A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started With Time Machine

Every Mac user should be backing up the files on their Mac. The easiest way to do this is to use Time Machine, which is part of macOS. You can get a cheap external hard drive and start doing this today. Time Machine is simple and automatic and can save you from disasters, as long as you start using it.



Apple Links:
How to use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac
Backup disks you can use with Time Machine

Comments: 45 Responses to “A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started With Time Machine”

    Bob
    6 years ago

    You should also check the 'Back Up Automatically' box... in the Time Machine system preference panel.

    Danny
    6 years ago

    Gary, if you have a time machine backup that goes back well over a year and you use that to for a 'clean' restore what portion of that backup will be used in that restore? You wouldn't want year old deleted video projects, etc, on your HD. Is there a limit on how far back a new restore would go? Thanks.

    6 years ago

    Danny: The most recent version of any files that were present at the time of the last backup. So if you backup one machine, shut it down, then restore to another machine, it will appear as if you just copied everything over.

    Robert
    6 years ago

    What about an external drive that already has files on the drive? I would not want to lose any files if TM reformats. And will TM backup other external devices like SD or USB plugin drives or iPhone/iPod/iPad?

    6 years ago

    Robert: Time Machine uses a complete hard drive. They are cheap compared to what is at stake. Get a new one and dedicate it to Time Machine. Yes, Time Machine should back up other drives that are usually connected to your Mac. But USB thumb drives are usually not connected all the time. I wouldn't store anything remotely important on a USB thumb drive. Use them only for transfers or temporary storage. As for iOS devices, they have their own backups though iCloud. You should use that as well as an occasional backup via iTunes by connecting them to your Mac. But often even that isn't necessary if you are using all cloud services as then nothing is just on your iOS device, it is always elsewhere as well.

    Ray
    6 years ago

    I have an Apple 2TB Time Capsule on a wireless network that I use to back up my iMac with a 1TB disk (only 90GB used) automatically. The backups only seem to go back a few months, then it forces me to start a new one, deleting the current one. How can I make it save more data?

    6 years ago

    Ray: What do you mean by "it forces me to start a new one." Is there an error message? Does something go wrong with the drive? If everything is working properly, it should just keep backing up, removing older versions of files (always keeping the current version) to make space.

    Frank
    6 years ago

    TM not backing up- amber light
    Does provide wireless
    What is easiest fix?
    Thanks

    Bob Medlock
    6 years ago

    I want to start all over with TM. I deleted all files on backup disk (with disk utility). When I open TM does it keep a list of all the backed files internally to TM? or can I just let it start all over and let it create a new backup of everything. Thanks!

    6 years ago

    Frank: The light could just mean there is an update pending. Did you look in Airport Utility to check? That may give you some insight to the problem. Otherwise, you may need to get help from Apple as I can only make wild guesses.

    6 years ago

    Bob: If you give it an empty drive, it will start all over. Everything is stored on the backup drive otherwise it wouldn't be any good as a backup.

    Dennis Davis
    6 years ago

    Do you plan to do a lesson on how to restore once backed up? Also, can I use this backup to transfer data to another Mac when I buy a new one?

    6 years ago

    Dennis: Hard to do a restore lesson as a screen capture, but it is pretty straight-forward. It asks if you want to restore when you first start up, whether it is a new Mac or a Mac where you have reformatted or replaced the drive. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314 and https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350

    Marjorie
    6 years ago

    I have an external drive connected to the time machine for backup. I constantly get messages saying there is no room remaining and it is going to delete oldest files. So, I bought a new 1T drive. Is the process the same to change to a new drive? Will I just disconnect the old drive and plug in the new drive and follow the above instructions?

    6 years ago

    Marjorie: You are basically just starting a new Time Machine backup, that's all. Note that it is normal to get this warning from time-to-time as your backup history grows.

    Mark Flannery
    6 years ago

    I too have been getting TM messages that say "there is no room remaining and it is going to delete oldest files." This just started a few weeks ago, although I've had the same ExHD since 2010. Looking at the ExHD files, I found a backup of everything on my Mac for every week since it was connected. I don't recall that happening before. Question: is there a way to reduce the frequency of automatic backups? I don't need or want a weekly copy of everything on my Mac.

