Advice on Time Machine Drive

whirl · Jan 4, 2013, 09:05 AM

My new iMac 27 is about to be delivered in the next 3 days.

If I tell the new iMac to use the same USB drive that contains my Time Machine Backups from my old iMac will it just be amended to the data that is already on the drive or will it want to format the drive and start a fresh.

Obviously I don't want to lose my data that I have from my previous iMac so I am a little unsure what will happen.

Paulywauly · Jan 4, 2013, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whirl

My new iMac 27 is about to be delivered in the next 3 days.

If I tell the new iMac to use the same USB drive that contains my Time Machine Backups from my old iMac will it just be amended to the data that is already on the drive or will it want to format the drive and start a fresh.

Obviously I don't want to lose my data that I have from my previous iMac so I am a little unsure what will happen.

If you use Migration Assistant to move your stuff from one Mac to another it should be okay

Weaselboy · Jan 4, 2013, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whirl

My new iMac 27 is about to be delivered in the next 3 days.

If I tell the new iMac to use the same USB drive that contains my Time Machine Backups from my old iMac will it just be amended to the data that is already on the drive or will it want to format the drive and start a fresh.

Obviously I don't want to lose my data that I have from my previous iMac so I am a little unsure what will happen.

You will get a popup saying there is already a backup on the drive and it will ask if you want to merge the two or start a new backup. Just pick the one you want.

2012Tony2012 · Jan 4, 2013, 03:11 PM

Forget Time Machine, use Carbon Copy Cloner instead.

Chris Blount · Jan 4, 2013, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2012Tony2012

Forget Time Machine, use Carbon Copy Cloner instead.

I disagree. Use Time Machine. It's easy and will work without issue.

madsci954 · Jan 4, 2013, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2012Tony2012

Forget Time Machine, use Carbon Copy Cloner instead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Blount

I disagree. Use Time Machine. It's easy and will work without issue.

Why not use both?

Jan 4, 2013, 09:05 AM	#1
whirl macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2011	Advice on Time Machine Drive My new iMac 27 is about to be delivered in the next 3 days. If I tell the new iMac to use the same USB drive that contains my Time Machine Backups from my old iMac will it just be amended to the data that is already on the drive or will it want to format the drive and start a fresh. Obviously I don't want to lose my data that I have from my previous iMac so I am a little unsure what will happen.
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Jan 4, 2013, 03:11 PM	#4
2012Tony2012 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2012	Forget Time Machine, use Carbon Copy Cloner instead.
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