Using time machine, multiple computers back- up and update

hi all,
to start off, i'm planning to buy a new iMac in the Q1 2009... the comming update, and i'm wondering:
whit time machine, is it possible to let's say back up my macbook.
and whit the new iMac update from the backup so my iMac is in sync whit the macbook?
and when i add, change or kill a file, time machine update's this in the backup, and my macbook will notice this and update the macbook of the backup the iMac changed?
hard question, hope somebody out there can help me by answering or refering me,
cause i realy want this to be true, gheghe!
Kind regards,
Lennart.
Message was edited by: Lennart Hendriksma

Lennart Hendriksma wrote:
hi all,
to start off, i'm planning to buy a new iMac in the Q1 2009... the comming update, and i'm wondering:
whit time machine, is it possible to let's say back up my macbook.
and whit the new iMac update from the backup so my iMac is in sync whit the macbook?
you can use use Migration Assistant to migrate your settings and data from the TM backup of the macbook to the new imac. you'll also have an option to do it during the initial computer setup.
This is a one time operation. You can not use Time Machine to keep computers synced after that. each computer has its own TM backup and they don't interact with each other.
and when i add, change or kill a file, time machine update's this in the backup, and my macbook will notice this and update the macbook of the backup the iMac changed?
sorry, I don't understand what you are asking. please rephrase.
hard question, hope somebody out there can help me by answering or refering me,
cause i realy want this to be true, gheghe!
Kind regards,
Lennart.
Message was edited by: Lennart Hendriksma

Similar Messages

My time machine will not back up and i get this message: /Volumes/Data/Kathy P's MacBook.sparsebundle" is already in use

my time machine will not back up and i get this message: /Volumes/Data/Kathy P’s MacBook.sparsebundle” is already in use....i have tried multiple fixes but still unable to back up

If you have tried the fixes in Pondini's Time Machine Troublshooting, specifically #C12 and nothing helps, then it is time to let one of the genius types at an Apple Store take a look.
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
If you cannot take the Time Capsule to an Apple Store, contact Apple Support directly.
http://www.apple.com/support/contact/

HT3275 My time machine does not back up and giving me this error message: The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data-1/Amiel's MacBook Pro.sparsebundle" is already in use. Pls help.

My time machine does not back up and giving me this error message: The backup disk image “/Volumes/Data-1/Amiel’s MacBook Pro.sparsebundle” is already in use. Pls help.

Make sure that there are no other Macs backing up at the present time.
Pull the power cord from the back of the Time Capsule
Count to ten
Plug the power cord back in
This will "fix" things about 98% of the time. Post back if you are in the unlucky 2% category.

HT201250 My Time Machine is not backing up and gives me this error report, 'The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data/Valarie'siMac.sparsbundle" is already in use. Time machine could not complete backup. Can anyone help me?

My Time Machine is not backing up and gives me this error report:
The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data/Valarie'siMac.sparsbundle" is already in use
Time Machine could not complete backup
Can anyone help me?

Look at the discussion on the following forum:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3882138?start=0&tstart=0
The responses given there may help.

Upgraded to Lion, and now using Time Machine to go back to 10.6.7

Unfortunately, I have started this already. I have had major problems with login from Lion so I am using Time Machine to go back.
Are there any pitfalls? I am restoring it to pre Lion a month old. But that is better than my struggles with Lion.
Any guidance?

ravimk wrote:
I have 1TB disk; it requires 450+ GB space; it has more than it needs. Is there a way that I can ask the current time machine to write over one of the past. Not sure how to do it. I will try to readup. Any input would be great.
Time Machine will, by design, fill all the empty space available to it with backups, then start deleting the oldest ones when it needs room for new ones. That way, it can keep your backups for as long as possible.
You can delete selected backups, or all backups of selected items, via Time Machine if you really want to. See #12 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions.
If you really need the space, to permanently reduce the space available, partition the disk your backups are on.

