01-24-2011, 11:40 PM

Quick question here on Time Machine.

I have an iMac27 with 256GB SSD and 2TB HD. I already have the 256GB SSD backed up using Time Machine with an external 500GB HD. Works great and I love Time Machine.

Now, I still have that 2TB HD to contend with, and I will have access soon to another 2nd external HD, this one 2TB.

Can I run two backup processes with Time Machine, i.e. continue to backup the SSD to 500GB drive, but seperately have a Time Machine backup for to internal 2TB to the 2nd 2TB Hard Drive?

01-25-2011, 02:19 AM

Moved to correct forum. Does not belong in "Switcher".

Yes, Time Machine can backup two internal drives, however, as far as I'm aware, you will have to back them up in once process not two, and to the same external hard drive. Also, you're probably going to have to go into preferences and make sure the 2 TB is included. Time Machine will otherwise default to backing up the boot drive, the 250 GB SSD.

Maybe someone else can chime in here and give you a different answer or a way to do it with two processes not one.

01-25-2011, 04:58 AM

I tried to do this myself and could not get it to work.... Time Machine runs only one logical backup process.
Is the 2 TB internal or external to your iMac ?

What you could do is run Time Machine on your SSD and run SuperDuper! as your 2nd
backup process. If you purchase SuperDuper! you can schedule backup jobs as well.
SuperDuper!

Or swap thing around and have SuperDuper! create a bootable backup of your SSD.

Cheers ... McBie

01-25-2011, 08:04 AM

I just plugged a USB thumb drive in and opened TM Preferences. Clicked Options and the thumb drive shows up as excluded. It is grayed out so I can't unexclude it. I'm wondering it that's because it knows its a thumb drive though.

Does your second HD show up in the Options window in TM Preferences? If so, and if you can uncheck it, it should backup. (I don't have an external drive to check myself.)

01-26-2011, 05:41 PM

Thanks guys. I was hoping to have two processes but if I need to have one, I may have to invest some money. As my external 2TB HD is too small to back up both my internal SSD+2TB drive.

Does anyone know a nice HD enclosure that will allow two individual HD's to be installed and seen as one?´

Another option is a NAS which would also allow me to install two HD's of different sizes to make one volume (I have a spare external 2TB+1.5TB Hard drive)

I do find it odd that the largest Time Capsule Apple offers is still only 2TB since they sell iMac's with more internal storage. If they installed a 3TB drive inside one of those I would certainly spend all that cash.