External drive

[Backlighting]

Any down side to unplugging the external back-up drive I have for a few days per week? I'm looking to extend its life.

 

[ferrarr]

What app are you using to do the back-ups? Time Machine, clone, or other?

 

[Backlighting]

What app are you using to do the back-ups? Time Machine, clone, or other?

Using Time Machine.

 

[Slydude]

If you are disconnecting the drive as a means of controlling when Time Machine creates a backup there is software that can do that without needing to connect/disconnect the drive. Here's one example.

 

[pm-r]

From the info given by the OP, I would really strongly suggest to just use CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner) and the Energy Saver pref panel for hard drive sleep and set CCC to do a schedule backup.

CCC will wake the drive when scheduled, do its cloning backup, quit and the external drive will then go back to sleep.

Carbon Copy Cloner:
https://bombich.com






- Patrick
==========

 

[Backlighting]

Thank you Slydude, pm-r & ferrarr.

 

[Sawday]

I would have thought that repeated and frequent powering on/off of any electrical device, be it external drive or mac, is likely to shorten it's life. Why would you want to do that? The very marginal savings in power consumption will be far outweighed by the need to replace your kit sooner rather than later and the possible loss of data. Apart from long holidays my mac and connected drives stay on 24/7 and have done so for years.

 

[pm-r]

I would have thought that repeated and frequent powering on/off of any electrical device, be it external drive or mac, is likely to shorten it's life. Why would you want to do that?

That's what I have always understood and read and I haven't read anything lately that would change anything.

Even the latest light bulb variation of models seem to go kaput when they get turned On.






- Patrick
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- Patrick
==========

 

[Backlighting]

If you are disconnecting the drive as a means of controlling when Time Machine creates a backup there is software that can do that without needing to connect/disconnect the drive. Here's one example.

If I were to unplug the external drive & then plug it back in would that affect Time Machine, or would it still look like it was before...in other words would I need to configure it again? Thanks.
P.S. Since I don't add many files or modify them often I would do the unplug/ plug about every 2 weeks.

 

[pm-r]

If I were to unplug the external drive & then plug it back in would that affect Time Machine

If you're going to insist doing such a thing, you'll need to turn TM Off in your System prefs as well, otherwise TM will carry on creating a temp hourly backup onto your boot drive volume during the time the drive isn't available or mounted.

It seems like you like doing a "make work Project" that's really unnecessary.






- Patrick
==========

 

[Backlighting]

OK, understood. Thanks Patrick

 

[Sawday]

The concept of Time Machine is that you leave the drive connected all the time. Perhaps you could tell us why you want to disconnect it?

 

[pm-r]

The concept of Time Machine is that you leave the drive connected all the time. Perhaps you could tell us why you want to disconnect it?

It seems the reason was stated in the OP's #1 post, possibly with a bit of misunderstanding:

I'm looking to extend its life.

That's also why I suggested using CCC instead in post #5, but I should have mentioned that CCC also has an option to just do its thing when the specific backup drive is connected or turned On.








- Patrick
======

 

[chscag]

Member "Sawday" has a good point. With a desktop machine (iMac, Mini, Pro) external hard drives can remain connected at all times. And, unless you have some other backup scheme being used, the Time Machine drive will work best staying connected. Now, if you're a neat freak and don't like all those USB cables dangling, I guess then you can connect and disconnect at will. Seems to me a powered hub would be more convenient in situations like that.

 

[Backlighting]

It seems the reason was stated in the OP's #1 post, possibly with a bit of misunderstanding:



That's also why I suggested using CCC instead in post #5, but I should have mentioned that CCC also has an option to just do its thing when the specific backup drive is connected or turned On.








- Patrick
======

Both my drives are encrypted (File Vault2). If I install CCC is there a problem with that?

 

[pm-r]

Both my drives are encrypted (File Vault2). If I install CCC is there a problem with that?

OMG!!! Are you still actively involved with the US Army that you really need any such encryption???

Anyway, as for your question, you shouldn't have any problems:
Working with FileVault Encryption
CCC is fully qualified for use with FileVault-protected volumes. CCC offers some advice around enabling encryption in the Disk Center.
https://bombich.com/kb/ccc4/working-filevault-encryption






- Patrick
==========

 

[Backlighting]

OMG!!! Are you still actively involved with the US Army that you really need any such encryption???

- Patrick
==========

LOL.
-Joe

 

[Slydude]

If you're going to insist doing such a thing, you'll need to turn TM Off in your System prefs as well, otherwise TM will carry on creating a temp hourly backup onto your boot drive volume during the time the drive isn't available or mounted.

It seems like you like doing a "make work Project" that's really unnecessary.


- Patrick
==========

Has something changed recently? In the past that has only been true when using portable Macs. Of course if member Backlighting is using a portable it's a moot point.

 

[chscag]

Has something changed recently? In the past that has only been true when using portable Macs. Of course if member Backlighting is using a portable it's a moot point.

He's using a Mini so the "ghost backups" do not get made. Like you said, that only happens on portable Macs and it can be turned off easily enough with a terminal command.