Shut down Mac while Time Machine backs up

Since I don't always check if Time Machine actually backs up, I was wondering if it matters to shut down your Mac while Time Machine is doing a backup. I guess Apple would make it more obvious, if it would matter, but anyway, does anybody know for sure?

it does not matter. so long as you shut down properly (from the shut down menu and not by holding the power button) TM will stop cleanly and resume the interrupted backup when you power up the computer.

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Can I keep working on my mac while Time Machine does its first back up?

Just wanting to double check before I do anything I am sorry about. I am getting ready to do my first Time Machine back-up. I have my documents all backed up with an on line service, but feel like I need to back up the whole system (better safe than sorry) and will back up to an external hard drive. I have plenty of space as I have about 60GB to back up on a 320GB drive. I know after the first backup it will only back up changes or additions to my mac and I will probably not notice anything, but is there anything I should be watching out for during this first time?
Thank you
laverne's mom

Thanks for your quick response. I expect it will take a while for it to complete. It took a little more than two days for just the documents to be backed up. I'll give it a good long time before I panic.

IMac won't shut down after using Time Machine

Here is the thing: My iMac (late 2009, 24", 8 GB RAM) won't shut down when I use my external HD for Time Machine. After the back up I try to eject the external HD but the icon won't disappear on the screen, it only gets blank and is not clickable anymore. It is still visible in the menu of the Finder but with no ejection sign anymore. Programs that were open before won't close even if I use the forced shut down function. But it seems like they are closed as they don't appear on the list anymore. When I then try to shut down the whole system the screen goes black and the wheel turns for hours! So that I finally have to shut it down manually.
This happens only after using the external HD for the back ups and when I then try to eject it. If I don't eject it everything goes normal. If I don't connect it everything goes normal. Sure, you might say, hey leave it plugged in then. But as it is a 3 TB HD I also use it for my MBP so I have to eject it
Is this a known issue or a bug in the system of Yosemite? With Mavericks everything worked really well - no problems at all. On the MBP (late 2011, i7, 8 GB RAM) it also works well. So I am kind of annoyed the I always have to shut the iMac down manually which can't be that healthy for the system.
Any insights on that issue are highly appreciated - thanks a lot!
Birgit

Okay, just realized that the same problem occurs with the MBP after rejecting the external HD
Icon gets blank, cannot be clicked anymore, while shutting down the MBP normally the screen goes black and the wheel is turning forever but nothing else happens. So I have to force it to shut down.
It seems to be a general problem with connecting an external HD once in a while for doing a time machine back up regularly and then eject it. So the question is: who has the same problem or does everybody have their HD permanently connected to their Macs for Back ups? Either by USB or WLAN? It never was a problem wit Mavericks and I don't want to permanently back up my system every hour - once a week is good for me BUT this cannot be adjusted in the time machine settings which would be a very good idea.
Any solution is still highly appreciated !!
Thanks a lot,
Birgit

Working while Time Machine backs up

This may seems like a silly question but I, too, am just learning this whole Time Machine back-up functionality. Can I use the internet and other applications while Time Machine is backing up? I know I can use other applications and functions together on Macs but even with Time Machine, especially when it's doing a large backup? Also, do I need to plug in my external drive every time I am on my computer? If I don't plug in (Iomega) in whenever I use my MacBook Pro, does Time Machine keep the backups to dump on the external drive later? Will there be a large backup if I haven't plugged in the external hard drive for a few days? How often should I plug it in?

mcrosby wrote:
This may seems like a silly question but I, too, am just learning this whole Time Machine back-up functionality. Can I use the internet and other applications while Time Machine is backing up?
Yes.
I know I can use other applications and functions together on Macs but even with Time Machine, especially when it's doing a large backup? Also, do I need to plug in my external drive every time I am on my computer? If I don't plug in (Iomega) in whenever I use my MacBook Pro, does Time Machine keep the backups to dump on the external drive later?
Not exactly. It just won't do a backup while it's disconnected.
Will there be a large backup if I haven't plugged in the external hard drive for a few days?
Yes. If you let it go for several days (something more than 10 or so), the next one may be a new full backup -- every file and folder on your system. So avoid that if at all possible.
How often should I plug it in?
For best results, keep it mounted as much as possible, and let it do it's hourly backups (which should be very quick). The longer TM can't back up, the less likely you'll be able to recover a previous version of a file you changed or deleted in error (or somehow got corrupted), and the more you'll lose when your internal HD fails.

