Time Machine Backup

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Level 1

8 points

Time Machine Backup

I attached a new My Passport SSD to my MacBook Air 2020 M1 to use as a backup drive, but when I click on Time Machine it only wants to restore (from a blank drive) and not backup.

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Apr 19, 2021 4:37 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

PRP_53

Level 10

91,801 points

Apr 20, 2021 1:44 AM in response to RobertsLee

The External Drive in question probably came formatted as Fat for NTFS. Both are out of the box ready for use on Windows OS and Not macOS Apple. The drive needs to be reformatted to APFS with the GUID Partition Map for it to work with Time Machine Backup. Once that is performed, open the Time Machine Backup Application in the System Preferences. It should now be able to be chosen as Destination Drive for Time Machine.

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Answer 2

RobertsLee Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 19, 2021 5:27 PM in response to PRP_53

I've read that article. It says any backup device attached to a MacBook Air via a USB cable should work with Time Machine, but when I connect my new My Passport SSD to my MacBook Air 2020 M1 with a USB-C cable and open Time Machine, there is no backup option. The only options are Cancel and Restore. Restore is not highlighted (presumably because there has never been a Time Machine backup). I can move files from the MacBook Air 2020 M1 to the Passport by dragging them, but Time Machine doesn't trigger the Passport as a backup drive.

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Answer 3

RobertsLee Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 20, 2021 6:15 AM in response to PRP_53

Thanks, it seems to be working now. There was a program on the Passport called something like "Installation for Mac" which I ran, which appears to only have installed a couple of apps (WD Drive Utilities and WD Security), but apparently didn't reformat the drive (as you said). When I tried Time Machine again last night from Applications, it opened with the instructions to format the drive, even without the drive connected, and it all seemed to work and did an initial backup. I'm not sure why I just got the basic page with "Cancel" and "Restore" the first few times I tried it, but it seems to working now. Thanks for your help.

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Answer 4

PRP_53

Level 10

91,801 points

Apr 20, 2021 6:19 AM in response to RobertsLee

Suggest Removing the Western Digital Applications ( WD Drive Utilities and WD Security ) as per The Developers Instructions. They are not needed to run Time Machine Backups and may even interfere with the Process. Time Machine Backup is all that is needed.

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