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I don't see [Preferences] or [Change Disk] when I click on Time Machine

I need to change my backup volume for Time Machine. But I don't see [Preferences] or [Change Disk] when I click on Time Machine from the System Preferences.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on May 17, 2012 12:05 PM

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33 replies

May 17, 2012 2:44 PM in response to SharonLee123

Don't know if it helps, but TM usually looks like this when viewed through either the button at the top right of your screen or through system preferences. Are you seeing a different view?


User uploaded file


edited to add: the button at the top right of the screen is to the left of the clock and looks like a circular arrow. There are no separate preferences, only the "change disk" and "options" that appear in the image above.

May 17, 2012 2:55 PM in response to SharonLee123

Sorry Sharon, there aren't any separate preferences, only the change disk and options that you can see on the image above. Have you got an external drive connected to your mac? If you have, and it's mounted on your desktop when you open TM, both of those two buttons should be clickable within TM. Change disk needs to be highlighted and then you can select your external hard drive in there.

May 17, 2012 5:19 PM in response to jue3107

oh, i see one problem with my question. I'm looking for [change] from the [System Preference], [time machine]. but don't have that option once I open time machine because it's already backing up, but not the right folders, etc.


So, how to I change the folders to backup?


And yes, i can unlock the lock by clicking on it & providing your Password

May 17, 2012 5:46 PM in response to SharonLee123

SharonLee123 wrote:

. . .

it's already backing up, but not the right folders, etc.


So, how to I change the folders to backup?


And yes, i can unlock the lock by clicking on it & providing your Password

In your first post, you said you wanted to change the backup volume. That's the destination -- where the backups go. When you unlock the TM Preferences window, the first button should say Change Disk or Select Backup Disk, depending on what version of OSX you're on (and of course will be different if you're not using English).


But above, you seem to be saying it's not backing-up the right folders. That's an entirely different thing. Normally, Time Machine backs-up everything on your internal HD. You can exclude things if you want.


Please clarify what you're trying to do, or what isn't getting backed-up.

May 17, 2012 6:09 PM in response to SharonLee123

SharonLee123 wrote:


As I stated, I'm not a mac person, so sorry about that.

Not a problem. That's what we're here for. 😉


It's currently backing up a sub folder onto an external drive (my backup drive). This is why I looking for [change].


I am trying to backup everything on my data/application Drive, from the Root, so it gets everything on the drive.

By default, Time Machine will back up your entire system. If you're sure it's only backing up one folder, you (or someone) must have excluded all sorts of other things. Click the Options button on the Preferences window to see the exclusion list.


It should look something like this:


User uploaded file


But with lots and lots of exclusions.



I suspect your whole Mac really is getting backed-up, but you're just not seeing them. What you see in the "Star Wars" display depends on what's on your screen when you Enter Time Machine. If you have a Finder window showing just that sub-folder, when you Enter Time Machine that's all you'll see.


If you start with a Finder window showing, say, your home folder, that's what you'll see in the "Star Wars" display. If your Finder windows have sidebars, once in Time Machine you can select other things in the sidebar to display.


You might want to review the Time Machine Tutorial, and perhaps browse Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #15A.


Don't hesitate to post back if you still have questions or problems.

May 17, 2012 6:24 PM in response to Pondini

I was not the one to initially set this up.


I understand the "exclude option". There is only one entery and that's my BACKUP DRIVE.


And I am not looking at the 'star wars' window. I saw that but I'm refering to the TM screen shoot you have listed above 2 hours ago.


Went I goto my FINDER window, looked at my BACKUP DRIVE, within ALL directies, I only see files from the one old subfolder, I even did a seach on my BACKUP DRIVE to locate a document that I created weeks ago and discovered that my DOCUMENT folder is not even being backup, only that one old subfolder.


I've read the reviews Time Machine Tutorial, and Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #15A. with no luck!


So where do I go to change it so that it backups everything on my data/application Drive, from the Root (so it gets everything on the drive). Currently it is NOT, trust me! I verified this with someone else, whom is not currently NOT availiable to help me.


Thanks, Sharon

May 17, 2012 6:47 PM in response to SharonLee123

SharonLee123 wrote:

. . .

Went I goto my FINDER window, looked at my BACKUP DRIVE, within ALL directies, I only see files from the one old subfolder, I even did a seach on my BACKUP DRIVE to locate a document that I created weeks ago and discovered that my DOCUMENT folder is not even being backup, only that one old subfolder.

We must be missing something. Are your backups running and completing (is there a recent entry on your TM Prefs window for Latest Backup)?



So where do I go to change it so that it backups everything on my data/application Drive,


By default, and with no exclusions, TM should be backing-up everything on your internal HD.


What is your "data/application Drive"? Is that an external HD? If so, was it connected when you looked at the exclusions?


Try this, please: Open a Finder window, and either select your Computer name in the sidebar, or press Shift+Cmd+C. Then Enter Time Machine, do a screenprint (Shift+Cmd+3), Cancel out of TM, and post the screenprint here. That may help me figure out what's what.

I don't see [Preferences] or [Change Disk] when I click on Time Machine

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