Time Machine for iPhoto files

can i use time machine as an external drive for my iphoto files

The experts over in the iPhoto forum strongly advise against doing this for the slow access reasons. Using wireless will be even worse.
Any error when iPhoto is writing to the library can corrupt the entire library.
And, if you have the iPhoto "original" library on the Time Capsule......where will the backups be?
Suggest that you post over in the iPhoto forum if you need confirmation. iPhoto
But, you might want to be prepared for a stern lecture if iPhoto guru Terence Devlin answers your question

Similar Messages

Time machine for iPhoto restore keeps searching - never comes back

I need to restore to a previous time machine backup but when I go into iPhoto to try to look at the backups, it keeps saying searching for photos (I can use the date bar on the right but it never loads - waited 10 hours and still no load). I do have a lot of photos 38 thousand of them.
What can I do to fix this?
Much thanks!
-Sig

If you want to restore the entire library enter Time Machine while viewing the contents of your Pictures folder in the Finder. Then select the library you want to restore and bring it back. If you have room on your boot drive select the option to keep both just in case the restored version isn't what you expected.
OT

I uses Time Machine to transfer files and program from old to new MacBook Pro. Aperture doesn't work. Every time I open Aperture the computer need me to key in Serial number. How do I fix it.

Hi There,
I purchased a new MacBook Pro Retina 15". Since I am using MacBook Pro and I uses Time Machine for backup files and program. Store saleman tell me I can retore my existing program and files from old MacBook Pro to new MacBook Pro computer. After files transfer it seem to be OK. But only Aperture has a problem when every time I open Aperture to edit photos, MacBook Pro ask me to key in the Aperture Serial Number that made me so inconvinent. Did any one have meet this problem and can someone teach me how to fix it, Thanks.
Nelson

Either the license files were not transferred or it has to be relicensed.
Remove and then re-install aperture. On an rMBP this should take only a couple of minutes.

I want to use my 1TB Seagate Hard drive for time machine and transferring files from Mac to PC.

For about a year I've been using my 1TB external hard drive for only time machine. To be honest, it wasn't until today that I tried to connect my hard drive to a PC and realize it isn't compatible. I read about partitioning the hard drive so that it can work both for time machine and transferring files between pc and mac. I'm not what you would call tech savvy, so I was wondering if I can get some advice on how to do this.
Thanks in advance.

To do it, you have to partition the hard disk, so you will have one partition for Time Machine and another one to store files and use them in a PC and Mac. To create the partition, follow these steps > http://pondini.org/OSX/DU3.html
In order to read and write in the external disk on the PC, you have to select "MS-DOS (FAT)" as "Format". If you choose any other option, the PC won't be able to read your external disk. Apart from that, note that you can't use files bigger than 4 GB with FAT. If you want to use the external disk with files bigger than 4 GB, you have to format your new partition in exFAT, and you have to do it on a PC

Time capsule for iPhoto and time machine

My iPhoto library is 80Gb and I have no space on my mac. I would like to move the iphoto library to two external hard drives and a time capsule. I would like to know if it is possible to put an iPhoto library on a time capsule and access it occassionaly, aswell as using the time capsule for time machine backups.
Thanks

No offence taken at all, and Pondini is definitely the expert on TM.
However, his question:
3. Can I use my TM disk for other stuff?
leads to this answer...
Yes. Time Machine will not delete anything you put there.
But it's much, much better to partition an external drive into 2 (or more) parts, also called volumes. Assign one to Time Machine, for its exclusive use for backups; use the other partition(s) however you want.
Which is what I was aiming to say...
Regards
TD

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.

On imac 10.6.8 using current version of Aperture. How can I access the Aperture Library on my external hard drive that I use with time machine for backup? I can only access the application but not the library..

On imac 10.6.8 using current version of Aperture. How can I access the Aperture Library on my external hard drive that I use with time machine for backup? I can only access the application but not the library..

Go into Time Machine (the program not the bundle on the extrnal disk) and using Time Machine's browser go to the Folder where the library lives. You could look in the library bundle in Time Machine but that won't really tell you much,
If you want to make sure it truely has backed up your library you will need to restore it and open the restored library with Aperture.
If all this still has you confused you need to read up on Time Machine in order to get a feel for how it works, for what it is doing and for how to restore files from it.