HT201250 i would like to use time machine but also back up other file to my external drive?

I just got a WD T3 external hard drive and I would like to use time machine but also back up other files that to the drive. Can anyone help me out.
Thanks Mark

You would need to go to your Applications folder>Utilities>Disk Utility> and there create Two Partitions on your external hard drive, naming them differently. Then you could go back to your desktop, open the dock, right click on the Time Machine icon and select "Open Time Machine Preferences". In there select the external hard drive Partition that you want to use for TM. The other external drive partition will be available for other uses.
Hope this helps

Using Time Machine to "go back" before Mac Mail problem

My wife's Mac mail account stopped receiving email 3 days ago. Attempts to fix it have been futile. (It can send but not receive. The activity monitor suggests that it is getting hung up on a particular email as it stalls at 13 out of 233.) Considering using Time Machine to go back to just before the problem. Questions: Is it possible to limit TM to (1) my wife's acct only or (2) Mail only?
My wife will definitely provide me a gruesome death if I lose her emails!
Cheers,
Nigel

Thanks, applefandan. I just haven't used Time Machine quite enough to a gained confidence, but after a little bit of experimenting and a bit of Youtube coaching (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fes93NW_KE0) I went back to pre-problem, and had no trouble getting back the mail my wife had lost over the past several days.
Now on to the next problem! . . .

Can i use time machine with a airport extreme and a external hard drive

I have connected a hard drive to my airport extreme.
Now i would like to use time machine to back up my computers, and would like to do this on the hard drive which is connected to my airport extreme.
Next step is that i would like to be able to approach my external hard drive via the internet.
Is this possible or not?

Both are possible. However, Apple does NOT support Time Machine backups to AirPort Disks attached to the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn). Doing so will potentially lead to data corruption and is highly not recommended. Please check out this excellent Pondini article for more details. This article also provides the Apple Support references that states Apple's position. Bottom line? If your backups are critical to you, then you may want to rethink your backup solution.
As far as accessing the AirPort Disk from the Internet, the following is the basic steps to do so:
Start the AirPort Utility > Select the AEBSn, and then, note the IP address shown.
Select Manual Setup.
Verify that Connection Sharing = Share a public IP address is selected on the Internet > Internet Connection tab.
Select Disks, and then, select File Sharing.
Verify that both the "Enable file sharing" and "Share disks over WAN" options are enabled.
Verify that Secure Shared Disks = With a disk password. (Recommended)
Verify that AirPort Disks Guest Access = Not allowed. (Recommended)
Select Advanced, and then, select the Port Mapping tab.
Click the plus sign to add a new port mapping.
For Service, select the "Personal File Sharing" option. (Note: This option would only allow Mac clients to access the AirPort Disks. If you want both Macs and PCs to connect, you would need to leave this field at its default value and enter the appropriate SMB ports to the mix of ports to be opened.)
In the Public UDP Port(s) and Public TCP Port(s) boxes, type in a 4-digit port number (e.g., 8888) that you choose. In the Private IP Address box, type the internal IP address of your AEBSn that you wrote down in step 1. In the Private UDP Port(s) and Private TCP Port(s) boxes, type 548. Click Continue.
In the Description box, type a descriptive name like "AirPort Disk File Sharing," and then, click Done.
Click on Update.
To connect to the shared AirPort Disk from a remote location using a Mac:
From the Finder > Go > Connect to Server.
Enter the Pubic (WAN-side) IP address of the AEBSn, followed by a colon and the Public port number that you choose in step 11 of the previous procedure. For example: afp://www.mydyndnsdomain.com:8888 or afp://123.456.789.123:8888
Click Connect.
You should be prompted for your user name and password. The user name can be anything you like; the password should be the Disk password for the AEBSn that you created in step 6 previously.
Click Connect.

Want to use Time Capsule as a back up AND external storage device-help!

