Time Machine Backup

[winty03]

Good Morning all, had a couple of questions/guidenence needed redoing my backup plan. I just added a new Synology NAS box (RAID 5) to my network which I am doing all my Time Machine backups to. (1-iMac & 2-MBP)

Is there a way to completely remove the Time Capsule DB/files from the previous/old drive I used to run the time machine on? I don't want to format the drive completely because there is other data on there I need, but would like to free up the space that the time machine used running those backups?

I know you can go into time machine and using the gear, remove complete dates and or complete files/folders from ever exsiting on the backups...but how do you nuke the whole backup db?

Browsing the drive via finder, I don't see any of the TM backup folders/files...are they hidden?

Thanks

 

[Macman45]

You should see a folder titled "Backups.backupdb" In that are all the backups that were ever written to the drive....Delete it and the are all gone....FOREVER, so make sure you want them gone...Deleting that folder will leave the rest of your data intact, but you will need to make sure that TM is pointed at the new location for your backups.

 

[winty03]

Looking through the old drive I don't see any folder named that?

Ya I have the machines setup and running on the new NAS and that seems to complete the backup and run fine. Im able to "go back in time" and see changes to the backed up folders.

I don't think I mentioned that the external drive is Apples time capsule. I am opening finder, entering the password the time capule is prompting me and then Im in. I see all my files I expect to tbe there, but the Backups.backupdb folder is not there.

It looks like/sounds like via network, wired or wireless, that folder is inside a spare bundle located on the time capsule. But thats not visable either....Im running OS X Lion on all machines....

UPDATE: Starting Time Machine via the iMac it seems to mount to the sparsebundle, because finder inside Time Machine has a mount that has a folder called Backups.backupdb and a folder named iMac with all the backups listed. So now my issue, is how do I reach or view that folder on the Time capsule when I am no longer running my backups to it? It seems to be hidden until/or unless you open it via Tmie Machine App