Working in other apps while Time Machine backs up???

I just got TM working with my external drive for it's first backup... couple of questions...
How long will this take to back up about 55GB from my MBP?
Secondly, am I able to use the MBP during the backup process? I am looking at the Time Machine page with the Cancel - - - Today (Now) - - - Restore(grayed out) across the bottom, but can't seem to access anything other page or leave this page. A window is open with my devices listed (HD, External HD, iDisk) but, no way to get to any other page...
Any help is appreciated...

How long will this take to back up about 55GB from my MBP?
This depends on the number of files, the i/o rate achievable to the TM's ext HD and the work activity you're placing on the system resources. In general you should see 55GB backed up from 1 to 3 hours IMO. Note that TM is designed as a background low priority task but as with all Apple Macs I've used any intensive i/o tends to dominate and slows down the system response for all other activities.
Secondly, am I able to use the MBP during the backup process?
Yes you can. You can even logout (but obviously not power off the computer) and TM will continue its chore of backing up every hour.
I am looking at the Time Machine page with the Cancel - - - Today (Now) - - - > Restore(grayed out) across the bottom, but can't seem to access anything other > page or leave this page. A window is open with my devices listed (HD, External > HD, iDisk) but, no way to get to any other page...
The TM history via the full screen TM browser will only start to display once the first FULL backup has completed.

Can I use my mac while time machine is running?

If I run Time Machine for the first time, do I have to stop using my iMac until the program is finished? Or can I continue to use it?

Technically, yes.
I try not to. Think of the "composite picture". If you have several files spread across several system-level and application-level directories, and related-files are changing at different rates, you may save different files that do not "match".
Given that most backups after the initial one should only take 5 minutes at most, I like to let at least a few backups each day be uninterrupted while I take a short walk.

IMac freezes while Time Machine updates the back up. What to do?

Ever since I upgraded to Lion my iMac freezes or nearly freezes for 5 - 10 minutes every hour while Time Machine updates the back up. What to do?
I have tried everything I can think of but its only improved from total freeze while Time Machine backs up to freeze with an occasional few seconds of activity.
I am really fed up with this.

When I first updated to Lion everything was a mess with freezes happenng constantly like every two or three minutes. Then when looking at the app store I noticed in purchased items that Lion was showing install instead of installed so I downloaded and installed again.
After this install every time Time Machine updated a backup my iMac froze for about 5 or 10 minutes while the backing up was in progress. I was getting really fed up and started this thread. Then one morning I got up and the iMac would not start up. It just sat there with the progress thingy spinning. I started in T mode to look at it from my MacBookPro and two copies of the HD appeared. Both showing zero files. I ran Disk utility on the MacBookPro to try to fix the disk. It showed 8 copies of the disk and all not reparable.
I then created a startup USB drive using my MacBookPro, used it to start up the iMac and restored everything from the previous day's backup. Since then it has been running smoothly with no freezes so maybe the answer is simply to restore a recent backup.
I am using Imation external drives and I don't believe the problem is drive specific.

Time machine back-up abysmally slow

I have reformatted my back-up disk and started a new Time Machine full back-up. The job has been running for FOUR DAYS and is presently 15.28GB of 298.8GB. It is still saying "Calculating time remaining." On the same machine, Time Machine was never a sprinter but certainly wasn't a snail.
It also slows my entire iMac down, especially since I foolishly upgraded to Mavericks (now everything's slow).
Very annoyed. Apple should come out and admit that the Time Machine/Mavericks process is a failure as it is not commercially acceptable to use such a slow system for back-ups. I'm switching to a separate system, but will let this one run so I can see how long it will actually take.
Tried restart, safe mode, then restart normally - no effect on speed.
Any tips - apart from binning the system?
Dave

