You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Once my airport time capsule has backed up my files, can I delete them from my hard drive to free space?

Once my airport time capsule has backed up my files, can I delete them from my hard drive to free space?

Time Capsule

Posted on Jul 12, 2023 10:53 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 12, 2023 12:16 PM

No, No, NOOOOOOO!


In some weeks, maybe months, TimeMachine, will purge those files from the backup, because they no longer exist on your Mac.


If you need an archive, use separate external storage. And if those files are important to you, make sure they get backed up as well. The external storage could be an external disk, an home NAS, such as Synology, or cloud storage.


But DO NOT use TimeMachine and also delete them from your Mac.

Similar questions

4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 12, 2023 12:16 PM in response to gerren81

No, No, NOOOOOOO!


In some weeks, maybe months, TimeMachine, will purge those files from the backup, because they no longer exist on your Mac.


If you need an archive, use separate external storage. And if those files are important to you, make sure they get backed up as well. The external storage could be an external disk, an home NAS, such as Synology, or cloud storage.


But DO NOT use TimeMachine and also delete them from your Mac.

Jul 12, 2023 11:21 AM in response to gerren81

I guess you could but I would not recommend you to do so. If your Time Capsule fails, you’ll have no way to recover your files.


When it comes to backups, this is the recommended rule: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/the-3-2-1-backup-strategy/.


At the very least, have two copies of your files at all times. You could get an external drive to offload some of your files. Then you’d have the Time Capsule and the external drive storing at least two copies of your files.

Once my airport time capsule has backed up my files, can I delete them from my hard drive to free space?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.