Does Time machine keep any old backups? I'm using a MacBook with Snow Leopard backing up to a 1TB HDD whick is already full so I think new backups are replacing older. I want to free a lot of space on the internal HDD but don't want to lose the old files. I notice there is a back up from near the time I started. Will this remain permanently as intermediate backups are replaced by newer or will it too disappear in time? What is the system, please? Many thanks indeed, groper.
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Timemachine - old backups
- Thread starter Groper
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You can set Time Machine to "notify after old backups are deleted." If I understand your question correctly, don't delete files on your internal drive to free up space in hopes of retaining said files in your backup. That defeats the purpose of backing up. 
Straight from Time Machine pref: "The oldest backups are deleted when your disk becomes full."
Straight from Time Machine pref: "The oldest backups are deleted when your disk becomes full."
Time Machine will always keep a backup of files that are still resident on your computer. Do not delete files from your HDD thinking that TM will keep a backup, because TM will eventually delete old backups of files that have been deleted from your computer's HDD.
It's important to realize that Time Machine is a backup tool, not an archiving tool.
It's important to realize that Time Machine is a backup tool, not an archiving tool.
At this time, users are not able to "flag" backups to prevent deletion. Time Machine is designed for simplicity, but if you need an alternative solution, I'd recommend Carbon Copy Cloner.
The way you flag something so that it isn't deleted from Time Machine is to keep it on your computer. You are asking for the ability to archive files using Time Machine. It isn't an archival tool, it is a backup tool. It saves backups of files that are on your computer.
If you want to archive stuff, then delete them from your computer, you need a different tool other than Time Machine.
You also have to understand that Time Machine doesn't really keep multiple backups--it is more like one big backup that is updated every time it is run--and nothing is ever removed from that backup unless the disc runs out of space. Then Time Machine will go in and remove data that is the oldest--and no longer on your computer--to make room.