Find the Console app - it is in your Utilities folder and looks like this
You can find it by selecting Utilities from the Finder's Go menu.
Open Console.
If the log list column on the left is not already displayed, show the log list by selecting Show Log List from Console's View menu.
Locate system.log in the list and select it. Many date and time-stamped entries will appear, hundreds of them, and you must find the entries relevant to your Mac's problem.
To do that type the words backupd in the Filter field at the upper right of the Console window. That will cause all log entries to be hidden, except for the entries containing those words.
Copy and paste those log entries in a reply. If hundreds of the same repetitive messages appear, please edit them before posting.
Most of the entries will be cryptic but will contain information you might consider personal such as your Mac's name. If you do not want that information to appear, delete or obscure it when posting your reply. Leave enough information so that the entries can be deciphered.
... No virus software but CleanMyMac is installed -
Get rid of it.
Good luck with that because its uninstallation instructions are ineffective, contrary to MacPaw's recently posted update. They didn't work prior to that update either. Lacking any explanation from the developer, one is left to unproductive speculation that won't help you fix what's wrong. Whether CMM is the sole cause of your difficulties or merely a contributing factor is unknown, but its presence can only complicate matters.
Like most ill-conceived "cleaning" programs, "CleanMyMac" is trash capable of corrupting a Mac to the point that erasing it completely is the only practicable means of recovery.
Follow the applicable recovery procedure below:
If you have a backup that you created prior to using CleanMyMac, now is the time to use it. For Time Machine, boot OS X Recovery, and at the Mac OS X Utilities screen, choose Restore from Time Machine Backup. Choose a date preceding the installation of CleanMyMac.
If you do not have a backup that predates the use of CleanMyMac, create one now. To do that read Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac.
The recovery procedure will require that you erase the Mac using OS X Recovery, and then create a new user whose contents will be empty. You will then be able to use Setup Assistant to migrate your essential documents including photos, music, work products and other essential files.
When doing so, select only your previous User account and do not select "Applications", "Computer and Network Settings" or "Other files and folders". De-select those choices.
Subsequent to using Setup Assistant, you will need to reinstall the essential software you may require, once again remembering to install software only from their original sources, and omitting all non-essential software
"Essential software" is defined to specifically exclude all so-called "cleaning", "optimizing", and "anti-virus" utilities - anything that does not directly relate to the ability to use your Mac for the work or entertainment needs you presumably bought it to accomplish.
To erase and install Mavericks read: OS X Mavericks: Erase and reinstall OS X
To migrate your essential documents read: OS X: How to migrate data from another Mac using Mavericks and follow the procedure under Time Machine or other disk migration.
Other problems may exist but those concerns will be rendered moot by erasing your system, which must be accomplished.

Does Time Machine Back Up Attached External Drives?

If you have an external HD connected to Mac will Time Machine back this up also?

I have a first generation Airport Extreme and the new update allows me to use a disk attached to it as a Time Machine backup drive.
Should also work on a Time Capsule.
Robin

Can i do work on my mac while it is backing up with time machine?

can i do work on my mac while it is backing up with time machine?

Doing backups should have hardly any impact on the Mac itself.. so if by work you mean typing a document or working with photos or something local it will have very little impact.. it is only internet connection that will be affected..
And incremental backups that are usually small should be over in a minute or two.. even by wireless. If your backups are huge each time.. there is something being backed up that should not be.. eg a parallels virtual disk. Or a local drop box. Where small changes internally to a file of very large size makes the TM do another whole backup.

Copying folders from time machine back up to other Mac

Hi,
I used Time Machine to back up my laptop (running Leopard) on a portable drive. I would like to copy a folder (containing hundreds of files) from the Latest Backup to a different mac (running Tiger). When I copy the folder, all that appears is an alias (indicated by an arrow in the bottom right corner). I tried holding down the option key while copying, no luck, the copied folder is still an alias. Any suggestions on how to get an actual copy and not an alias? (I cannot copy the individual files over, that would work, there are too many). Thanks

annalisac wrote:
Since this folder contains data that get updated daily and is used by a common software on both computers, I was hoping not to have to manually copy that folder every day on the external drive, but simply to retrieve it from the Time Machine back up. Thanks for letting me know.
you can use different software for backing up this folder. CCCloner can do it although it's not very suitable for backing up single folders. or try Chronosync.

