I quit using Time Machine a few major OS updates ago, starting with Mountain Lion and through to High Sierra. When my disk filled up, I let it go for a while until it occurred to me that I might want to keep the old backup for archival purposes. My plan now is to clone the old time machine file to a new, large disk and simply continue using it after it has been shut off for 6 months or more. Is this horrible practice and likely to cause problems or should I be OK? I plan to check the file before attempting.
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Can Time Machine file be reactivated after hiatus of several OS updates?
- Thread starter macmesser
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yes. theoretically the TimeMachine file should still be able to be accessed and info (files) restored from it to yr mac.
the "theoretically" part is that, if in the meantime between yr last backup, and, now, there were changes that you made to yr system in the way of encryption or type of file system (like changing it to APFS). i would doubt that the TimeMachine data would able to be restored when such significant changes such as these were made. you may encounter the TimeMachine disk not being able to be accessed or found due to yr password being written over or not able to be detected.
TimeMachine is quite mature and robust and has become more and more long term reliable over the years.
the "theoretically" part is that, if in the meantime between yr last backup, and, now, there were changes that you made to yr system in the way of encryption or type of file system (like changing it to APFS). i would doubt that the TimeMachine data would able to be restored when such significant changes such as these were made. you may encounter the TimeMachine disk not being able to be accessed or found due to yr password being written over or not able to be detected.
TimeMachine is quite mature and robust and has become more and more long term reliable over the years.
Thanks for sharing insights. I did change file system with the High Sierra upgrade. Probably best thing is to save a disk image of the old Time Machine file. It's simply not worth struggling with and then have confidence problems with it. That's the only low level change, though. If I did use the old file and problems were to occur, would they possibly affect restores for after the APFS change or would I be able to restore back to the APFS change?
hi
all great questions.
i dont know the answers, since theres just too many variables.
but i myself would limit my expectations to just bringing across individual files;
i would think that a full restore would have too many drawbacks to it anyway.
for my case, i use TimeMachine as a back up for data that i might have deleted but then realized i needed that copy/version of it.
i destroy/write over old TimeMachine bundles with every macOS upgrade to keep them always up to date.
so far, in decades of mac computing i have never had a system crash or anything like that that required full restore.
all great questions.
i dont know the answers, since theres just too many variables.
but i myself would limit my expectations to just bringing across individual files;
i would think that a full restore would have too many drawbacks to it anyway.
for my case, i use TimeMachine as a back up for data that i might have deleted but then realized i needed that copy/version of it.
i destroy/write over old TimeMachine bundles with every macOS upgrade to keep them always up to date.
so far, in decades of mac computing i have never had a system crash or anything like that that required full restore.
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Thanks again. I'm probably just going to start a new backup and archive the old one, as it has several years worth on it. I doubt I'll need anything there, but better too much than too little.