I know there's been a few variations on this question but I can't seem to find the answer that relates to me so probably being dumb but help would be greatly appreciated.
I bought a 500gb Time Capsule yesterday and finally got it set up through AirPort Utility. I think I've done it right-there's a green light and it's going through the motions of backing up although VERY slowly. It's taken 10 hours to back up 20GB. I've used Time Machine before with an external Seagate drive so I know how to access/check those back ups.
I have a dish on the side of my house (on side of a mountain!) that brings the internet signal into a wireless router and then my MacBook accesses through that WIFI network. I plugged the ethernet cable from one of the standard ports out the back of the router into the WAN port on the Time Capsule as part of the setup and that seems to be right in that I can see the TC and surf the net.
So, now I just want to see the Time capsule as a normal external drive on my desktop and move other files to it so they can come off my Macbook completely but the only way icon I can see if the white one that says 'Backup of...' I've copied stuff onto this but I suspect that was the wrong thing to do.
Finally, I only want to TM to use the TC up to a certain max storage so I always have space free on it but can't find settings to allow me to do that.
I'd be really grateful if someone could tell me how to set this up properly!

Paretola wrote:
So, now I just want to see the Time capsule as a normal external drive on my desktop and move other files to it so they can come off my Macbook completely but the only way icon I can see if the white one that says 'Backup of...' I've copied stuff onto this but I suspect that was the wrong thing to do.
No. Don't transfer anything into the Back of... sparsebundle. That is your Time Machine backup.
Under Finder -> Shared -> Time Capsule -> Time Capsule Disk. This is where you can create a new folder to store your files. If you want to see this on your Desktop, via Finder, click Preferences. Under General, make sure +Connected servers+ is ticked.
Finally, I only want to TM to use the TC up to a certain max storage so I always have space free on it but can't find settings to allow me to do that.
Since the TC HDD isn't partitionable, you can't really do that. Best thing is to get another HDD for storage as TM works best if you give it enough room to grow.
I'd be really grateful if someone could tell me how to set this up properly!

Can I use Time Machine to recover backed-up files from a stolen computer?

Hi everyone,
I used Time Machine to back up my MacBook Pro but unfortunately it was stolen this week. I'm going to buy a new MacBook Pro and would like to recover the backed-up files from my old computer via Time Machine, though not necessarily transform the new computer into a clone of the old one. Can anyone point me to step-by-step directions for how to do this with Time Machine? Is there a way of using Time Machine to select, a la carte, which backed-up data you want to restore to your new machine, or is it an all-or-nothing deal?
Thanks for your help and advice!

Yes. Use the migration assistant.
First, I'd set up the new computer and choose not to migrate any data (this sometimes causes issues). Run all software updates, then run the Migration Assistant (In applications). It will allow you to choose a time capsule to migrate information from. You will be able to choose what information to pull from the time capsule: it won't simply clone the old computer.

After using Time Machine-Computer Freezes on startup and will not sleep.

I've narrowed down my iMac issues to Time Machine.
After I back up with Time Machine, my iMac freezes on start up ( I have to turn it off and turn it back on again for normal start up) every time I turn it on and it will not sleep.
I reset the SMC, startup in safe mode, and do all of the troubleshooting to get it back so it starts up without freezing (sometimes my troubleshooting works). I've even reinstalled SL a couple of times and that seems to have helped but...
...when I back up with Time Machine, the freezing issues and non-sleeping issue return.
I've just installed the 10.6.2 update and my iMac is now working perfectly, no freezing on start up and it sleeps.
I'm afraid to use Time Machine for fear of the problems returning.
Any ideas on why Time Machine would corrupt my system? Any thoughts on how I can remedy the situation?

