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User profile for user: rayyaan06
rayyaan06 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

How to find out if a drive has my MacBook adequately backed up

Hello

My MacBook had a 256GB memory. I want to delete files to make space on hard drive for a VMware fusion windows machine. I have backed up my MacBook on a WD My Passport hard drive for MacBook. Before deleting files from the MacBook itself how do I make sure that the backup has adequately copied everything? I guess I am confused whether the time machine back up and hard drive back up are different and how do I make sure that the MacBook backed up to the external hard drive? Thanks for help. I am a newbie at this.

Posted on Jul 30, 2018 9:03 AM

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User profile for user: Encryptor5000
Encryptor5000
User level: Level 5
7,568 points

Posted on Jul 31, 2018 4:26 PM

Hi rayyaan06,


If you used Time Machine to back up your Mac to an external hard drive, you can test whether your backup(s) is/are functional in two ways.


To test whether you can restore individual files, move a file on your Mac to the Trash. Then, connect your Time Machine backup drive and click on the Time Machine icon in the top menu bar. Select Enter Time Machine. Choose a backup on the right side of your screen, then navigate to the file you just deleted. Click on the file and choose Restore. If successful, the file should reappear in its original location on your Mac.


To test whether you can restore entire user accounts, applications and other data, connect your Time Machine backup drive and open Migration Assistant (located in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder on your Mac). Click Continue, then select to restore "From a Mac, Time Machine backup or startup disk". If successful, your Time Machine backup drive should appear. At this point cancel the operation to quit Migration Assistant and return to the login window.

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User profile for user: Encryptor5000
Encryptor5000
User level: Level 5
7,568 points

Jul 31, 2018 4:26 PM in response to rayyaan06

Hi rayyaan06,


If you used Time Machine to back up your Mac to an external hard drive, you can test whether your backup(s) is/are functional in two ways.


To test whether you can restore individual files, move a file on your Mac to the Trash. Then, connect your Time Machine backup drive and click on the Time Machine icon in the top menu bar. Select Enter Time Machine. Choose a backup on the right side of your screen, then navigate to the file you just deleted. Click on the file and choose Restore. If successful, the file should reappear in its original location on your Mac.


To test whether you can restore entire user accounts, applications and other data, connect your Time Machine backup drive and open Migration Assistant (located in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder on your Mac). Click Continue, then select to restore "From a Mac, Time Machine backup or startup disk". If successful, your Time Machine backup drive should appear. At this point cancel the operation to quit Migration Assistant and return to the login window.

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How to find out if a drive has my MacBook adequately backed up

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