I am trying to get space on an external hard drive which has some old time machine back up files that I do not need but can not eliminate, even by going into the time machine, clicking on the backup file to be eliminated and using the drop down eliminate

I am trying to get space on an external hard drive which has some old time machine back up files that I do not need but can not eliminate, even by going into the time machine, clicking on the backup file to be eliminated and using the drop down menu with the gear box symbol to eliminate

I cannot find this 300GB "Backup" in the Finder, only in the Storage info when I check "About This Mac".
You are probably using Time Machine to backup your MacBook Pro, right? Then the additional 300 GB could be local Time Machine snapshots. Time Machine will write the hourly backups to the free space on your hard disk, if the backup drive is temporarily not connected. You do not see these local backups in the Finder, and MacOS will delete them, when you make a regular backup to Time Machine, or when you need the space for other data.
See Pondini's page for more explanation: What are Local Snapshots? http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
I have restarted my computer, but the information remains the same. How do I reclaim the use of the 300GB? Why is it showing up as "Backups" when it used to indicate "Photos"? Are my photos safe on the external drive?
You have tested the library on the external drive, and so your photos are save there.
The local TimeMachine snapshot probably now contains a backup of the moved library. Try, if connecting your Time Machine drive will reduce the size of your local Time Machine snapshots.

Has anyone successfully used a "WD My Book for Mac" via NAS (plugged into USB port on router) as a Time Machine back-up drive?

Has anyone successfully used a "WD My Book for Mac" via NAS (plugged into USB port on router) as a Time Machine back-up drive? Apple support tech tried to tell me it wasn't possible and that the only NAS Time Machine could back up to is the Time Capsule, but I'm not buying it. I know it's doable, but I'm having a hard time figuring out which External HDDs will work and which ones won't. If not My Book for Mac, is there an External HDD that will work? (Running OS X 10.9.1 - Mavericks, btw...)

Given the nature of backups, my recommendation has always been to use a strategy that is unequivocally supported by Apple. As you already determined Apple Support unequivocally informed you that your proposal will not work, unless your router is an Apple AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule.
The exhaustive list of devices supported by Time Machine amounts to the following:
AirPort Time Capsule's built-in hard disk (any model)
External USB hard disk drive connected to a Time Capsule (any model)
External USB hard disk drive connected to an AirPort Extreme (current model only)
A hard disk drive directly connected to your Mac
That is all.
Use whatever backup device you want, but you should be aware that this site is full of reports of misery from hapless individuals who had been using NAS devices for Time Machine backups, only to find that they were incomplete, corrupted, or useless when they were required. Apple won't care if you lose your data while using a Time Machine configuration specifically excluded from their technical support documents.

Will Time Machine Back up an External Hard Drive Attached to my Mac Pro?

Apple TV is GREAT, but it quickly filled up my hard drive. My thought is to take my folder that contains all of my personal files and put it on an 1TB external hard drive. I'd then "point" iTunes to where this new folder is. First, is that the right approach? Will that mess anything else up? Second, can I have Time Machine then back this external hard drive up? So, I'd like to have Time Machine back up my Mac HD and the external HD. If Time Machine won't do this, is there a good back up program for Macs that is very turnkey?
Thanks in advance!!!

GregT wrote:
Apple TV is GREAT, but it quickly filled up my hard drive. My thought is to take my folder that contains all of my personal files and put it on an 1TB external hard drive. I'd then "point" iTunes to where this new folder is. First, is that the right approach? Will that mess anything else up? Second, can I have Time Machine then back this external hard drive up?
If the drive is formatted +Mac OS Extended,+ yes. While it's connected, go to TM Preferences > Options. If it's listed in the exclusion box, just select it and click the minus sign at the bottom.
If it's listed in gray, however, it's either formatted wrong or corrupted, and you can't remove the exclusion.

Setting Up a New Mac From Two Different Time Machine Back-ups?

Greetings Apple People,
I am planning on getting a new iMac. Right now my wife I are still using our separate MacBooks from college. Both of them have Time Machine back-ups. We would like to setup our new iMac to have two different users. Is it possible to setup each of the users on the new iMac from our respective Time Machine back-ups?
I know you can do this seamlessly with one Time Machine back-up, but can you do it from two different back-ups, essentially merging the two, while keeping the separate user profiles?
Thanks!

Follow the steps in Pondini's Setup New Mac guide using one computer as the source on first boot. Then, hook up the second computer and use the Migration Assistant to transfer the second user account and nothing else. Don't use the TM backup because it's much slower doing it that way than directly from each machine.
27" i7 iMac (Mid 2011) refurb, OS X Yo (10.10), Mavs, ML & SL, G4 450 MP w/10.5 & 9.2.2

Shut down Mac while Time Machine backs up

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