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I have reviewed previous responses to similar questions.
My question is: Is there a way to do without erasing the old backups? Can you just start with the new macbook and let the process erase the old back ups as needed?
MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)
kennykopter wrote:
I have reviewed previous responses to similar questions.
My question is: Is there a way to do without erasing the old backups? Can you just start with the new macbook and let the process erase the old back ups as needed?
If you have no issue— yes let it carry forward.
The term you may see is "inherit previous backup" which means take it over and claim it as THE backup for the new computer going forward.
if you connect the old backup appropriately, you should be offered the choice to "inherit previous backup' automatically.
When you inherit previous backup, it may continue to be used, unless it has internal integrity problems. If that happens it will suggest you create a new backup.
OK, so I started to follow up with suggestions. And now I'm seeing on the old macbook that the identity has changed (see image). And that on the new macbook a new backup is about to start. And in next few minutes has started.
I just checked and the old one is preparing to backup.
Can both back up to Time Machine at the same time?
Most users are backing up to a directly-connected drive. You failed to mention that the backup was being made to an external drive such as a time capsule. That changes many things about your situation.
In particular, because the drive is not exclusively connected to ONE Mac, implications of ownership are far more vague, and the likelihood that you will be offered the option to inherit the previous backup is greatly diminished.
Instead, Time machine will try to cram a full backup of the new Mac onto the same drive, beside the existing backup. First, it will compute the file list "snapshot" for the new backup. Once the file list "snapshot" is complete, it will see if there is enough space.
Do you have 2.5x the space for each of the two Macs? if there is space, you can back up both to a shared drive.
¿What do you have space for on the Time machine drive, and what do you want to end up there?
My wife uses her MacBook in the living room. Hence she backs up to a Airport Time
Capsule through wifi for her Time Machine. There is only 67.81 GB free on the Time Capsule. Both laptops are 1 TB each. So not enough room for both.
I have now lost the thread with how to delete one back up, so I can start a new one.
Have tried a new search and nothing is coming up so far.
Using a network drive for multiple backups has some complexity to it, and you are not likely to find an article that spells out all the twists and turns.
In addition to locally-attached backup drive, you can backup to:
• a network drive connected to another Mac (I use an older Mac located in the basement as a server)
• a Time capsule (but that is kind of obsolete)
• a network-attached storage (NAS) device that is compliant (that is essentially another computer that may not be a Mac)
• a drive connected to certain compliant Routers.
But a fundamental rule is that you can't get 2 TB of **** into a 1 TB bag.
My recommendation would be to continue to back up your wife's computer using the Time capsule, for as long as it continues to work for that purpose. That way she can do what she wants, and does not have to fret about a backup.
Meanwhile, find another solution for your computer, that may or may not incorporate the data from your wife's computer at a a later date.
Aafter you have given it some thought, readers would be happy to talk more about options.
Important things to know: you are not limited to ONE time machine backup drive. Also, you can have a local as well as a remote drive for your backups. Each backup drive creates a stand-alone backup, and continues until you retire it.
thanks, will try
the new one now says, "0 % done - Freeing space"
I have not chosen to "Use this disk" or "Don't backup" on the old one yet.
??
Starting or transferring Time Machine backups after migrating data from old macbook to newer macbook
