file system nomenclature, these pointers are called "Hardlinks" (hard links).

Similar Messages

  • Time Machine storage for backups.

    Hello
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    I do realise that I may just have to buy another bigger external drive to deal with what was an inevitable problem but I'm curious as to how Time Machine is continuing to back up without any apparent problem.
    Thanks for your help.

    Thank Shootist007
    I know.
    What I was curious about was why Time Machine wasn't telling me that and was happily going on to do backups without any error messages.
    Thomas's reply probably explains why so before I do get to that point, I will go and get another hard drive...
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  • HT201250 Time machine don't recognize my western digital MY BOOK LIVE nas as backup disc

    Been trying to fix up western digital MY BOOK LIVE network attached storage to work with my MBP. But during time machine configuration, my network is not included in the backup disc available. This is even though my nas can be seen in my finder under shared.

    Arken73 wrote:
    Hi,
    I already looked over several posts and forums without any success.. therefore I post my question here.
    Hi, and welcome to the forums.
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  • Using MacMini for Time Machine Storage & Work?

    I have recently got my brand new Macbook Pro and absolutely love it!
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    If you install Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) on the Mac mini you can use it as a Networked Time Machine backup device.
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    I have a Mac mini attached to my WiFi network. I use it as my Time Machine network backup device for my MacBook, and my Wife's MacBook Pro. I've added 3TB of external storage (Drobo).
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    Configure your MacBook Pro's Time Machine to use the just mounted shared volume.
    Once configured, when Time Machine runs it will automatically mount the Mac mini's shared volume, create a sparsebundle disk image (at config time), and perform Time Machine backups to the sparsebundle.
    The Time Machine applications (viewing/restoring backups) will also automatically mount the Mac mini shared volume.
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  • Time Machine & storage

    Hi Everybody
    I have this Iomega external hd formatted to use with Time Machine but I would like to also use it for storage...I suppose that I'll need a partition for that but can I add it now and leave the existent backup volume untouched? Could you kindly explain how can I do it?
    Thanks a lot
    jv

    Sorry if my English is not always clear, it is a second language for me. Be glad you do not have to hear me try to speak English!
    What I was trying to say above was that your TM backup is a critical piece of data. It is the only other copy that you have mentioned of everything of value to you on your HDD. Since you are determined at this point to use the ext HDD for both TM and another storage, then you need another partition.
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  • HT201250 Time Machine can no longer back up files

    I was using Time Machine to back up files to a WD Elements hard drive. Lately I started to get error messages the back-up failed. Previously Finder would list back-up files for that drive, but now it only shows empty folders. Get Info still shows 60 GB of used space on the external drive. Can I retrieve those files, or is all lost and I must reformat the hard drive?

    I would connect the Time Machine HDD to your Mac and open Disk Utility and select First Aid, Verify the disk and run a Repair if necessary.  If that does not solve the problem, I suspect that the HDD is failing.  Then I suggest transferring the backup data to another HDD, or perhaps just start from square one with a new HDD and back up the entire internal HDD.
    Ciao.

  • HT201250 Time machine does not recognize WD external drive

    Time machine and back-ups worked fine on my MacBookPro. It stopped working, no I believe it is still working but the MackBookPro does not recognize it and when clicking "Back up" I receive the message that the external drive is not available. Thanks to Bootcamp the computer also has a Windows side which I use mainly to run a soaring flight simulator called Condor. When I turn on the MacBookPro and click on "Choice" the window I receive shows the Mac and Windows operating systems, the Back-up and "My Passport." When I click on "My passport" it actually opens...When I turn the computer off and reboot it again there is no sign of "My Passport."
    Now, I have a second WD My Passport which I bought for the Windows side of the computer. When I attach it before turning on the computer, I shows up on Finder, however, when I click "Back up" here it seems like it is starting back-up but only for a few seconds and then I get the message that the drive is a Windows formatted drive and that a back-up cannot be completed.
    Why does the Windows formatted drive show up in Finder and also when I run the Windows side, however, the driver for the Mac does not show up on Finder?
    I now have only the Mac formatted external drive attached and I just received the following messages: Can't back up. Reformat the disk. Files can still be read but the drive can no longer be used for back-ups. Get a new external drive. Run back-ups as soon as possible.
    Can anyone help?
    Thank you.

    OK, so it sounds like you have a Mac formatted drive that you have used previously for Time Machine, and disconnected it for a few weeks, and you can now see files on it OK from your Mac. However, when the system tries to run a Time Machine backup, you get an error message "Can't backup. Reformat the disk. Files can still be read but the drive can no longer be used for back-ups. Get a new external drive. Run back-ups as soon as possible."
    I have not seen this problem before, and would recommend that you look through the Time Machine troubleshooting information at http://pondini.org/TM/Home.html
    For instance, http://pondini.org/TM/B1.html or http://pondini.org/TM/B6.html could help in your situation.  I'm assuming (but probably shouldn't) that you've verified that your hard drive doesn't need repair (another Disk Utility function) and that there is still a Time Machine backup on that drive - look for the directory Backups.backupdb.
    I hope that helps.  If not, perhaps someone with more Time Machine knowledge will pop along soon to help you further.

