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Can you Time Machine to two different HD's?

B

btownguy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 18, 2009
545
19
I like to keep at least a 6-month backup offsite (in my bank safe deposit box) in case of a serious disaster. Can I use Time Machine with two different HD's? Can I have Time Machine get a backup current on HD1 and then take it to the safe deposit box? Then day-to-day use HD2 with Time Machine? Then a few months out, take HD2 to the safe deposit box and bring back HD1 for day-to-day use?

Or is this going to confuse Time Machine? I know that with a laptop, when your HD is not connected, the system keeps track of what files were added or changed since the last backup. Will Time Machine compare the current system to what is on the HD, or is it simply what was changed since the last backup?
 
btownguy said:
I like to keep at least a 6-month backup offsite (in my bank safe deposit box) in case of a serious disaster. Can I use Time Machine with two different HD's? Can I have Time Machine get a backup current on HD1 and then take it to the safe deposit box? Then day-to-day use HD2 with Time Machine? Then a few months out, take HD2 to the safe deposit box and bring back HD1 for day-to-day use?

Or is this going to confuse Time Machine? I know that with a laptop, when your HD is not connected, the system keeps track of what files were added or changed since the last backup. Will Time Machine compare the current system to what is on the HD, or is it simply what was changed since the last backup?
Click to expand...

I don't think you can do that. What I would do is get the second hard drive from your safe deposit box, do an rsync of the data on your time machine drive to the one in your safe deposit box, then go put it back. That way it has the latest revision.
 
uberamd said:
I don't think you can do that. What I would do is get the second hard drive from your safe deposit box, do an rsync of the data on your time machine drive to the one in your safe deposit box, then go put it back. That way it has the latest revision.
Click to expand...

Or how about one of the other cloning applications like SuperDuper? I'm guessing I could use that and have the safe deposit drive only have clones, while the drive at my house has my Time Machine incrementals. If I clone my HD using something like SuperDuper, I hope Time Machine would be oblivious to that and keep on trucking based on his backup info.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Okay, another question. Can I back up to a single Time Machine drive FROM two HDDs?
Click to expand...

Yes.

btownguy said:
Or how about one of the other cloning applications like SuperDuper? I'm guessing I could use that and have the safe deposit drive only have clones, while the drive at my house has my Time Machine incrementals. If I clone my HD using something like SuperDuper, I hope Time Machine would be oblivious to that and keep on trucking based on his backup info.
Click to expand...

That plan will work. Time Machine does not care/notice if you clone using SD or CCC.
 
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