    6 years ago

    Mark: Time Machine doesn't do a weekly backup. It does it hourly. But it only backs up what has been changed and what is new. So, for instance, if you have a file that you haven't modified in 2 years, then it hasn't saved another copy of that file in 2 years. That 2-year-old one is the current one. It is much much better to do hourly small backups and have everything in the backup, than to have only a weekly backup and risk losing days or a whole week of work if disaster strikes.
    The messages are nothing to worry about. They are normal. Time Machine would like to keep all versions of all of your files going back to when you started backing up. But it will eventually run out of space, so it starts deleting old versions of files. It keeps the latest, and probably some intermediate versions of those files too.

    Jim Toledano
    6 years ago

    I have a message the external HD is full and TM hasn’t backed up in 105 (or whatever) days. What’s wrong and how do I fix it?

    6 years ago

    Jim: Hard to tell without a firsthand look. Is the drive smaller than the drive you are trying to backup? Perhaps it is time to get a new one and start a new backup. I would do that right away.

    Hubert Cooleman
    6 years ago

    Hi Gary. I bought a 1TB external and partitioned it to back up my 250GB MacBook. Should be allright, shouldn't it?
    My Q: when I plug in the external, a little light comes on and when back-up start, the light flickers. How to tell that the back-up is finished? When the litl elight stops flickering?
    My Q2: when I plug in the xternal, TM starts and opens dozens of superimposed small windows> Why is that (for)?. Greetings.

    Jon Norris
    6 years ago

    Is there a way for Time Machine to back up off site as well, i.e. online not only cabled to a hard drive? Where I host my web site has plenty of space for instance... or is the solution to make everything you do a subfolder of Documents or Desktop and let iCloud do it?

    6 years ago

    Jon: No, Time Machine doesn't do online backups. And iCloud Drive really isn't a backup. It does help and can save you in some situations, but cloud drives don't save everything and do not keep a history. But there are some great online backup solutions available such as BackBlaze and CrashPlan and many others.

    6 years ago

    Hubert: You shouldn't partition a drive to use at a Time Machine drive. For one thing, then you aren't really backing up whatever is on the other partitions of that drive. And you should give Time Machine as much space as you can. Drives are cheap! You should dedicate the whole drive to TM or get another even larger drive for it.
    You can tell when TM is done by simply checking the icon in the menubar. Not sure what the small windows are that you are talking about. Maybe the other partitions? Can't say without knowing what they display.

    Margaret Gray
    6 years ago

    Hi Gary. I have my TM set up but have often wondered if a virus or trojan infected my MacBook Pro - does it get saved to TM and if so, how do I cleanse both my hard drive and my TM back-up.

    6 years ago

    Margaret: If a trojan ended up on your Mac (no viruses anymore), then it would end up on your TM drive. But your TM is just data, it isn't actively running software, so once you cleared your Mac it would be OK. It would have to be a case-by-case thing, but it isn't something I'd worry about.

    Frankie Suman
    6 years ago

    Gary, I use Mozy to back up. In your opinion should I do a Time Machine backup as well.
    Frankie

    6 years ago

    Frankie: Why not? What does it cost you, just a cheap drive. Also, does Mozy do a history? So if you delete a file today, then next month want it back, will it be on Mozy? I don't use it so I don't know. But online backups are often just a clone of your current files.

    Larry Mortimer
    6 years ago

    Gary I recently tried to run the OS 10.13.3 combo installer (from 10.13.1) and it kept freezing at about 25%. I could quit the installer but on reboot it kept trying to run the installer again with the same results. Stuck in an endless loop I tried everything I and others could think of but to no avail. Fortunately I had TM, and a restore saved me with no loss of data.

    Bentley
    6 years ago

    Gary, does Time Machine backup emails? If so, where can I find them? I know you probably get this question a lot but I can't seem to find an answer either here or on the Net. Thanks!

    6 years ago

    Bentley: It backs up everything on your drive. All the files, that is. But email is usually a service of your server, not files on your drive. If you are using Gmail or iCloud, and you simply archive everything instead of deleting emails, then your email server has everything. But if you delete emails (there's really no reason to) then you probably lost them.

    Wayne Gavigan
    6 years ago

    Gary, when I plug in my external HD and open time machine, I'm able to open current and past files of all but iPhoto. When I click on Pictures, a window opens that says i Photo Library and gives the size of the file and date and time last modified but does not give me any photos. I'm lost as why I can't see my photos on my external HD. Thanks in advance.

