Time Machine: Two External Hard Drives backed up to one Time Machine Drive

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mattfromindy Author

Level 1

14 points

Time Machine: Two External Hard Drives backed up to one Time Machine Drive

Mac Mini (2018)

MacOs Catalina

32 GB Ram

I have a Hard Drive enclosure containing the following:

External Hard Drive One (has data on it)

External Hard Drive Two (has data on it)

External Hard Drive Three (Empty -- no data on it)(Designated as Time Machine).

I want to use External Hard Drive Three as my Time Machine Backup. I want to back up both External Hard Drive One AND External Hard Drive Two together onto External Hard Drive Three (the designated Time Machine Backup drive).

I do not want to backup my system hard drive to the Time Machine drive. Just External Drives One and Two to External Drive Three (The Time Machine Drive).

How can this be achieved?

Mac mini (2018)

Posted on Mar 13, 2023 12:52 AM

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Answer 1

Vilas_S

Community Specialist

Mar 14, 2023 3:56 PM in response to mattfromindy

Hello mattfromindy,

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. The only supported method that you can try is to restore your data from your old backup to your Mac, then create a new backup to your desired external hard drive (the third one). The new backup will include your old data since you restored from it.

1.) Restore from backup.

2.) Backup to Time Machine.

The option to copy and paste Time Machine data might not be supported or available. We also recommend that you review Apple's Unsolicited Idea Submission Policy. Specifically, the section under "Product Feedback". That way you can leave Apple feedback on things they change or improve.

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

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Time Machine: Two External Hard Drives backed up to one Time Machine Drive

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