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Time Machine backs up until disk is full

Hi,

I'm new to Time Machine and want to start making backups of my Mac. I'm not sure if I want to make continuous backups (during the day, week, months) or just the occasional backup for worst-case scenario.

In the documentation it seems Time Machine is setup by default to make backups until the selected disk is full (and thereby removing old backups to allocate space).

So does this mean the selected external Hard Drive or Time Capsule is purposely set up as a dedicated drive only for Time Machine backups? Or can the same external drive also be used as external storage for downloaded files I don't wish to keep on my Mac? If so, how can I prevent Time Machine to NOT fill up the entire external drive but leave room for my own external storage?

I'm asking this because I don't like the idea of having to constantly switch USB connections between external hard drives for Time Machine backups and seperate external file storage.

Any ideas, experience, or recommendations - thanks.

I'm not sure if I want to make continuous backups (during the day, week, months) or just the occasional backup for worst-case scenario.

If you use Time Machine the way that Apple intended, the application backs up any changes on your Mac that have occurred in the last hour, if the Mac has been active. If the Mac has not been active, Time Machine will back up once the Mac has been active for about an hour.  So, backups occur automatically and you never really have to think about them at all.

Time Machine will then automatically consolidate the hourly backups down into a daily backup and store them for the next month. Then, after a month, Time Machine will consolidate the daily backups into weekly backups.

So, let's say that the hard drive fails on your Mac......(it will.....the only question is when, not if). You take the Mac in and have the service folks replace the hard drive.  Once that is done, you can restore your Mac to look exactly the way that it did about an hour before the hard drive failed.

If you back up manually, and have not backed up the Mac for a few weeks and the hard drive fails on the Mac, then you will be able to restore your Mac to look like it did when you last backed up.....a few weeks ago.

So, if you can afford to lose a week or a few weeks worth of work if the Mac fails, you can consider backing up manually at the time that you select. Unfortunately, users who back up manually tend to forget to do so, or they do not do it often enough to be of real value.  But, it's your decision.

My opinion is that it is much easier to let Time Machine do its thing automatically, but you may disagree.

So does this mean the selected external Hard Drive or Time Capsule is purposely set up as a dedicated drive only for Time Machine backups?

Hopefully yes, especially if you have a Time Capsule.....which was designed to store Time Machine backups. Yes, you can store other data on the drive......but I would not recommend this.  But again, it's your decision.

If so, how can I prevent Time Machine to NOT fill up the entire external drive but leave room for my own external storage?

You can't....if you have a Time Capsule.  You can....if you have a USB drive and you have gone through the process of setting up different "partitions" on the drive to reserve a given amount of space on the drive for different purposes. It's complicated.....not for the average user.....in my opinion.

I don't like the idea of having to constantly switch USB connections between external hard drives for Time Machine backups and seperate external file storage.

Consider adding a powered USB hub to your Mac, then you can connect up to 4 USB hard drives simultaneously, and direct files to be stored on the drive of your choice.  Some hubs will allow even more connections if you need more.

I'm not sure if I want to make continuous backups (during the day, week, months) or just the occasional backup for worst-case scenario.

Time Machine works best if left to its own devices.. running it occasionally will mean extremely long backups when it runs.. The backup is thinned continually, not just when the drive is full. So you can be pretty sure only what is required is saved.

So does this mean the selected external Hard Drive or Time Capsule is purposely set up as a dedicated drive only for Time Machine backups?

Different setup between external hdd and TC which is network drive. TM backs up differently to both.

It is very easy to partition an external drive so no need to worry overmuch about the size of the backup. Simply create a partition of suitable size.. but at least 3x the size of the Mac disk you backup. You can then use the other partition/s for your data.. remembering that having backup and data on the same disk means you have NO BACKUP of the files that share the disk.. dead disk.. takes out both.

Or can the same external drive also be used as external storage for downloaded files I don't wish to keep on my Mac? If so, how can I prevent Time Machine to NOT fill up the entire external drive but leave room for my own external storage?

External drive as indicated is easy peasy.

Time Capsule is very different beastie.. you cannot partition the hard disk.

So there is a couple of ways around the issue.

1. Set a size for the sparsebundle.. this is how TM stores backups on network drives.. it is a virtual disk.

Of late this has been fairly prone to failure.

A8 here.

https://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html

2. Setup a disk image.. DMG or Sparsebundle in particular for your files. Make this as big as you wish to fill the rest of the drive you do not wish TM to use.

https://pondini.org/TM/TCQ3.html

This is no bad idea anyway as you will find storing files on the TC is NOT GOOD.. and has become worse with Sierra.. High Sierra who knows.. ??

Apple did not design the TC for file sharing.. and people are experiencing more and more issues with permissions..

最後更新：2017-09-29 07:53:20

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