How Does Time Machine Work?

Question

Level 1

48 points

How Does Time Machine Work?

Just purchased iMac 21.5 with snow leopard and want to use time machine. I have a LaCie drive with 250GB storage capacity, and I have important files stored there already. Previously I used the LaCie backup software to backup my older iMac. What happens if I use TM to backup my new iMac on the LaCie disk: (1) will it backup my iMac until the LaCie HD is full? (2) if LaCie HD gets full, will it delete these other folders to find space? (3) or, will it stop the backup as a task unable to perform? Finally, can you limit what TM backs up to some limited choice of files? I can't seem to find any of these answers in the marketing materials for the new iMac. Thanks for the help.

iMac Intel Core 2 Duo, 3.33 GHz, 1 TB, 8 GB memory, Mac OS X (10.6.2), iPhoto 8.1.1, Safari 4.0.4, iTunes 9.0.3, iChat 5.0.1

Posted on Feb 27, 2010 6:59 AM

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Answer 1

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Feb 27, 2010 9:00 AM in response to Bronco 01

Bronco 01 wrote:

I suggest you consult pondini's FAQs at the top of the TM forum. they answer all these questions and then some.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1964018

Just purchased iMac 21.5 with snow leopard and want to use time machine. I have a LaCie drive with 250GB storage capacity, and I have important files stored there already. Previously I used the LaCie backup software to backup my older iMac. What happens if I use TM to backup my new iMac on the LaCie disk: (1) will it backup my iMac until the LaCie HD is full?

yes.

(2) if LaCie HD gets full, will it delete these other folders to find space?

yes. but it will warn you the first time it does it provided you have the appropriate box checked in TM system preferences->options.

(3) or, will it stop the backup as a task unable to perform? Finally, can you limit what TM backs up to some limited choice of files?

it can but TM works by exclusion not by inclusion. this means it backs up everything by default and if you want to exclude something you add it to the TM exclusion list in TM system preferences->options. generally, it's much the best to let TM back up everything.

I can't seem to find any of these answers in the marketing materials for the new iMac. Thanks for the help.

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Answer 2

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Feb 27, 2010 10:03 AM in response to Bronco 01

Bronco 01 wrote:
. . .
(2) if LaCie HD gets full, will it delete these other folders to find space?

V.K.'s answer may not be entirely clear: TM will delete your oldest +*Time Machine*+ backups when it needs room for new ones, but it won't delete other files or folders.

You might also want to review these:

Time Machine Tutorial
How to back up and restore your files
Time Machine Features

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Answer 3

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Feb 27, 2010 10:16 AM in response to Pondini

Pondini wrote:

Bronco 01 wrote:
. . .
(2) if LaCie HD gets full, will it delete these other folders to find space?

V.K.'s answer may not be entirely clear: TM will delete your oldest +*Time Machine*+ backups when it needs room for new ones, but it won't delete other files or folders.

hi pondini. thanks for clarifying that. I definitely didn't want to imply that TM may be deleting something else beside TM backups.

You might also want to review these:

Time Machine Tutorial
How to back up and restore your files
Time Machine Features

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Answer 4

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Feb 27, 2010 10:27 AM in response to V.K.

Hi, V.K.,

Yeah, I wasn't entirely sure which "other folders" the question was about, either.

To Bronco 01: be sure to check out #3 in the FAQ Tip.

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Answer 5

Bronco 01 Author

Level 1

48 points

Feb 27, 2010 2:48 PM in response to Pondini

As so often happens, I came across the FAQs that you folks had previously prepared, and answers to most of my questions were no longer in doubt. Thanks for that very helpful product. So, my take is that I ought to partition my LaCie HD so that TM backups are in one partition and anything left from previous saves on old iMac will be in another. Second, I can exclude files/folders from any backup; that's good. Third, I wish Apple had had the same initiative as you guys, because I bet I'm not the only one unclear about how TM works and what risks pertain to other files in the LaCie HD.

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Answer 6

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Feb 27, 2010 2:58 PM in response to Bronco 01

Bronco 01 wrote:
As so often happens, I came across the FAQs that you folks had previously prepared, and answers to most of my questions were no longer in doubt. Thanks for that very helpful product. So, my take is that I ought to partition my LaCie HD so that TM backups are in one partition and anything left from previous saves on old iMac will be in another.

Yup, exactly.

Second, I can exclude files/folders from any backup; that's good.

Maybe, but be careful. Be sure to check out #11 in the FAQ. Far better to exclude too little than too much.

Thanks for the kind words, and don't hesitate to post back if you have more questions.

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Answer 7

Bronco 01 Author

Level 1

48 points

Mar 2, 2010 1:56 PM in response to Bronco 01

Thanks for the insights.

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