Time Machine for shared group folders

Hi,
I would like to set up time machine for a shared group folder on the server. I would like users to be able to use time machine from clients to see backup history of files in the group folder. Is this possible? How?
Gregor

+...would like users to be able to use time machine from clients to see backup history of files in the group folder. Is this possible? How?+
Yes. This is possible, but it isn't touted as one of the features that sells Mac OS X Server. The advertised Time Machine server solution is to host an AFP share point on the Mac OS X Server system which clients then use as a Time Machine backup destination, similar to Time Capsule.
But, what I think you're going for is something like this: You have a share point where multiple users can read and write, and you'd like the server to be able to backup that share point via Time Machine, but also allow its clients to connect and see those backups. This is kind of like "Time Machine for a sharepoint." Again, this isn't really touted, but it's possible. Here is an example which shows you how.
For starters, let's say that your server's disks are well-organized. You have one volume for the server's operating system (Boot), one volume for the share points (Data), and one volume for backup (Backup). Other scenarios could work, but this configuration will make this how-to easier to understand. Let's also agree that your server's hostname is junglecat.amazon.private.
Let's say that the share point (group folder) that we want backed-up is at /Volumes/Data/Group-Folder on the server. Let's also agree that your group members already have access to this folder - e.g. it is already a share point with an ACL entry that grants the group members read and write access.
You'll need to configure Time Machine on the server itself first, just as if it were a client. Open System Preferences, and use the Time Machine pane to choose the Backup volume as the server's backup destination. You'll want to make sure that only the contents of the Data disk (the disk housing the Group-Folder) are backed up. Skip anything on your boot disk, as you're using Time Machine to back up just the share points. Let the server at least start its first backup, which will create the following directory:
/Volumes/Backup/Backups.backupdb/junglecat.amazon.private
...where the server's Time Machine backups will be stored.
Now use Server Admin's File Sharing section to make the /Volumes/Backup disk a share point, with these properties: Share the folder via AFP, and enable it as a Time Machine backup destination. (Your clients will not really be backing up to the folder, but they will be needing to see it as a place that Time Machine can keep a backup. This creates the .com.apple.timemachine.supported file on the share point.)
It's also a good idea to disable guest access and add an ACL deny rule to the share point (/Volumes/Backup) which denies delete and delete_child for everyone:
chmod +a "everyone deny delete,delete_child" /Volumes/Backup.
This prevents people from storing other data next to the Backups.backupdb folder. The Backups.backupdb folder already contains an ACL deny rule that limits its access to read-only.
Back on a client, mount the newly-shared Backup share point. The client's Time Machine may ask permission to use this as a backup location (because it was defined as such), but don't let it. The important thing is that the client recognized it as a backup location.
To browse the server's Time Machine history, the client must right-click on the Time Machine icon in the Dock (or use the Time Machine menu extra) and choose "Browse Other Time Machine Disk," where the user can choose the server's backup volume. Now the client can go back in time on the server, star-field and all. If the user needs to restore a file, Time Machine will ask him/her where to save the restored copy; it will not overwrite the copy on the Group-Folder share point.
Hope this helps!
--Gerrit

Time Machine and iWeb file

I have used time machine for weeks. Yesterday I deleted an iWeb file I was preparing for publishing and decided I wanted to do it differently. Now I want to restore the iWeb file I had 2 days ago.
How do I find that file in Time Machine? I have no idea where it resides on my HD either.

quit iweb and restore the contents of the directory /users/username/library/application support/iweb.

Deleting Time Machine Back-up Files - HELP!

