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Backing up 2 separate HDDs to separate locations with Time Machine

LuminousFX

LuminousFX

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 25, 2014
53
73
Hi.

I was wondering if this is possible. Right now, I have a SSD + 2TB HDD setup. My SSD is backed up using Time Machine to a 1TB external HDD. I have another external 2TB HDD around. Can I set up time machine to backup the 2TB HDD onto the new 2TB HDD?
 
LuminousFX said:
Hi.

I was wondering if this is possible. Right now, I have a SSD + 2TB HDD setup. My SSD is backed up using Time Machine to a 1TB external HDD. I have another external 2TB HDD around. Can I set up time machine to backup the 2TB HDD onto the new 2TB HDD?
Click to expand...

Well Time Machine is designed to copy one internal drive to another drive. For the advanced function you want to look at cloning the drives on a schedule. IMHO the best cloning software is Carbon Copy Cloner.
 
Time Machine can backup multiple volumes to a backup volume. Time Machine can also back up to multiple backup volumes. But it cannot do what you ask, which is to backup some volumes to one backup volume and some other volumes to a different backup volume.

You either need to have a one backup volume big enough to hold all your stuff, or you need to use multiple backup techniques. For example, I have Time Machine backup my boot drives on all my Macs to a Time Capsule. For my bulk data externals I use rsync to copy updates incrementally to other external drives. You could also do this with Carbon Copy Cloner or other software.

A.
 
LuminousFX said:
Hi.

I was wondering if this is possible. Right now, I have a SSD + 2TB HDD setup. My SSD is backed up using Time Machine to a 1TB external HDD. I have another external 2TB HDD around. Can I set up time machine to backup the 2TB HDD onto the new 2TB HDD?
Click to expand...

Sort of... if you attach the 2TB drive and remove it from the excluded drives list in Time Machine, it will be added to the backup set. But that backup set will also include the SSD, and it does not sound like you want that to happen?
 
LuminousFX said:
Hi. I was wondering if this is possible. Right now, I have a SSD + 2TB HDD setup. My SSD is backed up using Time Machine to a 1TB external HDD. I have another external 2TB HDD around. Can I set up time machine to backup the 2TB HDD onto the new 2TB HDD?
Click to expand...

You're not specifying if those bolded items are internal, or even a custom designed Fusion drive.

TimeMachine is designed to back-up the internal storage devices --whether they be HDD, SSD, or Fusion drives-- of one, or several of your computers, to external storage which could be one, or since ML, multiple drives, the latter giving you redundant copies for extra security.

I'm not sure if what you want to do is currently possible. Your best choice, imho, is TimeMachine for your internal storage to that 1TB external, and CCC for that 2TB HDD onto that other 2TB HDD.
 
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