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Manually transferring data to Time Machine backup disk

A

alysiasong

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 15, 2012
3
0
I've just set up my external hard drive to back up my Macbook Pro via Time Machine. Prior to this, I had to transfer some files from my MB Pro to a portable hdd because my laptop was running out of space.

Ideally, I would like to have ALL my files on one hard drive. Can I transfer those extra files from the portable hdd into the external hdd which I use as a Time Machine backup disk?
 
F

flynz4

macrumors 68040
Aug 9, 2009
3,244
127
Portland, OR
alysiasong said:
I've just set up my external hard drive to back up my Macbook Pro via Time Machine. Prior to this, I had to transfer some files from my MB Pro to a portable hdd because my laptop was running out of space.

Ideally, I would like to have ALL my files on one hard drive. Can I transfer those extra files from the portable hdd into the external hdd which I use as a Time Machine backup disk?
Click to expand...

If you do this... they will not get backed up? Are you sure this is something that you would want to do?

/Jim
 
A

alysiasong

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 15, 2012
3
0
I'm not sure what other options there are aside from having to keep my files on separate drives, which makes it harder to keep track of files.

Will it affect Time Machine's backing up if I have my other files in the same hard drive?
 
prisstratton

prisstratton

macrumors 6502a
Dec 20, 2011
542
126
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
alysiasong said:
Will it affect Time Machine's backing up if I have my other files in the same hard drive?
Click to expand...

The only thing that would be affected would be the total space available for Time Machine backups.

I am using my Time Capsule in a similar fashion to what you have stated. On mine I keep personal files, music, Windows desktop backups etc. But, I have another disk attached to the Time Capsule so that the whole lot is backed up.
 
F

flynz4

macrumors 68040
Aug 9, 2009
3,244
127
Portland, OR
alysiasong said:
I'm not sure what other options there are aside from having to keep my files on separate drives, which makes it harder to keep track of files.

Will it affect Time Machine's backing up if I have my other files in the same hard drive?
Click to expand...

I am not 100% what you are asking. If you choose to store your files on the same hard drive as your time machine backup... they will not be backed up.

Furthermore.. even if Time Machine could back up those files... they would be backed up onto the same disk... which is kind of pointless since a disk failure would destroy your data and the backup at the same time.

/Jim
 
A

alysiasong

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 15, 2012
3
0
Thanks for your input guys. All I really needed to know was if it would affect Time Machine's back up if I had other files on the same disk. I can still keep the extra files on the portable hdd, but it's good to have everything available on external hard drive as well.
 
F

flynz4

macrumors 68040
Aug 9, 2009
3,244
127
Portland, OR
alysiasong said:
Thanks for your input guys. All I really needed to know was if it would affect Time Machine's back up if I had other files on the same disk. I can still keep the extra files on the portable hdd, but it's good to have everything available on external hard drive as well.
Click to expand...

The answer is then YES: You can have other files on the TM backup disk and it will not affect backup.

The only caution was that these "other files on the TM backup disk" would not get backed up via Time Machine. If you do not care... then there are no problems.

/Jim
 
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