Time Machine Monitoring 'Changes' To Files

[duncyboy]

Hello there

Long story short I may be using my Mac's external USB drive, temporarily, for another purpose and will be moving the files off it to empty the drive. Once I'm done, I'll be putting the files back on the drive EXACTLY the same as before.

However, because the 'modified' or 'last changed' date on the files will have changed because they've been moved- the next time Time Machine runs it'll want to back-up everything all over again won't it?

Even though the files are the same, some of the Metadata will be altered and so TM'll back those up from scratch I suspect?

Thanks for any advice- I'm 90% certain that'll be how it works but haven't been able to find a definitive answer.

 

[miles01110]

If TM is also backing up your external USB drive then yes, it will most likely register the move/replace as a change.

 

[duncyboy]

If TM is also backing up your external USB drive then yes, it will most likely register the move/replace as a change.

Yeah, I thought that'd be the case- never mind, not the end of the world.

I'll probably have to start a fresh TM back-up come September with Snow Leopard anyways so not that big a problem.

Thanks for the reply

 

[ChrisA]

I'll probably have to start a fresh TM back-up come September with Snow Leopard

Why would you do that?

The best why to use TM is to give it a disk that is 1.5 or 2 times the size of all your data and then forget about TM.

 

[duncyboy]

Why would you do that?

Because I won't be able to use my Leopard back-up with Snow Leopard. Granted the TM 'image' of my external drive will still be perfectly applicable but the iMac 'image' would be largely redundant because of the OS change.