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Less frequent backups possible with Time Machine?

I'm new to Leopard and Time Machine. Is it possible to set Time Machine to update less frequently than every hour? I'm working in an environment with multiple Adobe apps open at any given time, and I've noticed TM activity affecting my work (response slowdowns). It would be nice to be able to choose how often the iMac gets backed up. Right now, I'm running TM manually.

G3 beige (OS 8.6), G4 Sawtooth (OS 10.3.9), TiBook (OS 9.2.2/OS 10), iMac (OS 10.5)

Posted on Apr 30, 2008 5:40 AM

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8 replies

Apr 30, 2008 7:39 AM in response to EmDeeH

Hello again em:

Just a note. I am sure that the process that VK suggests does what it purports to do. I recommend, however, that people avoid (like the plague) anything non-Apple that changes Apple's operating system software. That is an opinion, but I have NEVER had serious problems for many years. These forums are replete with stories of how add-ons or haxies or +"small changes"+ have caused grief.

Barry

Note to VK - This is not a personal criticism. I am raising the point that changes like this (even simple ones) work - until the next software update.

Apr 30, 2008 8:13 AM in response to Barry Hemphill

Barry,
the ability to control TM backups intervals is built into the system. It's controlled by one entry in the plist com.apple.backupd-auto.plist. You can change it by a simple *defaults write* command. they just didn't provide a GUI way to do it.


This particular program doesn't install anything and doesn't change anything in the system. It's simply a GUI wrapper for that defaults command. I consider it perfectly harmless.

Apr 30, 2008 10:22 AM in response to Barry Hemphill

Barry - this isn't a 'haxie', and is perfectly safe. All that little app does is change to something else the interval that Apple has already set as "60 minutes". Haxies and system 'tweaks' are more typically things that tweak the Menu Bar or Dock. You advise to be cautious is of course sensible, but too much caution can deprive one of some major workflow advantages.

Apr 30, 2008 10:13 PM in response to EmDeeH

It is possible to easily change the interval via the Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app)

Enter this code (where nnnn is your desired interval, in seconds)
sudo defaults write /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.backupd-auto StartInterval -int nnnn

You will be prompted for a password. Enter your password, hit return, and restart time machine (just turn it on and off). That should do it.

To reset it, do that command using the number 3600.

Less frequent backups possible with Time Machine?

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