time machine is great and all...but...

[Dammit Cubs]

The fact that your drive is read only kinda bothers me. Since time machine backs up EVERYTHING, it can get pretty big. and there are files that time machine is backing up that I don't want backed up. Like download programs which I have another drive I use to back up that information.

I wish I can go back in TIME and delete the file I want to delete so it doesn't ever show up again in time machine.

is that possible? Im trying a test with a text file I wrote since when I first got my computer. I can't get rid of in time machine and its taking up space on my drive. (i have a 160 gig portable drive of which 50 gigs was allocated for time machine).

 

[HLdan]

When setting up TM it gives you the option to point to exactly what you prefer to have backed up like say your iTunes collection only.
At this point your best to erase the drive and start over and set it up to back up what you need only.

 

[Dammit Cubs]

When setting up TM it gives you the option to point to exactly what you prefer to have backed up like say your iTunes collection only.
At this point your best to erase the drive and start over and set it up to back up what you need only.

oh, so you can opt out of saving a certain folder?

 

[koobcamuk]

I wouldn't use time machine... reasons like this make me think my current backup method is best.

 

[QuarterSwede]

oh, so you can opt out of saving a certain folder?

Yep, System Preferences > Time Machine > Options ... > + Box. It's that easy.

I wouldn't use time machine... reasons like this make me think my current backup method is best.

Why not? It's basically set it and forget it. If you want to backup other things (media maybe) to the same external drive just partition it. Hard drives are dirt cheap these days so it's not like storage is an issue.

 

[Hydramus]

It is possible to delete something from Time Machine too. Just select the file and click on that cog button and there should be an option like "Delete all backups of "[filename]"".

 

[SaSaSushi]

It is possible to delete something from Time Machine too. Just select the file and click on that cog button and there should be an option like "Delete all backups of "[filename]"".

Yeah, Apple doesn't make this obvious at all. I only recently became aware of the option to delete files permanently from Time Machine. Before that I actually went through the hassle of deleting the backup file and recreating it once. Knowing this makes Time Machine a MUCH better option.

 

[emptyCup]

I wish I can go back in TIME and delete the file I want to delete so it doesn't ever show up again in time machine.

You have your answer. Personally, though, I think it is foolish to try to predict what you are going to want in the future. If it is worth keeping on your drive, it is worth backing up. If you never use something, and don't think it is worth saving, delete it. Eventually Time machine will purge it from it's files. With only 50 GB allocated to Time Machine this should not take long.

It amazes me that, formerly, 92% of Mac users never backed up regularly. Now they all want to fine tune their backups.

 

[SaSaSushi]

You have your answer. Personally, though, I think it is foolish to try to predict what you are going to want in the future. If it is worth keeping on your drive, it is worth backing up. If you never use something, and don't think it is worth saving, delete it. Eventually Time machine will purge it from it's files. With only 50 GB allocated to Time Machine this should not take long.

It amazes me that, formerly, 92% of Mac users never backed up regularly. Now they all want to fine tune their backups.

I think this is probably not far from the truth. That said, I'm not sure I would classify Time Machine as a "backup" program. Like you said, depending on how much HDD you are allocating to Time Machine it's not going to be "backing up" for long.

If you have precious data you want to back up permanently you should still be using a true backup solution like SuperDuper.

I have 400GB of a 500GB external F/W 400 HDD allotted to Time Machine and I am just approaching 200GB total after the one month point (from 10/27).

Since just deleting a huge file in the present that I KNOW I will never have need of again does not free up that space from the backed up Time Machine data automatically I very much appreciate the option of being able to delete it from Time Machine manually.

 

[Dammit Cubs]

yeah so for now....i disabled backup of the downloads folder.

What I really am trying to stop is duplicate files. If I download a large software program say 1 GB and the install it. If Time Machine Backs up, thats 2 GIGS if space its really taking up. When I was going to get rid of the .dmg file or put it in my other storage drive. Time Machine is great and i reason i want to use it is in the event of a HD meltdown. but most of my stuff will be backed to a portable hard drive. I don't think i'll put movies or music on my native drive.

But from time to time, i will put files on my comptuer to do temporary work on them. These files I don't want saved.

I'll think of a solution.

If anyone knows another solution where your macbook will change privelages to delete any file(s) on the time machine backup. That would be great.