local backups staying in HDD

Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
184
Reaction score
4
Points
18
Hi everybody, well I got a 13 inch MBP with Lion in it i also use time machine to back up all of my stuff. I know Lion has this local back up feature that backs things up when Time Machine isn't present or something like that and once you back up to time machine the back ups disappear form your hard drive well....thats not the case here some of the local back ups won't go away form my hard drive even after backing up to time machine a few times, does anybody know whats the issue here? thanks and sorry for the run on sentences lol

1.jpg
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
This a quirk of the new Time Machine (it's supposed to be a feature) that when the external TM drive is disconnected, TM will continue to make backups and will save them to your internal hard drive. When the external TM drive is once more attached it will copy the backups it made onto the external along with the new backup.

All well and good except that it looks like it does not remove the old backups from the internal drive. The only way I know of getting around that is turn Time Machine off when your external TM drive is not attached. Kind of inconvenient and easy to forget but I know of no other way. I've been searching for a better work around and will let everyone know if I find one.
 
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
3,494
Reaction score
204
Points
63
Location
Going Galt...
Your Mac's Specs
MacBookAir5,2:10.13.6-iMac18,3:10.13.6-iPhone9,3:11.4.1
The short of it solution... from a Terminal window as a user with Administrator privileges type:

sudo tmutil disablelocal

Enter your password and it will stop local backups AND delete the backups currently on your internal disk.

There was an option in the Developer release to turn this feature on and off via the System Preferences Panel for Time Machine. It was removed from the final release. It was also originally also suppose to store internal backups and then transfer those backups to the external TM disk when a laptop was back in range or reconnected to the external disk. These features were changed in the final release. It does not, nor is it suppose to (at the current time) transfer internal backups to your external TM disk when you are in range or reconnected. It's not an option at this time and the only way to get the space back is to wait for TM to remove them, or remove them manually. It is designed to retain the internal backups and use an algorithm to manage how long to keep them now.

Running the above listed command will disable internal backups, yet still allow Time Machine to function as it did in 10.6.8 ie: you don't have to turn TM off completely in System Preferences. Look at the System Preferences window for Time Machine and you will see a description (in the lower right) of what it does, and mention of attempting to keep local backups. Once you run the above command, that text will change and no longer mention the local backups. Hope this helps.
 
OP
Andres87
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
184
Reaction score
4
Points
18
thanks for the replies guys but one more question if I use that command in terminal I would loose that feature right? its a cool feature I guess I would like to keep it is there a way to "Activate it" again after and disable it?
 
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
3,494
Reaction score
204
Points
63
Location
Going Galt...
Your Mac's Specs
MacBookAir5,2:10.13.6-iMac18,3:10.13.6-iPhone9,3:11.4.1
thanks for the replies guys but one more question if I use that command in terminal I would loose that feature right? its a cool feature I guess I would like to keep it is there a way to "Activate it" again after and disable it?

sudo tmutil enablelocal

Get's it back again.
 
OP
Andres87
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
184
Reaction score
4
Points
18
oh and another thing, when I go to the system preferences for TM it doesn't say anything about the local back ups even before typing that command :s

Untitled.jpg
 
OP
Andres87
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
184
Reaction score
4
Points
18
IT WORKED!!!! you guys are awesome thank you so much for your help :Dhttp://www.mac-forums.com/forums/mac_images/images/smilies/Grin.png

12.jpg
 
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
3,494
Reaction score
204
Points
63
Location
Going Galt...
Your Mac's Specs
MacBookAir5,2:10.13.6-iMac18,3:10.13.6-iPhone9,3:11.4.1
oh and another thing, when I go to the system preferences for TM it doesn't say anything about the local back ups even before typing that command :s

Yes, it does actually. Look at your own attachment in this thread...

"Time Machine keeps local snapshots as space permits, and"

What does it say after typing the command? ;)
 
OP
Andres87
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
184
Reaction score
4
Points
18
Yes, it does actually. Look at your own attachment in this thread...

"Time Machine keeps local snapshots as space permits, and"

What does it say after typing the command? ;)

hahahaha ooops well once I typed the first command terminal goes like are you sure blah blah blah the world could end blah blah blah and then I put my password and bingo!!! then when I typed the second one nothing happened lol
 
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
3,494
Reaction score
204
Points
63
Location
Going Galt...
Your Mac's Specs
MacBookAir5,2:10.13.6-iMac18,3:10.13.6-iPhone9,3:11.4.1
hahahaha ooops well once I typed the first command terminal goes like are you sure blah blah blah the world could end blah blah blah and then I put my password and bingo!!! then when I typed the second one nothing happened lol

Yep, there is a time constraint with the sudo command which allows you to run it without reentering the password for a short period of time or until you end the Terminal session. It won't say anything in the terminal window after you hit enter after entering the second sudo command. That's normal.

If you have the local backups disabled currently, the description in the System Preferences > Time Machine should no longer mention anything about local snapshots. Glad it worked.
 
OP
Andres87
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
184
Reaction score
4
Points
18
Yep, there is a time constraint with the sudo command which allows you to run it without reentering the password for a short period of time or until you end the Terminal session. It won't say anything in the terminal window after you hit enter after entering the second sudo command. That's normal.

If you have the local backups disabled currently, the description in the System Preferences > Time Machine should no longer mention anything about local snapshots. Glad it worked.

yep you're right thanks a lot
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top