time machine backup for catalina 10.15.6, apfs, mac os extended (journaled) or mac os extended (case sensitive, journaled)?

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time machine backup for catalina 10.15.6, apfs, mac os extended (journaled) or mac os extended (case sensitive, journaled)?

unsure how I should format my drive for time machine.

when I tried to let it do it for me it made it mac os extended (case sensitive journaled) by default, but then I read that can cause problems, and it should be regular journaled so I cancelled it, but then I read it should match your internal drives in disk utility and they all say apfs.

so should I do apfs time machine for catalina 10.15.6 or mac os extended (journaled)?

thanks

side question, is it safe to do the speed up time machine up trick in terminal, because it would have taken a long time for only around 50gb over usb 3, would like to speed it up.

MacBook

Posted on Aug 11, 2020 11:43 AM

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Answer 1

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VikingOSX

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123,248 points

Aug 11, 2020 12:37 PM in response to GGarrett2

When you erase the external drive in Disk Utility for a Time Machine device prior to Big Sur, you want it GUID partition scheme, and Mac OS Extended (Journaled). That takes care of the case-insensitive requirement, and that should be a non-ambiguous selection.

You should use a different Time Machine drive for Big Sur, and if Big Sur advancements require that that drive be formatted as APFS, then so be it.

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,248 points

Aug 11, 2020 11:58 AM in response to GGarrett2

Time Machine still requires macOS Extended Journaled (case-insensitive) formatting for the external drive. Case-insensitive is the default for Extended Journaled.

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