Newbie - Help Please on Time Machine

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I am about to buy a USB external drive to use as a backup drive for my minimac. It looks like Time Machine is the way forward but I have a few questions. From what I can make out after the initial backup you can set Time Machine to backup hourly, weekly, etc. I cannot find out if you have to set specific time or hows it works. Having done the initial backup - if I switch on the next day and download a few photos / surf the net for say 10 minutes and then switch off my minimac does Time Machine kick in and backup? Does Time Machine 'know' the mac has been switched on and so do a backup? I am worried that as I use the mac for sort periods, maybe every other day, Time Machine is not actually going to kick in and do a backup.
 
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If you are worried about the short times you use your machine that Time Machine is not going to be able to make a backup in time for you, you could manually start a backup when you login, then you know when it has done.

HTH
- Simon
 
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Mine back's up at the same time each day, which started 24 hours after my initial back up.
As said you can start them manually, so just make sure that you do it as you sign in, and you will be fine.
It will not back up while your mini is switched off.
 
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Thank you your replies - seems my worries are real. Is there a way of automating this? I know on Windoz or Linux machines backups can be done at all manner of times (specific time dates, power on, power off). Could time machine be 'launched into backup mode' automatically at power on or, preferably, at power off via something like a script? Or is there some other means of automatically backing up automatically at power off (not using time machine)?
 
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By default, Time Machine starts backing up at hourly intervals.
That is different than starting a backup on the hour.
If you are not logged on for more than 1 hour, chances are that Time Machine will kick in anyway in that short period. If it hasn't ..... launch it manually.

You can start scheduling a backup at a specific date/time, but then you will need to logon at that time as well.
Keep things simple I would say.

Cheers ...
 

IWT


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Dear quarkrad

In a way, you are grieving over nothing and making life difficult for yourself. (Sincerely no offence).

The concept behind Time Machine (TM) is that it takes the strain and you forget about it.

As McBie says, TM backs up by default. Let it, is my view.

The suggestions above get round the question of "what if TM hasn't scheduled a back up because my project took 40 minutes and then I shut down".

Easy - last thing you do when finished is Click on TM icon in Toolbar at top of screen. On the dropdown menu, Click "Back Up Now". When the icon has stopped turning anticlockwise, it's done.

Equally, and as well if you want, repeat the process each time you start up.

And then forget about it. Personally, I keep TM in the "on" position all the time; but others may turn it off and on according to need. One more thing to remember.

Good luck.

Ian
 
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All - thank you for your replies, much appreciated. I'm getting my head around the mac - yes I'm looking for the simple route. I am use to my Linux machine where, having chosen what I want backed up, it does it automatically for me each time I power down. I do not have to click on anything - it just does it. I was hoping there was similar for the mac - I guess there is not.
 
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Different OS different way of doing things... there is always a learning curve and different ways of solving things.
Hopefully you'll come to enjoy and benefit from it though :)

- Simon
 

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