I tried to delete a time machine back-up file from my external drive (to clear space), I dragged it into the trash ... when I tried to empty trash it looked like there were 1000s of files being deleted. That scared me so I stopped the trash from emptying. Now I can't get the file out of the trash. I try to drag it out and it just copies. So two questions: 1) how do I get this file out of the trash? 2) how do I delete all of these back-up files - well, I don't need to delete all of them but there are so many? Do I really need all of these time machine back-ups? If I do delete them - what am I actually deleting? Are they just copies of my harddrive or is it a problem to delete them (when I look in the file that is in my trash it seems like it is my whole system ...). Sorry for all of the questions but I am in a bit of a panic. Also, I did try to delete the files by going into time machine, clicking on the gear icon, selecting a file and clicking on delete, nothing happened. Any thoughts, suggestions, advice most welcome!

wcaroliner wrote:
So two questions: 1) how do I get this file out of the trash?
See #E6 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).
2) how do I delete all of these back-up files - well, I don't need to delete all of them but there are so many? Do I really need all of these time machine back-ups? If I do delete them - what am I actually deleting? Are they just copies of my harddrive or is it a problem to delete them (when I look in the file that is in my trash it seems like it is my whole system
You shouldn't have to delete old backups. Time Machine will do that automatically when it needs space for new ones, unless you have the +Warn when old backups are deleted+ box checked in +Time Machine Preferences > Options.+ Just remove the check.
If you have other data on your Time Machine drive, in the same partition, that's not a good idea. It needs to be moved elsewhere, so Time Machine has it's own, exclusive space. See #3 in [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
The backups have a complex and somewhat unusual structure; there's a bit of "smoke and mirrors" going on there, where it appears that every backup is a full copy of your system, and it is, in a way, but isn't in another. Seems contradictory, I know. See [How Time Machine works its Magic|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/Works.html] for an explanation.
I did try to delete the files by going into time machine, clicking on the gear icon, selecting a file and clicking on delete, nothing happened.
You should have gotten a confirmation prompt, then one for your Admin password. If you didn't, the backups may be damaged/corrupted. Repair them, per #A5 in Troubleshooting.

Time machine and iPhoto '08

I asked a similar question on the iPhoto discussion list earlier today, and have had no luck, so now I will try the Time Machine discussion list.
I want to know why Time Machine "allowed" iPhoto '08 to migrate my backed up photo files and directory structures to the new "package" structure without my knowledge or permission?
I want to know why, when I go to the folder in Time Machine that contains my archived/backed up photos, the package directory backed up on, say, June 29th 2008 points to pictures that I uploaded LAST WEEKEND?
Does this mean that Time Machine's back ups of iPhoto are moot, b/c once corruption occurs, the fact that there is "one package to rule them all" will also mean that if a corrupted iPhoto db is backed up, then I will no longer have an uncorrupted file, even if my back ups go back months?
I understand iPhoto '08 updating my current photos in the Unix directory into the new "package" structure. I understand that the new "package" structure is supposed to save us from ourselves. I have read Devlin's advice on how to access the package files. I don't want advice on any of that.
I simply want to know WHY Apple has designed a software package that migrates BACKED UP DATA to the new, "approved" structure? That is like Microsoft designing software to seek out every .doc file I have and changing it to .docx.
I didn't want or expect my archives to be updated, and please save me the speech on how the package structure will save me from corrupting my iPhoto files, and how I "shouldn't" access my files through Finder, in the first place. I'm not interested in lectures on how I use my own computer.
I simply want to know why Time Machine allowed a software program to migrate the structure of my "archival" files without my knowledge or permission.
I also want to know if there is a way I can "undo" the iPhoto '08 migration in my back up files or if I am just stuck with this now. I plan to uninstall iLife '08, as after one weekend I am rather disgusted with iPhoto; I'll leave out my opinion of "Mobile Me".
I discovered this (the migration of my photo files to the iPhoto '08 package) when I went to Time Machine to reinstall my system to where it was prior to the install of iLife '08. I work in digital preservation (as much as there is such a field) and the entire idea that Apple has designed software to search around and migrate someone's archival data without the permission or knowledge of the owner is pretty stupid from a legal perspective.

I'll take the question to the Apple Genius Bar.

Does Time Machine backup system files (/usr/local/*)?

Does Time Machine backup system files (/usr/local/*)?
If so how do you locate them in the Time Machine interface?
If I go into Time Machine mode and type say "/usr/local" in the Time Machine search bar I get nothing although I can open a terminal application and cd to /usr/local and see bin, lib, include, etc.
Of course I can never see /usr/local in Finder either ... only at the command line.
Thanks.