  • HT201250 Time machine back up using a external hard drive connected to the Airport extreme

    How can I setup a time machine back up using a external hard drive connected to the Airport extreme? Even better for time managment purposes I want to use the Eithernet Thunderbolt connection for the first back up and then through the wifi there after for daily routine Time Machine back ups.

    You can attach a hard drive, but Time Machine backups to a drive at the USB port at the AirPort Extreme are not supported by Apple, so it's not possible to say what your actual results might be.
    If you decide to try this, it would be wise to have a secondary backup plan in place as well.
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/15139.html

  • HT201250 Time Machine backup disk not found

    I recently reconfigured my external disks, creating a 500GB oartition for Time Machine backup. thefirst time I set up Time machine to use that partition all went well. Seconed time it failed "cannot find backup disk." 
    This is a 24 inch, mid 2007 iMac OS X 10.8.2.  I am using two external backup drives - 1T LaCie with 4 partitions and a BlackX removable adaptor with a WD 1T drive plugged in.  Both are formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)  In the view below the top "Time Machine" drive at the top is a duplicate of the last drive in the list.
    If I select the top drive - I have the option to "Remove Disk" - NOT to "Use this Disk." So I have to select the bottom "Time Machine" drive.  The backup will then run once but on the second try I get "Time Machine couldn't complete the backup to "Time Machine". Unable to complete backup. An error occured while creating backup folder."  Whether I remove the top listed disk or not doesn't seem to matter, sometimes it finds the drive, sometimes not!
    The BlackX is a USB connected directly to the iMac.  The other partition on that drive contains movie clips and they run fine.
    There is a backup folder on the Time Machine drive with six backups - however I have to "reset" the Time Machine each time to get it to backup.  It craps out on the second try every time.  Got me buffaloed!  Any ideas?

    Assuming you have nothing on your Time Machine volume that you need, erase that volume and Verify it from Disk Utilities. Repair if necessary. Then, go into the Time Machine Preferences and Remove the selected drive to use. Now, reselect it and try a backup.

  • HT201250 Time Machine backup error message.

    I am unable to back up my computer as I get this message -
    "This backup is to large for the back up disk.  The backup requires 138.28 GB but only 124.10 GB are available. TIme Machine needs work spave on the backup disk in addition to the space required to store backups.  Open Time Machiine prefences to select a larger ackup disk or make the back up smaller by exluding files."
    I would appreciate any help as I am lost.  I opened TM and was unable to adjust the file size.
    Thank you for your help!

    Take a look here
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2142747?threadID=2142747&messageID=10782279 #10782279

  • HT201250 Time Machine error - backup disk is not available

    A new external USB disk was installed and fromatted as per apple and manufacturer instructions. Time machine backup was initated but had to be stopped after 2-3 hours. Upon resuming using "backup now" function an error message reported - Time machine could not complete the backup. The backup dis is not available.

    Never mind, I fixed the problem by removing a lock feature from my external drive.

  • HT201250 Time Machine back up to Cloud?

    Can Time Machine be configured to work with Google Drive, SkyDrive, Box, or DropBox?

    Though the services you mention can be use to varying degrees for backup purposes, the only service I'm familiar that is actually desinged to work with TimeMachine is something called DollyDrive.
    http://www.dollydrive.com/
    However, I have no first hand experince with it.
    Matt

  • HT201250 Time Machine Restore

    I lost all my playlists in iTunes. How do I restore them from a time machine backup? Didn't lose songs, just the playlists.

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  • HT201250 Time machine include external iPhoto images?

    Hi,
    I have my iPhoto images held on an external drive. When I use time machine (incidently the same drive) with iPhoto open, will it save the iPhoto files from that library?
    Ta

    Thats a tricky one...
    My time machine settings has the time machine drive excluded under options in the preference pane.
    Coincidently it isnt backing up anything on that drive (there other files other than the time machine backup).
    My iPhoto Library lives on another external drive and it is happily backing that drive up....
    Hope that helps.

  • HT201250 Time Machine Error

    Just bought a new 1 TB external hard drive specifically for a Mac and time machine error: unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume. messages keeps appearing.  Tried to restart and that didn't help.  Please advise.

    Hello, I don't use TM myself.
    Have you looked through Pondini's extensive TM help site?
    http://Pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
    http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
    I can't imagine anything TMwise not covered.

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