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can i use time machine on a exfat volume?

supergaia

supergaia

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 19, 2017
85
0
italy
Hi
can i use time machine and set the destination to a exfat volume?

here there is an article , but my volume is formatted with data
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20140415132734925

the tutorial shows how use an exfat volume but the author give this command
Code: 
hdiutil create -size 320g -type SPARSEBUNDLE -fs "HFS+J" MacBook-Backup.sparsebundle
open MacBook-Backup.sparsebundle
this will format it again

i want to keep exfat and store time machine data in my volume
can i do it? keeping exfat ? or do i need an hfs+ volume?
thanks
 
Yes you can by making the backup inside a sparse bundle image. That is what that command is doing and it will not erase the drive.

Or you can use Disk Utility to make the sparse bundle image. Just select the external disk then command-n and set the options at the bottom.
 
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Just don't run "hdiutil create..." when you open the volume. That is what is erasing/reformatting the sparse bundle.
 
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supergaia said:
hi Weaselboy
how can make a sparse bundle ?
thanks
Click to expand...
Open Disk Utility and select the drive you want to make the image on, then hit command-n to bring up the new blank image creation dialogue like in my screenshot. Then select the dropdowns like I have to make the image. You need to pick what size you want it to be at the top.
 

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Weaselboy said:
Open Disk Utility and select the drive you want to make the image on, then hit command-n to bring up the new blank image creation dialogue like in my screenshot. Then select the dropdowns like I have to make the image. You need to pick what size you want it to be at the top.
Click to expand...
Hi
i created a new blank image sparse bundle image about 2GB ,it's mounted but time machine does not see it , it's not in the list why?

thanks
 
Last edited:
Weaselboy said:
You have to mount the sparse bundle image first. Double click it to open it.
Click to expand...
hi
i have mounted ,but they are not in the list of time machine
maybe in sierra i can 't do it
have you tried? to create a sparse buldle image on exfat and use time machine
thanks
 
supergaia said:
hi
i have mounted ,but they are not in the list of time machine
maybe in sierra i can 't do it
have you tried? to create a sparse buldle image on exfat and use time machine
thanks
Click to expand...
I never tried myself, but it should work. This is how TM works over networks. If you have it mounted, do you see it as a drive in Finder?
 
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TimeMachine to sparse bundle on non-HFS drive has always been an unsupported configuration, so, can see that High Sierra might prevent that.

From what I recall reading in the past in Apple documentation, they pretty much state HFS formatted external drives.
 
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