Can I keep a time machine back up from being deleted once drive is full?

[tl01]

I have backed up my old computer and am going to wipe the drive and put Yosemite on it. I want to keep the current time machine back up. I just started this drive yesterday so it is still pretty empty. Can I keep that back up or will it be deleted eventually? I don't want to repartition the drive again if I can avoid it.

 

[chabig]

You might be better off just keeping a clone of that system, rather than a Time Machine backup. Save the clone. Then start fresh with Yosemite. Keep the cloned system around for as long as you think you need it.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Time Machine won't delete the original backup. While a clone is a good idea, too, long-term, the clone will be left behind by history. When a Time Machine drive begins to run low on space, it "thins" the backups - Daily backups will be deleted, leaving you with Weekly backups, and in extreme cases, Weeklies will be deleted in favor of Monthlies. But there should always be a Monthly that dates back to the first month of backups.

 

[marzer]

I have backed up my old computer and am going to wipe the drive and put Yosemite on it. I want to keep the current time machine back up. I just started this drive yesterday so it is still pretty empty. Can I keep that back up or will it be deleted eventually? I don't want to repartition the drive again if I can avoid it.

Unless you have reservations about upgrading to El Capitan, I suggest you may want to hold off with the fresh install until it releases at the end of September.

 

[tl01]

I used to use CCC to make clones.... But haven't done that since having time machine.

Is there an easy way?

I was sort of hoping to keep using thre current back up drive for time machine. Trying to keep things simple!

 

[tuxon86]

Mmmm... Unplug and store the time machine hard disk somewhere safe and use another one for your everyday stuff. USB drives are quite cheap now.

 

[tl01]

Mmmm... Unplug and store the time machine hard disk somewhere safe and use another one for your everyday stuff. USB drives are quite cheap now.

I presume... But I just ordered a new phone, am writing the last check for my back yard and have been buying a lot of stuff to get my computers where they need to be like two new hard drives already this week...and I have to write a check to Att to pay off my 6... So I sort of want to use what I have.