Time Machine (Re)Scheduling

[jmac0408]

Interested to know if anyone uses either TimeMachineEditor or TimeMachineScheduler to edit/adjust the time frames for TM backups? Which is the better choice?
Also any input as to how to Verify backup in TM other than the copy/paste a single file from the backup or the Terminal command: "tmutil". I'm NOT using Time Capsule.

I'm running High Sierra OS on my system and the external HDD employed is a WD MyPassport for Mac (4TB).

Any and all input/direction appreciated!

 

[MacInWin]

I use TME to set my backups for just twice a day at noon and midnight. I don't need hourly data backup because nothing I do any more is that important that I can't recover it. Pretty straightforward to use TME, you just set the time/intervals and then let it run. Make sure that you have turned on TM once, pointed to the backup drive and then turned TM off again. TME will then turn on TM on schedule, make the backup and turn it off again.

As for verifying a TM backup, there isn't much need to do that as the backup is pretty straightforward on attached drives. Verify is used for networked drives where the backup is stored as a sparsebundle instead of as straight files, so verification is both useful and handy. If you want to check an attached backup, just open TM and move back in time. If it works, it's ok.

 

[IWT]

In a sense, verification is provided by clicking on the Time Machine icon on the top menu bar.

If it says "last backup today at 10.15am" or similar; that means that that BU went okay.

If, like me, you have set it to run automatically, then backups should be hourly. If the last backup was more than hour ago, maybe there was a problem.

First thing to do is click on TM icon in top menu bar and select "Back Up Now". If that works, then okay.

If it doesn't BU, then it will display a problem.

So, in a manner of speaking, you do have a verification procedure.

NB You have the option, should you desire it, to select up to 2 External Hard Drives for Time Machine backups as extra security. They BU up alternately.

Ian

 

[jmac0408]

Hi MacInWin !

Good info - much appreciated!

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for the input, IWT. Good to know!

 

[jmac0408]

Hi MacInWin:

Just d/l and installed TME 5.o.4 and went through the desired scheduling process. But, there is NO ON/OFF button available in any of the screens! So, I can't tell whether it's operative or not!!
Any suggestions?

 

[MacInWin]

It's operative if TM is off. Here is what my setup looks like:

Once you have it set and click on Apply, open TM preferences from the top bar icon, or from Applications, point TM to the proper drive and a then uncheck the "Back up automatically" box. Now, when the time comes, assuming the drive is attached, TM will launch and make a backup, then go back off.

 

[jmac0408]

Thanks, MacInWin!!

Hopefully I have followed your direction properly/successfully!

 

[RadDave]

It's operative if TM is off. Here is what my setup looks like:

Once you have it set and click on Apply, open TM preferences from the top bar icon, or from Applications, point TM to the proper drive and a then uncheck the "Back up automatically" box. Now, when the time comes, assuming the drive is attached, TM will launch and make a backup, then go back off.

Hello Jake - still not completely understanding this TM Editor (TME) - I have an iMac & 2 Apple laptops and do duplicate TM backups but only one of my external HD is attached to the iMac - the other 5 I plug in about once a week and run TM (so assume that TM is off for those drives when I dismount them) - I've explored the manual for the TM utility (tmutil) in the terminal and am amazed at the amount of control, and surprised that Apple does not include some better 'options' in their macOS 'other' category?

As an example, I just looked in the terminal on my MBPro w/ the command that lists the 'Snapshots' (more HERE) - there are nearly 2 dozen snapshots in two days (pic below) - I'd rather have just one taken at the end of the day! SO, my question is whether TME on a laptop w/o the EHDs attached can prevent these snapshots from being recorded? Thanks for any advice - Dave
.

 

[chscag]

@Dave:

Are you running Mojave? If you are, your hard drive has been formatted to APFS. With APFS formatting there is no way to prevent snapshots from being made and stored on your internal hard drive whether or not the EHD is attached. There is a terminal command that can remove them but none as far as I know from preventing them.

 

[ferrarr]

You could turn off "Backup Automatically" in System Preferences > Time Machine. Then, when you want to make a backup, select the TM icon in the top menu bar, and select Back Up Now. If TM is disabled, it will not make snapshots.

