So I recently set up Time Machine with my Macbook Pro and my trusty external harddrive but was a bit confused about how the backups are working. With a laptop I really don't want to be tethered to the wall plugged into my external drive all the time. Will Time Machine run a backup every time I plug in the external drive (assuming things have been modified)? That seems like the most ideal way to do it, when things have been changed, just plug it in, let it backup stuff quick and unplug it. I've looked all around and can't find a clear answer to this question. Thanks for the help and sorry if it's already been addressed.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Time Machine Backup Times
- Thread starter mvelinder
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
When I return my laptop home after a day of work Time Machine will run automatically again when my drive is mounted again.
If you keep the icon in the Dock for Time Machine you can tell it to backup at the moment as well. My laptop is only tethered to my hard drive at home only for a few hours a day when I'm there.
If you keep the icon in the Dock for Time Machine you can tell it to backup at the moment as well. My laptop is only tethered to my hard drive at home only for a few hours a day when I'm there.
The ctrl+click "Back Up Now" seems to be a workable option, but surely there's got to be a better, more discreet way of doing it in the background. It's a shame Apple didn't think of that. The whole purpose of a backup should be to back up your stuff when you plug it in, not wait an hour until the next scheduled back up time. Some very poor logic if you ask me.
That's what it does when I get home. I'm gone for 8-10 hours and the next time I plug in my drive it does a backup on the spot.
if Time Machine misses a backup (i.e. backup drive isn't plugged in), it apparently notes this and will backup as soon as you plug in the drive. if I'm gone all day, as soon as I plug it in, it backs up