I back up my computer using Time Machine every few weeks. I've realized, though, that during every backup, nearly 5GB is copied. Now I know that I don't download that much in a few weeks. I was wondering--is there a chance that Time Machine is copying something over and over...and over again? I have checked off the "Time Machine Backups" "Downloads" and "Movies" folders to NOT back up onto my external HD. Is there any way to see what exactly those 5GB are composed of? Any way to see what the additions are?
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Time Machine backing up excessively
- Thread starter hit2cho
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Apple mentions Time Machine backing up the entire Aperture library. Do you have Aperture? Maybe another program with about 5GBs of data?
I don't have Aperture. Unless it does it with iTunes or iPhoto. Even if it did back up iTunes and iPhoto, it would be somewhere in the 15-20GB range, as that is what my iTunes and iPhoto libraries amount to, roughly.
How about a VMWare or Parallels virtual machine? Even a small change within the VM causes Time Machine to re-copy the entire VM file. The folder containing the VM needs to be excluded from TM backups and just manually backed up by other means periodically.
That's good to know. As useful as those programs can be, it just seems easier to use bootcamp instead of dealing with a slow VM.
True, those are pretty much the only examples, unless you are changing your iTunes files a lot.
To be honest though, you only need to really worry if you are doing hourly backups and time machine is then doing 5GB each time...
really TM is going to make new backups every time? i just started using TM too (today) i also have VM and a big iphoto and itunes library.
how do i set TM to not back these things up so it wont eat all my external HD up fast? is that what i should do?
thanks
how do i set TM to not back these things up so it wont eat all my external HD up fast? is that what i should do?
thanks
It won't copy the iTunes library and iPhoto library each time. Just the virtual machine and any files that it can't pick apart. One reason I stopped using sparseimage files, every time I made a change to one TM would back up the entire 3GB file. Same thing with the VMs and Aperture Libraries.
I would set it to skip the VM, but not to skip the iTunes and iPhoto library, only the library file itself will be regularly backed up and that is relatively small compared to all the photos/music which won't be re-backed up as they won't change.
Thanks. How do i stop TM from backing up the VM file? not sure where to make that change?
thanks
Then options.
The only options you have are to choose what NOT to backup.
Then you're done!
thanks got it now. sorry to be so thick but why did i exclude VM Ware Virtual machine? if i understand correctly now every time i back up with TM the file size of the backup will be MUCH LESS? and if i left VM in the mix every time TM backed up that VM Virtual machine file would have been backed up as a new file every time making my external HD get eating up pretty fast as the VM file is 7 gig?
thanks!!
thanks!!
I had Parallels, but removed it some months ago. I have iStat pro installed and under the "network" panel, I see: "ethernet," "Parallels Shar...," and "Parallels Host..." I thought I had gotten rid of Parallels by ridding myself of the OS and even using Appzapper to make sure all the files were gone.
Every few weeks? 5GB doesn't sound like all that much.
Time Machine is supposed to backup every hour. Sometimes I get a few hundred MB between hourly backups, when I obviously haven't done that much. I think it's just certain files changing over time. For every file that changes TM has to make a new copy.
Think about how many times a plist is edited, or a log file is added. It can soon add up over a few weeks. Of course, your 5GB isn't made up of plists and documents, but I often get like 2-3 GB every few days. I've learnt not to question TM, so long as it is doing its job.
Time Machine is supposed to backup every hour. Sometimes I get a few hundred MB between hourly backups, when I obviously haven't done that much. I think it's just certain files changing over time. For every file that changes TM has to make a new copy.
Think about how many times a plist is edited, or a log file is added. It can soon add up over a few weeks. Of course, your 5GB isn't made up of plists and documents, but I often get like 2-3 GB every few days. I've learnt not to question TM, so long as it is doing its job.