Will Time Machine overwrite files intentionally deleted on my remote hard drive?

I want Time Machine to overwrite files intentionally deleted on my remote hard drive.


I've used a 2TB remote hard drive exclusively for Time Machine backups of two MacBook Pros (1 and 2). They filled the remote hard drive to about 90% of capacity. MacBook Pro 2 has been given to my son (who has his own backup drive) so I've "deleted" the backup folder and its files for MacBook Pro 2, and continue to back up MacBook Pro 1 plus a new MacBook Air.


MacBook Pro 2 was left connected to the remote hard drive for about 48 hours and set to "empty trash," but the pace would have taken a very very long time to fully erase deleted files.


If I do nothing further, will Time Machine overwrite the MacBook Pro 2's backup files on the remote hard drive? If not, what is the solution to enable either overwriting or speedy erasure of files already marked deleted?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.5

Posted on Sep 15, 2021 3:17 PM

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Sep 16, 2021 12:27 PM in response to FredOK

Hi there Fred,


Great question, and one we'd like to help answer as best we can. Essentially, it's up to you whether or not to wait for the process you already started to finish, or to format your hard drive and start Time Machine backups fresh. As you already started the process on your Mac, we recommend waiting until it's complete.


Just in case, here's a link that'll show a few of the things you asked about earlier:

  1. Erase and reformat a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac
  2. Back up your Mac with Time Machine


Have a good one!

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Will Time Machine overwrite files intentionally deleted on my remote hard drive?

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