Time machine backup

Hi,
I have a macbook pro, its my first mac since switching from windows.
This may be a stupid question but when using the time machine backup does this backup everything on you machine including programs and apps youve installed?
or does it just back up your basic system and preferences?

many thanks,

Dave

@Dave

A warm welcome to Mac-Forums.

Time Machine, unless you tell it otherwise, backs up everything. Apps, total contents, your settings; the lot.

Moreover, once set up, it does it all automatically; once per hour for 24 hours, then daily for a month and so on.

The initial back up (BU) takes a while, but subsequent BUs are incremental, meaning they only BU things that have changed since the last BU.

It is a general rule that the External Hard Drive (EHD) onto which you BU your data via Time Machine should, ideally, have 1.5 to 2 times the storage capacity of your Mac's Internal Hard Drive.

In your case, as it's a portable Mac, you will obviously only be able to BU when home. No problem, the MacBook Pro initially stores the BU on your Mac and when you reconnect your Time Machine EHD, it automatically transfers the BU to that.

Any advice needed about the setting up of Time Machine, just ask.

Ian

Ian,

thanks so much for your reply, thats just what I needed.

all the best.