Hello m:
The preference file (plist) tells OS X what default and/or user preferences to apply to a device or a program. They rarely become corrupt, but if they do they cause all sorts of odd behavior.
After you trash the preference file and restart, OS X will rebuild the missing file with default values. If you have some personal preferences, you would need to enter those.
Barry
P.S. The preference file I mentioned is located in Macintosh HD>library>preferences
Message was edited by: Barry Hemphill

Time machine fails to back up and crashes computer

Hi I've been using time machine since April on my first external hard-drive (Partitioned so that it had time machine and room for music and photos) now I am trying to make time machine back up to a new external drive and every time it gets so far it crashes my mac please help me with any pointers I tried erasing it and formatting the new drive and making time machine back up to no drive then start backing up to this new drive but it keeps on failing.

First, make sure the new drive is set up properly. See #C1 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).
If it's ok, do a "full reset" of Time Machine, per #A4 there.
If that doesn't help, verify your internal HD, per #A5 there.
If it still crashes your Mac, try running this: [Apple Hardware Test: iMac (Mid 2007) and later models|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1883].

If my Mac ends up with a virus, can I use Time Machine to go back before the virus?

I have recently just bought a 2TB external hard drive and have just backed up using Time Machine. I was just wondering, if my Mac was to become infected with a virus, would I be able to use Time Machine to restore my machine to back before it became infected with the virus? (So I didn't have to do a full factory setting resortation)
Thank you in advance for any assistance with this query.

My apologies. As a computer user since the days of Mainframes in 1970's, I tend to be rather precise in how I phrase things (a legacy of the old punch-card days). Also I write medico-legal reports for a living, again a field where precision is rather essential!
I saometimes forget that just because I read and write the word 'virus' as meaning just that, others (as you say) are prone to use it as a blanket term for malware and other 'irritations'.
Thanks for your clarifications WZZZ. Hope winter in the Big Apple is treating you well.

My Time Machine won't back up and files won't open when double clicked.

I'm not sure if these are related, but recently my MacBook Pro has been acting much more sluggish than usual.
To start, I have a 13in MacBook Pro Mid 2012 model with a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 memory. I've got it new in the summer of 2012, and haven't had any real problems until now. I have a 1TB Hitachi external hard drive with over 600GB left of storage. I'm running Yosemite.
Lately, as in the past few weeks but more noticeably the past few days, I can't open files if I just double click on them from my desktop or from searching them outside of the application. For instance, if I click on a word document on my desktop, it will cause the work icon to bounce for a while, pretending to open, but it never does. If the application is already running, the file just won't open. If I search from the "open" selection within the application, it works fine. This is true for all of my Microsoft Office apps, Photoshop, Preview, iTunes, and everything in between, all of which I had never had a problem with before.
Next, anytime I try to backup my system using Time Machine, it simply shows the "Preparing Backup" status and never starts. I've had the hard drive and used it as a Time Machine since I got the computer, and have had zero problems at all.
I've tried CleanMyMac2, Memory Clean, and I've always kept my Mac very clean and organized, as in no duplicate files, moving my biggest files onto my hard drive, and deleting any of my unnecessary files. I know I don't have a ton of RAM left, but I'm honestly not completely sure what to do about that, as this model apparently doesn't have RAM updates available.
Think you all can help?
Thanks so much.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Step 1
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.
Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”
While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your documents or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this behavior; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.
Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?
After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.
*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.
Step 2
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Please take this step regardless of the results of Step 1.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of Steps 1 and 2.

How do I access photos stored using Time Machine on a back up disk from an old Mac without importing the whole library to my new mac?

I just bought a MacBook Air and don't want to store all my photos on it. I'd like to be able to store and access them on a separate back up disk but iPhoto won't allow me to access these saying:
"The iPhoto library is a Time Machine backup, and so cannot be used as the main library. Reopen iPhoto with the Option key held down to choose another library."
Can I use my back up disk to store my photos? If not, how do I get my photos from iPhoto onto my back up disk?
Would love any help!
Thanks in advance :-)

You need to first restore the Time Machine back up. This excuse a TM back up is condensed and fragmented and so it needs to be expanded and reassembled before iPhoto can understand it.
After that, moving the Library is simple:
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
Regards
TD

Using time machine, multiple computers back- up and update

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for