How to move Time Machine backup to new disk

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Level 1

55 points

How to move Time Machine backup to new disk

Hi, couldn't find working up-to-date solution online.

I want to move my MacBook Time Machine backup file to new destination because of insufficient space left on original location.

My original backup is on old AirPort Extreme disk. I want to move the backup on external WD drive. I set up the drive so it can host TimeMachine, it shows up when I try to add it as a new location and its possible to start new backup there.

But I want to use the old backup file because of the file history in there. Unfortunately, I can't copy the original backup to new location. When trying, it says that the new disk doesn't support ownership.

MacBook Pro (M1, 2020)

Posted on Oct 5, 2023 11:29 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

lkrupp

Level 7

22,327 points

Oct 5, 2023 12:59 PM in response to jprazak

Time Machine backups are now owned by the system and only the system can access them. Your only way forward is to start a new Time Machine backup on the new drive. You cannot move the existing backup to a different drive and continuing using it. Sorry

And for what it’s worth you should never run out of space on a Time Machine device. Timer Machine by default deletes older backups to make room for new ones. If you are getting a message that the device full then something is wrong. Hopefully you are not using some third party hack to change Time Machine’s behavior.

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,186 points

Jan 21, 2024 3:36 PM in response to trainengine

trainengine wrote:

iMac M3 Sonoma ... want to move the Time Machine backup owned by this iMac to a larger external drive. After turning off automatic TM daily backup on the existing SSD and formatting the new external SSD drive can I simply copy the backup file to the new external drive.

No. It isn’t possible as has already been stated.

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Answer 3

tbirdvet

Level 6

17,108 points

Jan 21, 2024 4:09 PM in response to trainengine

Does not matter. I have tried in the recent past and does not work. Just start over with a new backup.

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Answer 4

jprazak Author

Level 1

55 points

Oct 5, 2023 11:50 AM in response to jprazak

Update:

I could activate Ownership when I format the external disc as APFS.

But then, I get error that I don't have permission to READ my own backup file to copy it...

I don't understand. I can use the backup file in Time Machine (except there is not enough space), I'm logged in the Airport drive, too.

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Answer 5

jprazak Author

Level 1

55 points

Oct 9, 2023 2:04 PM in response to lkrupp

Hi, thanks for your answer even though I was hoping for better resolve.

I'm using absolutely vanilla system and tools, the current backup is on AirPort Extreme.

There are actually two backups on the disk: mine and my wife's. The disk si 2TB and our MacBooks are 1TB each and pretty full of data. My own backup goes very long time back, at least 10 years, continuously over at least four or five MBP models. Truth is that the last time I needed to recover old file was maybe year ago...

What bothers me is the fact that

a) AP is old and unsupported hardware

b) there is no redundancy

I would like to migrate backups over to RAID1 NAS instead. If Apple offered iCloud backup similarly to iOS, I would have gladly switched to that.

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Answer 6

Jan 21, 2024 3:06 PM in response to lkrupp

iMac M3 Sonoma ... want to move the Time Machine backup owned by this iMac to a larger external drive. After turning off automatic TM daily backup on the existing SSD and formatting the new external SSD drive can I simply copy the backup file to the new external drive. Do I have to add the new SSD to Time Machine backups before or after the copy/move?

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Answer 7

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,186 points

Jan 21, 2024 3:35 PM in response to jprazak

I'm using absolutely vanilla system and tools, the current backup is on AirPort Extreme.

If it is a network backup, you might have a chance. Ive never tried. You may be able to copy the sparse bundle disk image to another drive.

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Answer 8

Feb 2, 2024 9:56 PM in response to lkrupp

lkrupp: "And for what it’s worth you should never run out of space on a Time Machine device…"

I should never run out of space on a Time Machine device? The whole reason I came here was because I ran out of space. I bought a new, bigger drive (2.5 times as big) and I want to transfer my files. And I am not using any third-party hack as you suggested, I'm doing it straight out of the book. And I want to remove the old disk because I have run out of ports on the back of my iMac.

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Answer 9

Mar 17, 2024 3:52 PM in response to lkrupp

This is a ridiculous technical gaff by Apple. Or was it a management gaff by a manager with limited common sense skills in the technical domain? External disks don't last forever. They never have and, in all likelihood, never will. All hardware wears out and, eventually, dies catastrophically. We need to go back to an OS that provides us with the ability to replace older hardware with newer hardware. Period!

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Answer 10

lkrupp

Level 7

22,327 points

Mar 17, 2024 6:10 PM in response to TonyToday

Then leave the platform for something you think is better. No one here cares. We are not Apple, just fellow users like you. Or consider buying a third party backup program that fits your requirements.

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Answer 11

lkrupp

Level 7

22,327 points

Mar 17, 2024 6:10 PM in response to Miguel_Muñoz

If you run out of space on your Time Machine volume then something is very wrong. Thats NOT how time Machine works. It deletes the oldest backups to make room for the current ones That’s how it works on my Mac and for the vast, vast majority of macOS users. So no, if you have things set up correctly you should never run out of Time Machine disk space, period.

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