HT204015: About Time Machine local snapshots

Learn about About Time Machine local snapshots
fromMS2Mac

Q: Can I use snap shot without an external backup in place

When I purchased my MacBook Air from Best Buy a year ago, I was told that backup was automatically done with a daily, weekly, monthly... just as Snap Shot describes.  He failed to tell me that I had to set it up myself!  Now A YEAR LATER, suspecting Malware or worse, I discover that I DO NOT HAVE A BACKUP O ANYTHING on my system!  In trying to set it up now, it appears that Snap Shot cannot be use unless I also have set up an alternate external backup.

 

Can anyone confirm this (or PLEASE, by all means DISPUTE it and tell me how to access my backed up documents!)?

 

Using OSX 10.9.5; Processor 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5; Memory 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3.

 

Thank you!

MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on May 20, 2015 2:40 PM

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Q: Can I use snap shot without an external backup in place

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy May 20, 2015 2:48 PM in response to fromMS2Mac
    Level 10 (270,190 points)
    Desktops
    May 20, 2015 2:48 PM in response to fromMS2Mac

    That is correct. You must have configured and enabled Time Machine for backup before you can use snapshots. See About Time Machine local snapshots. Backups can only be accessed using the Time Machine application. If Time Machine is not enabled, then no snapshots will exist.

  • by Bob Timmons,Helpful

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons May 20, 2015 2:54 PM in response to fromMS2Mac
    Level 10 (104,968 points)
    Wireless
    May 20, 2015 2:54 PM in response to fromMS2Mac

    You might want to read through this Apple support document.

     

    About Time Machine local snapshots - Apple Support

     

    The whole idea here is that you first set up an external drive to your Mac and get Time Machine backups running. Then, when the external drive is not connected to your Mac.....you might be traveling.....Time Machine makes local backup snapshots and stores them on your Mac. When you connect the external drive back to the Mac, snapshot information is transferred back to the external hard drive to "fill in the gaps".

     

    Unfortunately, if you did not first set up an external hard drive and get Time Machine running and backing up, then no backups have occurred at all.

  • by fromMS2Mac,

    fromMS2Mac fromMS2Mac May 22, 2015 12:06 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 22, 2015 12:06 PM in response to Kappy

    Thanks, Bob and Kappy, for the bad news!  LOL!  As it turns out, we have Norton With Backup on my husband's HP PC and my Mac can be added as well as my iPhone!