Using Time Machine on the new MacBook after migration

Question

Level 1

6 points

Using Time Machine on the new MacBook after migration

Hello,

I have an external hard disk that I use for time machine. I changed my laptop from Macbook Pro 15" to Macbook Pro 13" and I used this external hard disk to migrate from my older Macbook to the new one. Now I want to use my external hard disk to back up my new computer but the problem is that I think when I try to backup it makes the backup on top of everything from my older computer. The back up on the new Macbook takes 250GBs on top of 600-700GBs. I don't think that my backup should take 900GB of space. I think 600-700GBs is from the older computer and I don't want to have an unnecessary backup on top of what I actually need...

So what should I do to get rid of that 600-700GB properly , and then set the external hard disk as the new time machine for my new Macbook ?

My OS is 10.8.4.

Thank you

Macbook Pro

Posted on Aug 28, 2013 4:12 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

mende1

Level 10

93,538 points

Aug 28, 2013 4:30 AM in response to Michek

What Time Machine does is to keep all the backups from your old computer and make a separate backup for your new computer.

If you don't want to keep all the other backups, you can delete them without any problem. See > http://pondini.org/TM/12.html

Reply

Answer 2

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Aug 28, 2013 7:54 AM in response to Michek

Michek wrote:

. . .

I used this external hard disk to migrate from my older Macbook to the new one.

Exactly how did you do that?

If you used Setup Assistant when the new Mac started up (preferred), or the Migration Assistant app later on, and let it transfer Computer Settings, when the next backup started, you should have been asked if you wanted the new Mac to "inherit" the old Mac's backups. See #B5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting for more explanation and details.

If you did something else, or answered the prompt with Create New Backup, you may be able to do that manually. It's a bit geeky, though. See #B6 in the same link.

Reply

Answer 3

Michek Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 29, 2013 3:23 AM in response to Michek

I went down to app store and they told me to reset the external hard drive via the utility disk, and then use it for the time machine on the new macbook.

Thank you guys

Reply

Answer 4

mende1

Level 10

93,538 points

Aug 29, 2013 3:24 AM in response to Michek

You are welcome

Reply