Mix Time Machine Backups - Recipe for Disaster?

[jfreed]

Hi,

I have a Time Machine backup hard drive of all Yosemite data. Am I asking for trouble if I start backing up El Capitan on it as well? (It's too small to partition - only 500GB.) I have the distinct feeling it will corrupt everything on it, but I've been running El Capitan for quite a while without backing up! Suggestions...?

J.

 

[ricede]

Why not just get another Ext HD to use for El Capitan. They are so cheap now.

AFAIK - if you do backup El Capitan to the same HD, then you won't be able to restore your mac to Yosemite, should you ever wish to.

You will still be able to get old files from it, by holding down the Option key while clicking on the TimeMachine menubar icon & clicking on 'Browse other backup disks'

It should NOT corrupt any of your previous backups.

 

[jfreed]

Why not just get another Ext HD to use for El Capitan. They are so cheap now.

AFAIK - if you do backup El Capitan to the same HD, then you won't be able to restore your mac to Yosemite, should you ever wish to.

You will still be able to get old files from it, by holding down the Option key while clicking on the TimeMachine menubar icon & clicking on 'Browse other backup disks'

It should NOT corrupt any of your previous backups.

Yeah. I'll probably go the new external route. I actually just found some files I really needed on there. Not worth any potential risk. Most of my work files are on my MacBook Pro. If there's a catastrophe, all I'd end up actually doing on my iMac would reinstalling apps. Ugh!