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Will Time Machine backup my SD card?

Will Time Machine backup the contents of my SD card? The SD card automatically shows up in the excluded list, but is not grayed out. When I remove it from the excluded list and save, it just goes back onto the excluded list, and is not included in the backup. Thanks for your help!

iPhone 4S, iOS 5.0.1

Posted on Jan 28, 2012 3:42 PM

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Posted on Jan 28, 2012 6:32 PM

Time Machine only backs up volumes in Mac OS format. If you format the card that way, it can be backed up. Not otherwise.

30 replies

Jan 28, 2012 8:22 PM in response to Linc Davis

Hmmm...I reformatted the card to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) when I first started using it. From what your saying, it should work with time machine. It is a Transcend 64GB SDXC if that makes any difference. I am currently using it for my iTunes media folder and am hoping to back it up on TM so I don't lose all of my media in the worst case. Any other thoughts on what the problem could be? Thanks again for your help!

Jan 28, 2012 8:35 PM in response to Linc Davis

/dev/disk0s2 on / (hfs, local, journaled)

devfs on /dev (devfs, local, nobrowse)

map -hosts on /net (autofs, nosuid, automounted, nobrowse)

map auto_home on /home (autofs, automounted, nobrowse)

localhost:/geEb2Mtxh40FHt_edFRjoT on /Volumes/MobileBackups (mtmfs, nosuid, read-only, nobrowse)

/dev/disk2s2 on /Volumes/64GB iTunes (hfs, local, nodev, nosuid, journaled, noowners)

Jan 28, 2012 8:53 PM in response to Lets Go Flyers

Open the Time Machine preference pane and select the exclusion list. Launch the Console application by entering the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search, and select "system.log" from the file list. Click the "Clear Display" icon in the toolbar. Remove the SD card from the exclusion list in the preference pane. Post any error messages that appear in the Console window.

Jan 28, 2012 9:08 PM in response to Linc Davis

Jan 29 00:06:51 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.backupd[507]: Starting standard backup

Jan 29 00:06:51 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.backupd[507]: Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine/Backups.backupdb

Jan 29 00:06:52 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.backupd[507]: 556.0 MB required (including padding), 293.05 GB available

Jan 29 00:06:56 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.backupd[507]: Copied 521 files (6 KB) from volume Macintosh HD.

Jan 29 00:06:56 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.backupd[507]: 556.0 MB required (including padding), 293.05 GB available

Jan 29 00:06:58 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.backupd[507]: Copied 92 files (93 bytes) from volume Macintosh HD.

Jan 29 00:06:58 Michaels-MacBook-Air mds[71]: (Error) Volume: Could not find requested backup type:2 for volume

Jan 29 00:06:58 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.backupd[507]: Starting post-backup thinning

Jan 29 00:06:58 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.backupd[507]: No post-back up thinning needed: no expired backups exist

Jan 29 00:06:58 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.backupd[507]: Backup completed successfully.

Jan 29 00:07:15 Michaels-MacBook-Air com.apple.kextcache[479]: Created prelinked kernel /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches/Startup/kernelcache.

Jan 29, 2012 7:24 AM in response to Lets Go Flyers

Now enter this command in the same way:


sudo tmutil removeexclusion -p "/Volumes/64GB iTunes"


You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning not to screw up. You don't need to post the warning.


Wait a few seconds, then enter the first command again and post the output. You can do this easily by pressing the up-arrow key a couple of times until the command reappears.

Jan 29, 2012 7:50 AM in response to Linc Davis

Just want to clarify...when you say "Wait a few seconds, then enter the first command again," do you mean the:


tmutil isexcluded "/Volumes/64GB iTunes"


If so, this is what came up after I entered the "sudo..." command, then password, then the "tmutil..." command:


Michaels-MacBook-Air:~ michael$ sudo tmutil removeexclusion -p "/Volumes/64GB iTunes"

Password:

Michaels-MacBook-Air:~ michael$ tmutil isexcluded "/Volumes/64GB iTunes"- /Volumes/64GB iTunes

Will Time Machine backup my SD card?

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