tmgrl4

Q: Can I keep Time Machine turned off

I have used a GoFlex 500 GB external hard drive for backups since I got my Mac in 2012. I never had to "set it up" to use Time Machine so guess it was working seamlessly. After I updated to El Capitain (I have latest 10.11.1) I plugged in my GoFlex to do a back up and now it required I reinstall its hardware . All of the old backups were in the folder in Finder but no option to Back up Now.

 

So, I searched for Time Machine in System Pref and found it and it was off. I turned it on and selected my GoFlex and it did a backup immediately.

 

When I finished, I wasn't sure after ejecting the Go Flex if I should leave on Time Machine. It had to have been running since 2012 doing automatic backups if it required me to now Turn it on.  I don't really need to do that, but ...

 

Should I or can I just leave Time Machine turned off until I plug in my Go Flex which still has 358 GB left on it??

 

Also, when I right clicked on the Time Machine to see Preferences ( it is in my dock) and it said...Enter Time Machine, I got a whole tier of tiled desktops.  Anyhow, now I see I can set preferences and I have turned it off.

 

Thanks for any input!

 

terri, a 73 year old Apple Geek!!

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Nov 3, 2015 5:38 PM

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Q: Can I keep Time Machine turned off

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  • by leroydouglas,Helpful

    leroydouglas leroydouglas Nov 3, 2015 6:56 PM in response to tmgrl4
    Level 7 (23,378 points)
    Notebooks
    Nov 3, 2015 6:56 PM in response to tmgrl4

    It is better to leave TM turned on,  and just plug in your external HD periodically when you want to backup (once a week??) if that suits you better.

     

    The benefit of leaving TM turned is Local Snapshots.

     

    About Time Machine local snapshots - Apple Support

     

    This is the beauty of TM

  • by tmgrl4,

    tmgrl4 tmgrl4 Nov 3, 2015 7:03 PM in response to leroydouglas
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2015 7:03 PM in response to leroydouglas

    Thank you so much!! I never use my backups, but have always done them...I am laughing because I have over 900 GB left on my 3 year MAC and less than a GB of backup which makes me wonder if Time Machine was on and if plugging in my GoFlex triggered Time Machine to turn on...if I have less than a GB of backup, that makes sense. I will turn it on now and leave it on.  I back up to my GoFlex once a month or every six weeks. I don't work anymore, and my photos are in the iCloud as are most of my docs...and docs take up no space, so not much new to back up and my understanding is that once the hard drive is backed up with Time Machine, the frequent backups are only for new material.  Thanks. Will turn it on and see how things run!!  I did have all my old backups in the GoFlex MAC folder but it still wanted me to reinstall and then I had to figure out that I needed to see if Time Machine was on.  Does anyone think that my GoFlex triggered it to turn on as default backup and then it shut off??  Now I have the option to back up from right click on Time Machine in dock, but GoFlex has to be plugged in.

  • by leroydouglas,

    leroydouglas leroydouglas Nov 3, 2015 7:07 PM in response to tmgrl4
    Level 7 (23,378 points)
    Notebooks
    Nov 3, 2015 7:07 PM in response to tmgrl4

    tmgrl4 wrote:

     

      Does anyone think that my GoFlex triggered it to turn on as default backup and then it shut off??  Now I have the option to back up from right click on Time Machine in dock, but GoFlex has to be plugged in.

     

    No. If TM is off it is off.  Yes GoFlex has to be plugged in.