Resolved Time Machine help (backing up an external SSD)

[Webcat86]

I use TM to back up my Mac, but want to also start including an external drive that I store videos on.

In TM settings I've found the "exclude from backups" setting, and the external drive is shown, but it won't let me click the - icon.

The external drive is formatted as exFAT and Sharing & Permissions says I have "custom access"

Can anyone advise on how I can start including this drive in TM please?

 

[kitKAC]

Time Machine only backs up your Boot disk. If you want to back up a connected drive, you can use Backblaze to back it up online (or get another external drive to clone it on too).

 

[Webcat86]

Time Machine only backs up your Boot disk. If you want to back up a connected drive, you can use Backblaze to back it up online (or get another external drive to clone it on too).

I don’t think that’s true. There are online tutorials for doing it and the option to stop excluding an external drive appears for me, it’s just greyed out

 

[kitKAC]

Do you have a link to one of those please?

EDIT: Sorry, I might have misread your post, do you want to use the drive as an extra TM target to back up too?

 

[MarkC426]

I use TM to back up my Mac, but want to also start including an external drive that I store videos on.

In TM settings I've found the "exclude from backups" setting, and the external drive is shown, but it won't let me click the - icon.

The external drive is formatted as exFAT and Sharing & Permissions says I have "custom access"

Can anyone advise on how I can start including this drive in TM please?

Time Machine can backup external/internal drives.
Can you not select the drive and click the minus to remove it from the excluded list…..?

Try ejecting the external and re-connecting.

Your TM will usually show as excluded (itself) with no option to remove from the list.
Have you set the other external drive as a TM drive at some point..?

 

[Apple_Robert]

The reason it won't work is because your external drive is ExFat.

 

[Webcat86]

The reason it won't work is because your external drive is ExFat.

Thanks, I had wondered. What does it need to be?

 

[Apple_Robert]

Thanks, I had wondered. What does it need to be?

It needs to be a Mac compatible format (IE. Journaled, Extended Journaled etc.) I suggest using Journaled.

 

[Webcat86]

Do you have a link to one of those please?

EDIT: Sorry, I might have misread your post, do you want to use the drive as an extra TM target to back up too?

No it’s a drive I keep additional files on and want to include it in my daily back ups

Have you set the other external drive as a TM drive at some point..?

no it’s brand new and I just moved some files onto it

 

[Webcat86]

It needs to be a Mac compatible format (IE. Journaled, Extended Journaled etc.) I suggest using Journaled.

Are there any limitations that I need to know of, like any file formats the drive won’t be able to accept?

 

[MarkC426]

Are there any limitations that I need to know of, like any file formats the drive won’t be able to accept?

No, you shouldn’t have any problems with files.
It’s only if you wanted to share the drive with a Windows machine.

You will have to format the drive in either HFS+ or APFS format then copy your data back.

File system formats available in Disk Utility on Mac

In Disk Utility on your Mac, format disks or volumes using Apple File System (APFS), Mac OS Extended, MS-DOS (FAT) and ExFAT.

support.apple.com

 

[Webcat86]

No, you shouldn’t have any problems with files.
It’s only if you wanted to share the drive with a Windows machine.

You will have to format the drive in either HFS+ or APFS format then copy your data back.

File system formats available in Disk Utility on Mac

In Disk Utility on your Mac, format disks or volumes using Apple File System (APFS), Mac OS Extended, MS-DOS (FAT) and ExFAT.

support.apple.com

Perfect, thanks, this has fixed it — formatted as APFS and it's now included in my TM backups

 

[MallardDuck]

It needs to be a Mac compatible format (IE. Journaled, Extended Journaled etc.) I suggest using Journaled.

No, it should be APFS if it's an SSD - vastly more efficient filesystem.

 

[nathansz]

Time Machine only backs up your Boot disk. If you want to back up a connected drive, you can use Backblaze to back it up online (or get another external drive to clone it on too).

This is absolutely incorrect