John, another tech pro ("baltwo") suggests:
Run this in the Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 1
OPTION-click and hold on Finder's Dock icon->Relaunch which reveals all hidden files. Then, look for that file and delete it. To hide all of those, use the same command, substituiting zero for the one, and relaunch the Finder.

How does Time Machine handle alias files on the backup volume?

I have been trying to find some info on how Time Machine handles alias files on the backup volume, but can't find anything on that topic. Neither here in this discussion or at the Apple support pages.
My concern is if an alias file on the backup volume is backed up »as is«, or if it is resolved and the original file is backed up? The last would be most annoying as this will make the size of the backup much larger.
Even though I do not know of folders having been renamed (which will cause that folder and all its content to be backed up again) Time Machine often backs up a surprisingly large amount of data, so I suspect that alias files could be resolved.
Any info on this will be appreciated.

Alias files are NOT followed, AFAIK.
For more info on how TM works, see this ars technica review.
Good luck!
Message was edited by: joshz

Will time machine affect additional files on external Hd?

I'm wanting to set up time machine for the first time, using an external HD. However there are some files on the external from some other file moving I was doing, that still aren't on the main computer.
Will TM copy over those files when it updates, or just leave them as is?
Thanks.

that depends on how your external is formatted. if it's formatted mac os extended journaled with appropriate partition scheme (APM for PPC mac and GUID for intel), TM will give you an option to leave the existing data on the external alone. if it's not formatted correctly, TM will force you to reformat the drive before you can use it for TM. in any case, it's a bad idea to have other stuff on the TM partition besides TM backups. There are too many situations when you need to erase a TM partition and having other data on it makes it more complicated. It's best to have a dedicated partition just for TM.

Time Machine stopped updating files in subfolders on my external drive

I've been using Time Machine for about a year. I have two external drives connected. One is 2TB and is the "BACKUP" drive used for TM backups. The other, "VOLUME ONE" is 1TB and is used for client and media files. I went to look for a file in TM backups that had been on Volume One and it's not there. I then noticed that TM while had been performing backups, nothing was actually updating since August 3 (I'm not sure if that's the actually date but it was the most recent date on a quick check).
I then repaired permissions on the iMac Hard drive, repaired both external disks, trashed TM preferences, and shut down and then restarted. Seems everything is now backing up correctly except if you go into the subfolders on Volume One. For instance, "TestFile" is updated when it's VOLUME ONE/Folder1/Folder2/TestFile, but not if it gets placed one position down, VOLUME ONE/Folder1/Folder2/Folder3/TestFile. The only items I have excluded from backups are the BACKUP drive, /Applications and System Files and Applications. The files not being updated are not applications or preferences. Also, my BACKUP drive says it has 1.2 TB available.

My understanding of how this works is that hourly & daily backups "expire" & are automatically removed after 24 hours & one month respectively, but weekly backups never expire -- they are kept, as the preference panel says, until your backup disk is full.
Thus, if your backup drive fills up, TM will try to create space by removing older, unexpired hourly or daily backups (& optionally warn you about this) to make room for new ones, but it will not remove older weekly backups to make room for new hourly or daily ones.
If you think about it, this makes sense: a weekly backup is most likely much larger (in terms of actual file space) & contains many more files than a daily or hourly one, so it would be undesirable to delete a lot of files to make room for relatively few others.
IOW, the drive will eventually fill up with weekly backups & at that point, it is full, period.
Related comments:
I believe there is no danger in using the Leopard Finder to 'delete a file' in the time-stamped folders it exposes. Because of the changes made in the file system to support TM, what happens is only the link in that folder is deleted. Links in any other folders remain unaffected. Only when you remove the last link to the actual file does the file system mark its space unused in the directory, effectively the same as a normal file delete.
This is why just deleting an instance of a TM backed up file won't gain you more than a few bytes of drive space -- only by deleting all instances is the file space of the actual file freed up.
For similar reasons, Disk Utility's 'erase free space' function should be safe to use on a Time Machine volume for security reasons. Just don't use any disk utilities on this or any other Leopard-formatted drive that aren't rated for use with Leopard -- they don't know about the changes in the file system & could really mess things up if (for instance) they try to rebuild the directory structure from scratch.

Time Machine for iPhoto files

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