Backup using time machine, when I have two internal drives.

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Level 1

11 points

Backup using time machine, when I have two internal drives.

I have two internal drives inside of my mac, one is a ssd and the other hard drive I use for photo and music.

I have a external hard drive and I want to use it as my time machine backup drive. The space on that external hard is way higher than both of my internal drives, so space is not a problem.

Can I use that one external hard drive and use time machine to backup both of my internal drive. And if one or both internal drives fail on me. Will I be able to restore from time machine backup just like normal and all my files will restore to the drive where they are before the drive fails?

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Aug 21, 2011 10:53 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Martin Pace

Level 5

5,115 points

Aug 21, 2011 11:03 AM in response to albert421

Time Machine will backup both internal drives unless you tell it not to by using the TM preference pane Options to exclude drives or folders. You will be able to restore either drive.

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Answer 2

albert421 Author

Level 1

11 points

Aug 21, 2011 11:08 AM in response to Martin Pace

So when I go to restore from time machine backup after I boot in to recovery, and I press restore from backup and chosse the backup time I want to restore from and have both my internal hard formated. The time machine will know which file belong in which drive?

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Answer 3

Aug 21, 2011 11:13 AM in response to albert421

Yes, Time Machine will remember which file is on which drive. Furthermore, in Time Machine, you can navigate to a specific drive, folder or individual file and just restore that individual drive, folder or file.

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