Time Machine Basic Q

[thesneekytiki]

Hey all:

I've been very reluctant to set up time machine but am looking more and more to it because I'm tired of "click drag delete" every time I change something.

What I would like to do is have Time Machine ONLY copy my personal files; pics, video, docs. Most if not all can be found by simply clicking my name on the HD in finder. I do not want to make copies of ALL programs and ALL changes that have been made by daily use from things like internet. So when I go to reinstall I will use my boot disks and then use Time Machine to just bring back my personal files.

Thanks for your help!

 

[JediMeister]

If you open up the System Preferences pane for Time Machine, you can click on Options and set Time Machine to exclude /Applications, /System, /Library, and that way it'll just back up the Users folder.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/15622.html

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

You can just select the file/folder and press cmd + delete. it will move the file/folder to the trash, and a further shift + option/alt + cmd + delete will bypass the empty trash confirmation dialog to empty the trash.

 

[gnasher729]

What I would like to do is have Time Machine ONLY copy my personal files; pics, video, docs. Most if not all can be found by simply clicking my name on the HD in finder. I do not want to make copies of ALL programs and ALL changes that have been made by daily use from things like internet. So when I go to reinstall I will use my boot disks and then use Time Machine to just bring back my personal files.

Well, you can do that quite easily, but why?

 

[thesneekytiki]

I would want to do this because I am under the impression that daily use of a computer, internet (mostly), and possible other threats will change the system files. These changes will then be backed up and when I go for a reinstall these will just come back making my reinstall useless.

Thanks again

 

[Colonel Badger]

I would want to do this because I am under the impression that daily use of a computer, internet (mostly), and possible other threats will change the system files. These changes will then be backed up and when I go for a reinstall these will just come back making my reinstall useless.

Thanks again

However, Time Machine is Ancestral meaning you can go back BEFORE your system files change and restore if you so desire. You can restore your system to a state at a particular date in time.

 

[vansouza]

I think the kind of result you fear from those internet threats are near zero in real life terms. That being said I use NetBarrier to make sure it stays within the zero range.

 

[thesneekytiki]

Thanks for the suggestion of NetBarrier. I am taking a look at it now. As for time machine, There is no proper way to tell when things could have gone wrong. It's just simply guessing. I like the idea of Time Machine but for my preference I think just backing up my personal files is the way I will do it for now.

Thx all for your help!