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Level 1

17 points

Can I choose how many Time Machine backups I want?

I have ~ 500 GB dedicated to Time Machine, but now it's telling me that there's not enough space.

I figured out it was doing several backups so I can go back in time when I did my first backup. The thing is, I do not want that. Is there a way to only keep one single backup? (which would be the latest)

If I put something to the trash, then there's a reason why I do. 🙂 So one backup is really enough, which is also just in case my hard drive fails.

I hope there's a way to set this 🙂

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Jun 20, 2013 10:12 AM

20 replies

Anon M Author

Level 1

17 points

Jun 23, 2013 8:12 AM in response to etresoft

It's not too small. The number tells it, I am backing up only 400 GB of my hard drive, and I have 500 GB dedicated to it. It was working fine until it started saving tons of other backups. I don't need these. The solution is to delete old backups, at least for me! I don't think it would be hard to do a better Job than the "engineers" at Apple. They could just simply have added more options, like how many backups you want, for example. Why would you buy another external hard drive when you could delete backups? Sorry but if you think like this you will always just be a subject of other people, it seems like you need to grow some self-esteem. You don't want people to take advantage of you, do you? 😝

And yes, it is designed to set and forget. It should delete backups by itself. It was just poorly done, like a lot of Apple products lately. 😉 If you don't see this then you're blind my friend, or maybe you weren't present since the beginning.

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jun 23, 2013 8:17 AM in response to Anon M

Anon M wrote:

etresoft wrote:

It sounds like you have a backup drive that is too small and that you are storing other files on it in addition to Time Machine. Both are virtually guaranteed to cause the problems you descibe. Time Machine needs to have space to work and you aren't giving it the space it needs. External drives are very inexpensive. I suggest getting a new one. There is really no other option.

Sorry, but what you're saying is just wrong. 🙂

Etresoft is in fact, right, you are wrong.

You are trying to make Time Machine operate in a way it was not designed to and your TM drive is far too small. Fix point 2 and allow TM to run as it is supposed to or use something else.

Anon M Author

Level 1

17 points

Jun 23, 2013 8:25 AM in response to Csound1

Then explain please...

It is not running "the way it was designed to" at all, in fact the way I'm trying to use it is the way it was designed to work: by deleting old backups. And this is exactly what time machine does, because everyone will reach the point when their backup hard drive will be full, and then time machine will start to delete the backups. And this is exactly what I'm doing, but apparently it isn't working.

A lot of words are being written here, but nobody really knows the truth it seems... of course nobody is forced to help, but it seems more like some people spend their time on this forum not to help and find solutions, but rather to define themselves. What they don't know is that they're nothing more than Apple's slaves, and no offence but with a mindeset like this none of the people here are ever likely to improve a single Apple product in the future... 🙂

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jun 23, 2013 8:29 AM in response to Anon M

Anon M wrote:

Then explain please...

It is not running "the way it was designed to" at all, in fact the way I'm trying to use it is the way it was designed to work: by deleting old backups. And this is exactly what time machine does, because everyone will reach the point when their backup hard drive will be full, and then time machine will start to delete the backups. And this is exactly what I'm doing, but apparently it isn't working.

Have it your way then.

etresoft

Level 8

46,554 points

Jun 23, 2013 9:40 AM in response to Anon M

Time Machine is a pretty typical Apple product. It is designed to work best by just plugging it in. The more you mess with it, the more trouble you will have. If you want a solution where you can ignore the recommended configurations, tweak all the settings, and have it work perfectly, then you will have to look elsewhere.

Can I choose how many Time Machine backups I want?