Sylvia Burnside

Q: My TimeMachine is full. Should I keep it plugged in and turned on even if I switch to another external hard drive for TimeMachine backups?

My TimeMachine external hard drive is full. Should I keep it plugged into m and on, even if I switch to another external hard drive to keep doing backups with TimeMachine?

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Mar 28, 2016 10:09 AM

Close

Q: My TimeMachine is full. Should I keep it plugged in and turned on even if I switch to another external hard drive for TimeMachine ... more

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by mende1,Apple recommended

    mende1 mende1 Mar 28, 2016 10:21 AM in response to Sylvia Burnside
    Level 10 (93,324 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 28, 2016 10:21 AM in response to Sylvia Burnside

    There's no need to keep two external drives plugged in. Instead, I suggest you to buy a bigger external hard drive and transfer the backups you want to from the old to the new external drive, so you can use the old external drive for other purposes -> Time Machine: How to transfer backups from a current backup drive to a new backup drive - Apple Support

  • by Barry Hemphill,Apple recommended

    Barry Hemphill Barry Hemphill Mar 28, 2016 10:18 AM in response to Sylvia Burnside
    Level 8 (38,037 points)
    Peripherals
    Mar 28, 2016 10:18 AM in response to Sylvia Burnside

    Time Machine will delete the oldest files if it needs more space for new backups. IMHO, there is really no reason to have very old backup files.

     

    Barry

  • by Sylvia Burnside,

    Sylvia Burnside Sylvia Burnside Mar 28, 2016 10:31 AM in response to mende1
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 28, 2016 10:31 AM in response to mende1

    O.k. folks...that was a simple question to answer. I needed that to be answered before I ask this:

    the problems is #1: My Seagate 3TB external hard drive seems to be "acting up" #2: I cannot afford to buy another hard drive. #3: I had transferred TimeMachine to the Seagate 3TB that I had purchased months ago and was using exclusively for one kind of file. I thought I would have enough space for the backups too, but I see I am quickly running out. I think I may have to scrub my original TimeMachine (LaCie) and put the newer backups back on it, but I will have to make that hard decision to do that as these are from 2003! You both have answered that I can do that, so I have made that decision to just DO IT.

    After I have done this, using the reference to the apple article, I will come back to you and let you know how that worked out, and I may have another question at that time regarding the fussy Seagate.

    Thanks so much.

     

  • by Sylvia Burnside,

    Sylvia Burnside Sylvia Burnside Mar 29, 2016 3:11 PM in response to Barry Hemphill
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 29, 2016 3:11 PM in response to Barry Hemphill

    I have now erased my original Time Machine and put the more recent backups onto it from the Seagate external drive, which freed up considerable space there. After experiencing really compromised Safari searches, I finally had to completely erase those backups that I had put into the trash and things seem more normal. Also turned off Time Machine so it wouldn't keep on grinding away at backing up, which it doesn't seem to be doing well.

     

    Now the question is this: why do I have, in my Time Machine preferences, TWO icons with Time Machine labels and the same amount of space listed? I'd like to delete one of them, but which one? Do you think that Time Machine is backing up my files on BOTH of them.

     

    Thanks for any suggestions.