Internal vs. Time machine drive size

ConnYoungy · Jan 11, 2013, 06:04 AM

I'm in the process of ordering a new MacBook and want to go for the 1tb drive upgrade and realised my time machine backup drive is also 1tb, will that matter?

The reason I ask is that I can't remember if the time machine drive has to be larger than the drive it backs up or not?

Thankyou!

simsaladimbamba · Jan 11, 2013, 06:17 AM

The actual size does not matter, only the used capacity does.

If you have a Mac with a 1 TB HDD and 232 GB of it are used and you have an external HDD with 500 GB capacity, you can use that 500 GB HDD to backup the 1 TB HDD with its 232 GB used.

Time Machine FAQ

ConnYoungy · Jan 11, 2013, 06:56 AM

Brilliant, thankyou!

designs216 · Jan 18, 2013, 12:32 PM

The larger the TM drive the more incremental backups you'll be able to retrieve. So if you're in a position to fill up your primary, your back up will only hold one copy before TM overwrites.

Le Big Mac · Jan 18, 2013, 01:38 PM

I personally don't understand the need to keep more than a couple of incremental backups. If my HD/computer dies, all I need is the most recent, and I can't remember ever losing something and not realizing it immediately and being able to get it from the most recent backup.

I use Time Machine Editor to reduce backups to daily, so I don't encounter the problem of not realizing I'm missing something until more than an hour has passed.

Jan 11, 2013, 06:04 AM	#1
ConnYoungy macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2010	Internal vs. Time machine drive size I'm in the process of ordering a new MacBook and want to go for the 1tb drive upgrade and realised my time machine backup drive is also 1tb, will that matter? The reason I ask is that I can't remember if the time machine drive has to be larger than the drive it backs up or not? Thankyou!
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Jan 11, 2013, 06:17 AM	#2
simsaladimbamba macrumors Core Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: in front of it	The actual size does not matter, only the used capacity does. If you have a Mac with a 1 TB HDD and 232 GB of it are used and you have an external HDD with 500 GB capacity, you can use that 500 GB HDD to backup the 1 TB HDD with its 232 GB used. Time Machine FAQ __________________ This is not
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Jan 11, 2013, 06:56 AM	#3
ConnYoungy Thread Starter macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2010	Brilliant, thankyou!
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Jan 18, 2013, 12:32 PM	#4
designs216 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: On the way to M-83	The larger the TM drive the more incremental backups you'll be able to retrieve. So if you're in a position to fill up your primary, your back up will only hold one copy before TM overwrites.
	0

Jan 18, 2013, 01:38 PM	#5
Le Big Mac macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Washington, DC	I personally don't understand the need to keep more than a couple of incremental backups. If my HD/computer dies, all I need is the most recent, and I can't remember ever losing something and not realizing it immediately and being able to get it from the most recent backup. I use Time Machine Editor to reduce backups to daily, so I don't encounter the problem of not realizing I'm missing something until more than an hour has passed.
	0