Time Machine and empty external drive

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Level 1

19 points

Time Machine and empty external drive

Hi all,

I have a Macbook air M1 with external drive that is my library. It's a 6tb library.

I tried to backup all on time machine: my Macbook and the external drive.

After many hours all was backed up, including external drive. In fact the time machine drive, from 8tb free space, became approx 2tb free space.

But when I open finder to check the external drive in time machine hd, the folder is empty.

I entered in time machine to check files: the folder is empty.

I tried to check with Daisydisk and, accessing as administrator, I can see all subfolders and files!

It's very annoying as for one backup it took 30 hours...

Posted on Dec 6, 2020 1:35 AM

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Answer 1

dialabrain

Level 10

136,547 points

Dec 6, 2020 1:45 AM in response to Marcojj

I don't know what the issue may be. I have an M1 MBA as well and a 2TB external for Time Machine backups. All my TM files are visible. What kind of drive?

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Answer 2

Marcojj Author

Level 1

19 points

Dec 6, 2020 1:47 AM in response to dialabrain

It's a normal drive: a seagate backup hub. But the main drive, the MacBook Pro drive, is redeable on time machine

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Answer 3

dialabrain

Level 10

136,547 points

Dec 6, 2020 1:50 AM in response to Marcojj

So you are backing up more than one Mac to the same drive? One M1 and one non-M1?

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Answer 4

dialabrain

Level 10

136,547 points

Dec 6, 2020 3:45 AM in response to Marcojj

I see. Well I'm not experiencing that and don't know why you are. Hopefully someone else does.

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Answer 5

Marcojj Author

Level 1

19 points

Dec 6, 2020 3:42 AM in response to dialabrain

No, very easy situation: I bought an air m1, installed with various software, nothing strange, I'm a photographer. Bought an external drive for time machine, connected as TM, formatted (with encryption), removed external library drive as drive to not backup, and started. After 30 hours, the results: in time machine I can see the main MB Air drive and browse also in finder, the external drive present with a folder but empty (can see the content only with daisy disk). Also browsing in time machine, the external drive is empty, except, obviously, in "now". PS: sorry for my English, hope you understand :-)

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Time Machine and empty external drive

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