how to Transfer Time Machine

[bobmmor]

Hi Gang Im trying to Transfer Time Machine from my 1TB my passport for Mac to a new Passport ultra 4TB iMac (27-inch, Late 2012)10.14 Mojave Is there a thread you can direct me to Thanks Bob

 

[chscag]

See the following Apple KB article which shows how to do it:

Transfer Time Machine backups from one backup disk to another - Apple Support

 

[bobmmor]

Thanks chscag, I've tried that method 3 times now! each time it fails on day3! There someone on YouTube that shows this method! but says he used superduper instead because it takes to long! Would you know where I can find the Superduper Cloneing Method? Thanks Bob

 

[chscag]

Actually there are two programs that can make a clone. SuperDuper is a cloning program: SuperDuper!

There is also Carbon Copy Cloner: Mac Backup Software | Carbon Copy Cloner | Bombich Software

Take note that neither of those programs are affiliated with Time Machine or Apple.

 

[bobmmor]

Thanks for the info chscag!,would you know how I can use one of these to move time machine from 1TB to 4TB?

 

[ferrarr]

Why not just start a new backup with the 4TB drive, and just store the 1TB drive for use “if needed”?


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[bobmmor]

I wanted to Keep the 1TB for photos

 

[IWT]

I wanted to Keep the 1TB for photos

Very fair point. But what you could do is, as Bob says, make a brand new Time Machine BU with the 4TB, let that continue to BU incrementally for, say, 3 or 4 days - then Erase your 1TB and store your photos.

Ian

 

[bobmmor]

Ian if I do that, how far back does this go?

 

[IWT]

Ian if I do that, how far back does this go?

Not quite sure I understand your question; but if you mean that if you create a new Time Machine backup on the 4TB External Hard Drive (EHD), then the Backup (BU) starts there.

But if you keep your 1TB Time Machine backup, it will be valid as a BU since the first time you created it.

What I suggested was that you start a new TM backup which will start from today; you could let it create several hours/days of incremental BU, then Erase and Reformat the 1TB knowing that you had a working TM backup on the 4TB.

Then use the 1TB for your photos.

There doesn't seem much point in keeping TM backups which are months or longer.

Your choice without doubt. I just suggested a way forward.

Ian

 

[bobmmor]

Thanks Ian.

 

[MacInWin]

If you want to keep those old backups and just add to them on the 4TB, use one of the cloners to move the backup. It will take a while because even though backup uses a lot of links and those are small files, there are a LOT of them to move. Test the clone, link to it, test that TM uses it properly, then once you are content, you can reformat the 1TB. (That's faster than erasing the TM backup. Again. LOTS of little files to be erased.)

 

[bobmmor]

Thank You Jake!

 

[MichaelQC]

Post this question into Google. "How to archive time machine backups." then choose what seems seems best for you.

 

[bobmmor]

Thanks Michael, This is one answer I found! "Time Machine stores its backups as plain files and folders. All you need to do is go into Backups.backupdb/yourComputerName/ and you'll be presented with a set of folders named in yyyy-mm-dd-hhmmss format. Simply locate the most recent (or sort them - the most recent will be at the bottom, thanks to its name) and copy it elsewhere. You can then delete the Backups.backupdb folder or wipe the entire drive as you wish." Can you explain what they mean by (and copy it elsewhere)? Can I just drag and drop to my new Passport? Thanks Bob

 

[MacInWin]

All you need to do is go into Backups.backupdb/yourComputerName/ and you'll be presented with a set of folders named in yyyy-mm-dd-hhmmss format. Simply locate the most recent (or sort them - the most recent will be at the bottom, thanks to its name) and copy it elsewhere. You can then delete the Backups.backupdb folder or wipe the entire drive as you wish.

That is NOT how it works. What you see in any given date folder is a collection of what are mostly links to the last time the file/folder changed. If you copy that link somewhere else and delete the Backups.Backupdb folder, you will end up with broken links and not many usable files. If you really want to know how backups work, start here: Time Machine: 1 How it works, or fails to – The Eclectic Light Company

There are about a dozen, or more, descriptions of how TM works and why you cannot treat them like just another set of files. After a set of backups, the links will be long chains of links, maybe going all the way back to the original backup for files that are unchanged.

You can copy the entire backups.backupdb folder, but it will take a VERY long time to complete as all of the links have to be copied over. You can use a cloner, as I said, which is easier, but maybe not too much faster.

Here's the hint. The name of the backup folder is "backups.backupdb." Your "backups" are in a database of backups (hence the "db" in the second section). Don't mess with the internals of the database or the integrity of the databas will be destroyed and you lose it all.

 

[MacInWin]

Another great description for how TM works comes from James Pond (Pondini) a true wizard who passed away all too soon: How Time Machine Works its Magic

 

[bobmmor]

Thanks Jake will check it out!

 

[MacInWin]

Something very strange going on with the board. Post 15 repeated as Post 18, I responded, then Post 18 changed to something entirely different.

Is the board failing again?

 

[Rod]

Time Machine is not an archive, it is an incremental backup and restore application. I have seldom had one that goes back more than a year just like I don't keep emails older than a year but, I do have archived material that goes back 10 years.
So I would start a new backup on the 4Tb if you find you do not need anything off the old 1Tb in say 6 months, erase it and reuse it.


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