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Time machine size
- Thread starter Tulani
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It should be at least as large as your typical used space, but the rule of thumb is 2x the size your source drive. The more space available above and beyond your used space, the further back in time Time Machine can store older versions and keep file backups (in case you delete something and need to retrieve it).
I had a 1 terabyte backup drive for my 1 terabyte source and when the computer had 400 gb of data it filled it quickly and I began getting error messages stating time machine could not complete due to insufficient space. I would say 2x the size of the original drive that gr8tfly mentioned would be the absolute minimum. the larger the better. it makes sense if you think about it. Time machine keeps a history of your files. if you had a 1:1 backup it would fill the drive with no history data.
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No it does not. All you need is a drive large enough to hold the amount of data you expect to have on the Mac, plus a cushion for storing some versions of files. 1.5 to 2X the size of the amount of data is plenty.