    6 years ago

    Wayne: Not sure what you mean. Are you talking about old iPhoto? Or new Photos? Either way, the library is a file package and you can't just browse it (easily) with the Finder. What is your specific need here? Are you trying to recover an old photo? Or are you just curious? You can Control+click on a package to reveal the contents, and then dig through them, but it is not straight-forward as packages are not supposed to be user-accessed. And you probably shouldn't mess with it on your TM drive, which mean restoring the entire huge library file first, then digging into this old package.

    Robert
    6 years ago

    Hi Gary!
    Can I use a storage folder on the same passport drive as I use for TM?

    6 years ago

    Robert: This is a big mistake people make. Do NOT try to use a Time Machine drive as anything other than a Time Machine drive. Let Time Machine have full control over the drive. First, any thing you would try to store on the drive elsewhere would not be backed up anywhere else, logically. Second, Time Machine needs to manage that drive to optimize your backups. Drives are cheap. Let your backup drive just be your backup drive and get something else for other tasks.

    Robert
    6 years ago

    Thanks very much for that advice!!!
    Robert

    Dave
    6 years ago

    I recently went overseas with my computer for three months and bought a portable HD and used it for TM. When I came back and tried to resume with my desktop HD, it wanted to start over. Then, when I went back to the portable, it too wanted to start over. Any solution to just starting where I left off with either drive instead of a new 600 GB back up?

    Hubert Cooleman
    6 years ago

    Thanks for your ever so prompt and helpful replies Gary! Much appareciated. You touched on a very popular and practical topic. External is 1TB and the partition for my Mac backup is set at 750GB. Should be enough for a 250 GB SSD, shouldn't it? Hubert

    6 years ago

    Hubert: What is on the other partition of your TM drive? Whatever it is, it is not being backed up, really. A backup to the same drive is not a backup. Just use the while drive for TM and get another one for whatever else you need an external drive. for.

    6 years ago

    Dave: Get second drive and use one for your iMac that is always connected to it. Use the other for your MacBook and connect it at least daily. Unless you are like me and don't really store anything on your MacBook -- my MacBook is a "cloud machine" with no local-only files. Everything is on my Mac Pro and that is backed up to TM and online.

    Ray
    6 years ago

    Gary: I purchased a Seagate Backup plus 2TB USB3 drive to use with Time Machine. When I plug it in to my iMac, it doesn't show up as a device. When I go to Apple icon> System Preferences> Time Machine> Select Backup Disk, all I see are "Data" from an old networked Time Capsule and "Other Airport Time Capsule", no Seagate drive. I can hear the Seagate drive spinning. Disk Utility can't mount it either. Help?

    6 years ago

    Ray: Could be a bad unit. I would try to format it in Disk Utility first. See if that works. If that fails, it is probably bad.

    Ray
    6 years ago

    Regarding my Time Capsule: It works for awhile, then says it needs to create a new backup, and that it will loose all stored data. It's telling the truth. nothing's visible before the last restart. I ran into the same problem with Carbon Copy Cloner v5. Several of the saves would be good without error, then some backup with errors. At this point, I suspect problems with Wi-Fi connection, hence the new Seagate disk (I agree with you. it seems to be a bad disk). Want to move TM to Seagate.

    Sue Washinger
    6 years ago

    I have a 2TB drive that I am using for my Time Machine backup. If I want to transfer some large files off my MacBookPro that I want to save, can I drag/drop them onto the external hard drive? Or is the TM backup drive ONLY for Time Machine? I applaud time machine and strongly encourage it's use! My hard drive and board had to be replaced and TM saved EVERYTHING! It was awesome! Thanks for your help!

    6 years ago

    Sue: The TM drive should be ONLY for Time Machine. You are asking for trouble if you start storing other things on there. For one, those things then won't be backed up, logically. Also, you'll be getting in the way of TM's management of the drive. External drives are cheap, just get another one for archiving.

    Ray
    6 years ago

    Thanks, Gary. After following your instructions carefully (start Time Machine first, then attach USB drive). everything went perfectly. I now have a working TM!. One last note: TM put a drive icon on my desktop for the new usb drive, but I was able to remove it using Finder Icon> Preferences> General. Apple builds some great products, and it really helps to have experts like you available to get us started off on the right foot. Thanks, again.

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