Clean up (purge) of Time Machine Drive

[rshanahan]

I have searched around and haven't found a solution/answer to my problem.

Two sceneros

I have data that I have deleted and never want back (old Imovie projects, etc.)

I upgraded my system disk and left the old one in as a backup (not for Time Machine but using disk utility occasionally to copy my boot disk). This got backed up in Time Machine automatically (unknown to me). I have since set that volume not to back up, but the original back up is still on my time machine backup disk (occupying 43GB).

What is the proper way, if any, to prune/purge backed up files out of the Time Machine 'Backups.backupdb' folder? The drive is a terabyte drive backing up a 50% full 750GB drive and my system drive. It is getting down to 200GB free and I want to purge stuff out of it so I can have a longer archive of files I 'need'.

Thanks and sorry if this has been answered somewhere else.

Rick

 

[vincentyan]

Have you got an answer

I have similar issues. Have you got an answer? Did you purge unwanted files from your Time Machine disk?

 

[rshanahan]

Never did BUT my continued search led me to no other than the Apple KB.

To delete expired files that you never want any more open up Time Machine.

Migrate to the folder the files were in

Go back in time and find the file/folders that you no longer want.

Highlight them and click the little 'gear' pulldown button.

In the pull down menu context there is a 'delete all backups of " "'

That will purge those files/folders and all previous backups of them.


Works pretty well. The only problem is you need to know what you want to purge and where it is.

 

[udance4ever]

Go back in time and find the file/folders that you no longer want.

Highlight them and click the little 'gear' pulldown button.

In the pull down menu context there is a 'delete all backups of " "'

wow - this worked awesome - thank you!

you saved me from nuking my entire Time Machine disk and it's good to know you can prune multi-GB files that sneak in now!