mattspace

Q: move folder between volumes time machine

Hi,

 

Using Yosemite and I have a Time Machine question. I'm trying to juggle around some of my storage, and want to avoid time machine creating new backups of directories that are already backed up once I move them, in order to save space on my Time Machine drives and prolong how far back they go.

 

  1. I have an external drive with my Aperture and iTunes libraries on it. It's run out of space, and I can't ingest any more photos. This drive is backed up by Time Machine
  2. I want to move the iTunes library folder to my boot drive, where I have space. This drive is also backed up by Time Machine.

 

What I want to avoid is the iTunes folder getting a full backup when it moves to the boot drive, taking an additional ~200+GB out of my Time Machine volume, and being disconnected from the backup history of when it was on the original drive.

 

Is there a way to accomplish this (command line, 3rd party tool etc)?

 

Thanks.

Posted on Aug 14, 2016 11:09 PM

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Q: move folder between volumes time machine

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  • by Esquared,

    Esquared Esquared Aug 15, 2016 12:01 AM in response to mattspace
    Level 6 (8,410 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 15, 2016 12:01 AM in response to mattspace

    In System Preferences > Time Machine > exclude the iTunes folder from Music (in your Home Library).

  • by mattspace,

    mattspace mattspace Aug 15, 2016 12:51 AM in response to Esquared
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 15, 2016 12:51 AM in response to Esquared

    Yeah, but I want my iTunes folder to be backed up. Just not the entire thing afresh, as if the contents of that folder had never existed on the system.

     

    Hence trying to find out if there's a way to get Time Machine to know that a folder moved between drives is the same folder, and continue to only perform incremental backups on it.

  • by Esquared,

    Esquared Esquared Aug 15, 2016 11:47 AM in response to mattspace
    Level 6 (8,410 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 15, 2016 11:47 AM in response to mattspace

    That might be problematic. It would involve messing with the folder structure of the TM backup, since the application itself doesn't have many setup options.