Michael Graubart

Q: Time Machine wants to back up everything

I have just purchased an external hard drive, connected it to my Mac and used Carbon Copy Cloner to create a complete bootable copy of my entire internal hard drive. I then switched on Time Machine, which began to back up my hard drive and told me that it would take about 3 hours to do so.

 

1. I understood that Time Machine would only back up any changes that I have made since creating the copy of my internal HD. Why is it trying to back up the whole?

 

2. I do not keep my computer running except when I am actually using it. I also do not wish to have my external HD running every time I start up my computer, because I wish to minimize the risk of the external HD deteriorating and eventually failing with time. What will Time Machine do in these circumstances?

 

3. I understand that Time Machine will keep earlier versions of my backed-up HD as well as the latest version. If my internal HD should fail and I should have to use the external drive to boot up my computer, which of the saved versions will be available for booting up?

 

Thank you in anticipation of replies to these three questions.

Mac mini, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), null

Posted on Sep 5, 2015 7:08 AM

Close

Q: Time Machine wants to back up everything

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Eric Root,Solvedanswer

    Eric Root Eric Root Sep 5, 2015 9:42 AM in response to Michael Graubart
    Level 9 (72,634 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 5, 2015 9:42 AM in response to Michael Graubart

    If this is the 1st Time Machine backup, then it will back up the entire hard drive. Subsequent backups will only backup what has changed. What you are seeing is normal.

     

    When you reconnect the external, Time Machine will resume backing up or you can select Backup Now from the menu bar if you want to disconnect the drive as soon as possible.

     

    You would boot off of the Carbon Copy Cloner backup.

  • by Michael Graubart,

    Michael Graubart Michael Graubart Sep 5, 2015 9:51 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 2 (275 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 5, 2015 9:51 AM in response to Eric Root

    Thanks very much, Eric Root. I got confused, because, having used CCC to create the bootable startup disk in one partition of the external drive, I set Time Machine to update that same partition, thinking it would just update any changes. What it actually did was to start all over again. I think I have now sorted it out: I am now recreating the CCC startup disk in one partition and letting Time Machine create a backup in the other.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Sep 5, 2015 10:09 AM in response to Michael Graubart
    Level 9 (72,634 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 5, 2015 10:09 AM in response to Michael Graubart

    You are welcome.