Settings for Time Machine?

I don't know if this is the right forum for this... but can anyone help me configure Time Machine? I want to set WHEN it does it's back-ups. I turned it on and before I could do anything it started in... and it's tying up my whole work day. It is appearing to be a giant PITA.

But I had a kernel panic and this is the SECOND hard drive in an imac barely two years old. The optical drive also went dead.

I don't know what to do about the kernel panic either... never had that happen before. I think this mac has not been a shining example of apple's best.

Is there any way I can change the settings on Time Machine? I would prefer once a day backups only and at some hour when I am asleep or something.

Thanks

(I am also trying to install superduper but Time Machine is running)

Time Machine's initial backup can take quite some time especially if you are backing up wirelessly though you can usually simply continue working. After the first one other backups are rather unobtrusive. I barely notice except that I can hear my external drive spin up.

There is some third-party software that allows you to alter the Time Machine backup schedule but the first backup will still take some time. Might I suggest that before you alter the schedule let Time Machine complete its initial backup and run normally for a few days. If you still find it disruptive then start looking at altering its behavior. It is not that your request is unreasonable but many people find it quite unobtrusive once the initial backup is complete.

You might want to check out ATPM 15.03 - How To: Time Travel: Introduction to Time Machine for some useful tips including files that can be excluded as well as the Terminal command to change the backup interval. There is also a link to some software if like me you are a bit nervous about using Terminal.

BTW I've never paid much attention before but I am pretty sure I have successfully installed software while Time Machine was completeing a backup cycle.

thanks for responding

i hope that is true, about being less obtrusive and resource-hogging. It remains to be seen i guess.

One problem though is that the mac just has 3 USB ports and the disc I am using for a backup is an external. i do media work and need to add/remove drives for various projects, connect cameras, etc... i have a hub but my experience is that transfer of large media files through a hub is unreliable and verrrrrrrrrrry slow. So, i can't always have time machine trying to connect to that drive.

Right now i am just turning it on and off once a day. It's really obnoxious that you can't just choose your back up times.

Is superduper better? i read on their site that they are meant to work with time machine... or something like that.

martians8mymac said:

i hope that is true, about being less obtrusive and resource-hogging. It remains to be seen i guess.

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There's optimism for you

One problem though is that the mac just has 3 USB ports and the disc I am using for a backup is an external.

Click to expand...

You need a better quality USB hub I guess
Belkin 7-Port Desktop USB Hub - Apple Store (U.S.)

It's really obnoxious that you can't just choose your back up times.

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That is a little bit of an obnoxious statement, and possibly an obnoxious or arrogant response by me, but I think that we are lucky to have time machine as part of OS X

Is superduper better? i read on their site that they are meant to work with time machine... or something like that.

Click to expand...

Check it out. The free version of Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper does all that I need, but it appears that you require more, so I think the paid version of SuperDuper is what you are after. The Bonus with CCC and SuperDuper is that you will have a bootable backup