ADLondon Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 (edited) I realise this is slightly off-topic, but I have a Time Machine question. I bought a new HDD drive for Time Machine, (old one was getting full) and after I formatted it (APFS) I meant to keep the Mac on whilst it did the first long/slow backup (I know the first one is longer cos it's backing up ALL files) but got tired and switched it off! DOH!! This morning, when I booted up, it carried on from where it left off (about halfway through) and finished the backup. I know you CAN interrupt a TM backup - but I really didn't want to on its FIRST one. I wanted to ensure the project & audio etc. files were backed up SOLID and SAFE. Do you think I should delete/erase the disk and start again to be sure, or do I not need to worry? Edited July 6, 2023 by ADLondon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
des99 Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 (edited) You don't need to worry - TM is architected so that it just picks up where it left off (for example, the drive got disconnected during backups, or you turn your computer off - all normal behaviour etc). 👍 Edited July 6, 2023 by des99 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADLondon Posted July 6, 2023 Author Share Posted July 6, 2023 Cheers @des99. I realise that is how it works... and would feel fine if it was a top-up backup (as such) it's just because it was the first one.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solution des99 Posted July 6, 2023 Solution Share Posted July 6, 2023 (edited) All that the TM code does is check your files, and see if each is backed up already - it not, it backs it up. Whether it's the first time it runs, or the 150th, it's doing the same job each time - it just has more work to do the first time, as none of the files it encounters are backed up yet, so it has to copy each of them. It's not doing half-backups, or failing during a copy to leave half done, corrupted files - that would be a *very very bad* backup system, and on the scale of Apple usage, we would now about it if TM was bad. No competent developer would design a backup system that could so easily fail. TM is actually pretty solid, and has been for many years, so imo you are worrying about a behaviour that it doesn't have. 😉 However, if the only way to alleviate your worries for sure is to start again, then if it makes you happier, format the external drive, and start again. It won't make any actual difference to the files - apart from lengthening the window of time during which your files have no backups at all (don't do it in a thunderstorm! 🙂 ) - but at least you won't have that excuse to be worried about your backups, and it'll be one less thing to worry about. 👍 Edited July 6, 2023 by des99 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADLondon Posted July 7, 2023 Author Share Posted July 7, 2023 Many thanks @des99 for understanding my irrational fears 😉 I supposed it's just that I have had a LOT of problems with my Mac and one particular (other) hard drive in recent times, and it's added to an already wary mind... creating a paranoia about what is solid/safe and what's not... (if anything really is in this world... but then that's getting a bit deep! Haha) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogika Posted July 7, 2023 Share Posted July 7, 2023 FWIW, it’s easy and perfectly transparent to keep multiple Time Machine Backups in parallel. Just add another drive and designate it as backup. Whatever is connected will get used. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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