Time machine / trash issues

[MontyW]

Okay it looks as though I have done a stupid thing!

OSX: 10.11.6

I have a Lacie HD that I am using as Time Machine back up. I decided to delete some very old back ups that I no longer needed and dragged them direct to my desk top trash. I now cannot delete these files from my trash.

I have researched and some recommend going to Utilities > Terminal > csrutil disable to disable the SIP and then delete from the trash. Even disabling the SIP I cannot delete the folders from my trash.

I have also looked to 'put back' the files to the original external HD but some files have this right click option, but most don't. When I do chose the put back option it dumps the folder on my desk top and not back to the HD.

Any suggestions how I delete all these many folders from my trash?

 

[mikey8811]

It's a pain. it takes a really long time.

You are better off reformatting the drive and then setting it up again as your Time Machine backup provided you don't want any of the old backups and can backup your computer afresh again.

The other way was to delete the old backups through Time Machine itself but again that takes a lot of time as you have to do them individually.

Time Machine is not the most efficient or elegant of apps and I can imagine if you had set it to automatically backup, you would have accumulated many unwanted backups over the years. Pity there isn't a setting to back up at periodic intervals of choice instead.

 

[hfg]

You might take a look at "Time Machine Backup Scheduler" to create a lower backup rate if the hourly rate is too often.

http://time-machine-backup.com/App_info.html

 

[wardie]

You are better off reformatting the drive and then setting it up again as your Time Machine backup provided you don't want any of the old backups and can backup your computer afresh again.

Yes that’s what I do - once I’ve verified I have a separate bootable clone backup I occasionally just wipe the TM drive and recreate.

 

[mikehalloran]

I decided to delete some very old back ups that I no longer needed and dragged them direct to my desk top trash. I now cannot delete these files from my trash.

Yea, that doesn't work too well.

Time Machine is 'set and forget'. It will delete backups that are too old. If you need to reconfigure, erase and start again.

Yes that’s what I do - once I’ve verified I have a separate bootable clone backup I occasionally just wipe the TM drive and recreate.

And the point of that is?

If you have two drives, just have TM alternate between the two—you know, the default. Again, set and forget.