 

[RadDave]

@Dave:

Are you running Mojave? If you are, your hard drive has been formatted to APFS. With APFS formatting there is no way to prevent snapshots from being made and stored on your internal hard drive whether or not the EHD is attached. There is a terminal command that can remove them but none as far as I know from preventing them.

Hi Charlie - installed Mojave on my laptops a while back, and last week decided to do wife's late 2012 iMac w/ a fusion drive - worked fine. Just re-looked at the TM manual in the Terminal and copied just a few of the many commands in that utility (pic below) - in addition to showing and deleting 'snapshots', there is an 'enable' and 'disable' option - assume the latter would turn off the local snapshots? So, just wondering if some simple script or automator could be written to run in the background that would enable the feature for a short time, then disable? One snapshot a day would be fine w/ me - probably not that important except for taking up disk space? Dave
.

 

[MacInWin]

RadDave, that is exactly what TME does. You turn off TM after pointing it to the proper drive and setting the way you want backups done, it turns it back on at the appropriate time and makes the backup. But the drive needs to be and stay attached so that when TME starts TM the drive is there, otherwise TM will then make a snapshot, just as it would do normally, then TM will be turned off and the snapshot just sit there until the drive is attached. So, If what you want is a snapshot per day at some time and only connect the drive once a week, use TME to make a backup once a day, which will end up in a snapshot, then attach the drive once a week, make a backup and those snapshots will be incorporated into the backups database and then eliminated from your boot drive. No need for a script, that's what TME does for you.

BTW, you said, "so assume that TM is off for those drives when I dismount them," but that's not true. If TM is told to automatically backup then every hour it creates a snapshot if the drive is not there. Unless you manually stop the automatic backups by going into TM Preferences, those snapshots will be made. Again, what TME does is to turn on TM and make one backup, then turn TM off again. But you have to turn TM off when you first invoke TME so that it can then turn it off again when it is done. If you leave TM on, TME doesn't work.

 

[RadDave]

Thanks Jake for the excellent and thorough comments above. I was on the TME website earlier today and have a better understanding of the app - along w/ your suggestions, I'll give the program a try - Dave

 

[jmac0408]

Hi IWT:

Attempting to send you screenshots of my TM and TME settings but apparently they're oversized!! (2.20 MB and the upper allowed limit is 1.95 MB). Tried to find an option via PREVIEW to edit down to the limit but can't seem to find one.
Any suggestion/direction?

Thanks

 

[jmac0408]

Hi MacInWin (Jake);

I'm trying to attach/insert some screenshots of my TM and TME settings but need a simple procedure to follow. When I attempt to "insert image" it reports that my image is oversized. (2.20 MB when the upper limit is 1.95 MB). I've tried to see if PREVIEW had an option to downsize the screenshot files but can't find one.
Any suggestion/direction will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[MacInWin]

Open the screenshot in Preview, then click on Tools on the top bar and then Adjust size. I'd say cut each dimension in half. If they are linked (which is the default) changing one will change the other. Half will end up with 1/4 the size.

 

[jmac0408]

Hi !!

Thank you so much for all your help!! Hopefully I've followed your direction properly/successfully?!! Please advise at your convenience.

Much appreciated.

 

[MacInWin]

It's a bit hard to make out because you took a full screen shot instead of just the window, but it looks like you have it set to backup every Tuesday at 6 am. The settings for TM are correct.

 

[jmac0408]

Again, thank you very much!!

 

[IWT]

@jmac0408

Just as a guide for future reference:

To take screenshot of part of the open window - your Time Machine settings in the case you posted - use Command + Shift + 4.

This will bring up a small round ball with a larger cross superimposed upon it.

Using your Mouse, move it to, say, the top left edge of the item to be copied. Now, hold down a left click and drag the cursor to fill the item to be copied. Then release the Click and a screenshot of the item will automatically appear on your Desktop.

(What you did was Cmd + Shift + 3 which takes a screenshot of the entire Window).

Ian