Guys , I do time machine backups on regular basis and now I need to free up some space on my iMac HDD. Do you think it is safe to delete some folders from the HDD and to access them (with all files inside ) via the TimeMachine in a future ? I mean - to avoid keeping those folders on a separate USB stick . What is the maximum time of storing the backups in TimeMachine? .and if it reaches the maximum size - will it delay automatically some backups or will ask me ?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Time machine backup and archive
- Thread starter myname70
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I think its a bad idea to delete files on your main drive with the idea that you can easily pull them back from a back up.
If something happened to your backup, you'd lose your files, in essence you're negating the whole idea of having a backup.
If something happened to your backup, you'd lose your files, in essence you're negating the whole idea of having a backup.
Hmm. . But the backup is exactly that -yo restore some missing or deleted files. ..
If you keep some files/folders on your Time Machine backup, and delete them on the computer ---> you no longer have a backup, since having a backup means that you have at least TWO copies of the same file/folder.
Therefore you should move these items to an external HD, and include this external in your Time Machine backup.
Therefore you should move these items to an external HD, and include this external in your Time Machine backup.
You are not right.. That is why it is a time machine - I keep tents of backups for different dates in the past -- and of course - some files are deleted from the original machine, but they are in the backup fromm last month, for example . This is the main logic and purpose of the TimeMachine backup - to get access to folders and files in the past, doe into matter they do not exist now.
the question is - how the Time Machine will acts when the disk for backup is full and it should clear some space? Will it delete the oldest backup (doe snot matter some files are available only at that oldest backup) or will ask me what to delete ?
Mmmmm...
If your Time Machine disk fails, the data you have deleted on the computer are lost.
Good luck anyway.
If you delete the original file then you are left with only one copy of the file. This means you NO longer have a backup of the file since your backup has now become your original.
Also TM doesn't keep multiple copies of files. It just keeps deltas. Even if TM keep multiple copies (which it doesn't) this would still not be a backup since the files MUST be in a separate physical location (HD) to be considered a backup.
But this is the same logic if I say -if your external HDD for archives fails -you will lost the data
my dilemma is - either to keep some files on the time machine as an archive - or to keep them on external USB HDD. In both cases - the copy will be only one (I need to free up some space on the original machine). I did it now - new folder with the files - did TimeMachine backup. Deleted the folder from the original iMac. Did another tm backup - and now - I have access to the folder on the previous tm backup.
It will delete what is oldest as the disk becomes full. You will not get a warning before it does this. There is a setting in TM options to notify you after.
1. The whole point of having a backup is that you have your original file, and on time machine, you have a way of recovering that file or files from the backup. As others have said, deleting them off the main drive and relying on time machine to keep them is negating the whole point of having a backup.
2. I would NEVER trust a USB stick to backup important files. If you need to make room on your iMac's internal drive, copy them over to a separate external hard drive, and also make sure you remove said hard drive from time machine's exclusion list.
You're right, its an archive, so you have 2 copies of your data. If you purposely remove one copy, then if the other fails what happens?
Think of it this way. Say you do that, delete your files on your main drive and then for some reason TM decides to do a full backup because it noticed a lot of things changed, it wipes the old backups from the drive and starts over (its not unheard of for TM to do this). You now have lost your data.
OP: Many of us were where you are now, thinking the backed up files can be accessed again when you need it. We're just trying to give you enough warning hoping you don't go through the stress of losing any valued data.
At least the OP had the chance to ask -before- the data was lost.
At least the OP had the chance to ask -before- the data was lost.
I recommend using Carbon Copy Cloner and store the data on an external drive. That way you have control of the back up. I also recommend ensuring that you have multiple copies of your files, if on two different external drives.
I use a mixture of Time Machine, and Carbon Copy Cloner to ensure that my data is well protected.
I use a mixture of Time Machine, and Carbon Copy Cloner to ensure that my data is well protected.