In order to use the program, it needs to be purchased and activated first.
What's new in The Time Machine Mechanic (T2M2) 1.15: n case you missed the news, beta-testers of Big Sur have revealed that macOS 11.0 can save its backups to APFS volumes, indeed those are now the preferred format for backup stores for both local and network Time Machine backups. Download Mac Time Capsule - A reliable application that allows you to transform your Windows computer into a backup location for the data stored in a Mac station, through Time Machine. Watch the best movies and TV shows on Popcorn Time instantly in HD, with subtitles, for free! Download now for Mac OS X 10.9 and Above. Apple has changed the behavior of Time Machine in Mac OS 10.9.4. When preparing a new drive with 10.9.4, Time Machine will change the attributes of the partition so that only the operating system and Time Machine can modify the drive (users are read only).
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Time Machine is the built-in backup utility of Macs. Aside from being free, it offers a simple way to back up all your files and programs and move them to another Mac as needed. However, as the contents of your Mac increases, they also require bigger backup space. When there is not sufficient storage for the backup file, Time Machine backup process may be interrupted or worse, corrupted. Of course, for every tech problem, there’s a solution. In this article, we will walk you through the measures to take when Time Machine for Mac fails due to lack of space. We’ll also show you how to reduce the size of your Time Machine backup file.
What to Do When Time Machine Backup Fails
As your Mac’s content grows in number and size, you are likely to see the following messages more often when Time Machine tries to back up your computer:
This backup is too large for the backup disk Time Machine could not complete the backup Back up requires _ GB but only _ GB are available
All of these messages mean that there is not enough space for Time Machine to perform its function. To the uninformed, the first solution that may come to mind is to get a new hard drive. However, that’s not entirely necessary. There are two workarounds you can try:
Delete older backup files
Change some information on the current backup so it will require less space
By the way, before you back up your Mac, take note of these reminders:
Do not copy data, files, and information that you can practically do without to your backup drive as they will only consume storage space.
Do not copy data, files, and information to your backup drive that will automatically be backed up by Time Machine anyway.
Check if more than one Mac is using the drive you intend to use for backup. It is particularly necessary if you’re using a shared network attached storage (NAS) drive.
Deleting Old Time Machine Backups to Free Up Space
By default, Time Machine automatically deletes the oldest backup files whenever it creates a new one or when it detects that the disk assigned to it is already full. However, there will be times when you will have to do it manually yourself, especially when you are trying to back up a lot of information. Usually, when a user hasn’t made a Time Machine backup for a while, the resulting backup file will be huge. Moreover, even if Time Machine automatically deletes some of the older backups, the more recent ones might be left behind.
If you have a spare drive to use for the backup, you can use that. But if you don’t, then the easiest way to free up some space is to delete old backup files that Time Machine was unable to delete automatically. Here’s how to do it:
Connect the drive to your Mac. Typically, it will mount on the Desktop.
Open the drive to view the contents in Finder.
Click on the folder with the name Backups.backups.
The folders of the backed up files will be listed from oldest to newest.
Select a folder/s you want to delete. It’s best to delete the oldest ones since you probably don’t need them any longer.
Right-click or control-click on the folder. Click on Move to Trash.
A warning that reads “You can’t undo this action. Do you want to move the backup to the Trash anyway?” will pop up. Click on Continue.
Type in your password if asked.
To make sure that the folder is completely deleted from the drive, go to the Trash. If you still see the folder/s there, right-click on it, then click Delete Immediately.
Confirm that you want to delete the folder/s. Type in your password again when asked.
Warnings that say it cannot be deleted because it or the drive is in use may pop up. Just click on skip and continue deleting.
Here’s another way to delete old Time Machine backup files:
Click on your drive’s icon on the Desktop to see its contents in Finder.
In the menu bar, click on Time Machine, then Enter Time Machine.
Locate the backup you want to delete. Click on it.
Click on the gear icon, then click on Delete All Backups of (folder name).
A pop-up warning will show, asking if you’re sure you want to delete all backups of the selected folder permanently. Confirm the action by clicking OK.
Enter your password when asked.
Deleting a Large File From a Backup
If you’re not comfortable with deleting an entire backup, but you believe that there is a huge file or folder that you don’t necessarily need yet was backed up by Time Machine, you can delete that instead of getting rid of the entire backup folder. Here’s how to do that:
While the drive is connected to your Mac, open it in Finder.
Find the item you want to delete from the backup folders.
Click on Time Machine in the menu bar, then Enter Time Machine.
Navigate to the time of backup that you want to delete, then click on the gear icon.
Click Delete Backup.
Type in your password when asked.
Excluding Items From Your Backup to Reduce Backup Size
If you want to keep the size of your Time Machine backup in check, you may specify which items to back up and which ones to ignore. To exclude items from being backed up by Time Machine, do these steps:
Click Time Machine in the Finder menu.
Click on Open Time Machine Preferences, then click on Options.
You should see a list of items that are automatically excluded when you create a Time Machine backup.
Click on the (+) icon to add more items to exclude from Time Machine backup.
Other Tips to Keep Time Machine Backup Size Small
To make sure that you don’t encounter any more problems during Time Machine back up related to lack of sufficient storage space, consider these tips:
Do not back up your entire music library. Instead, sign up for iTunes Match. This way, your music library will be backed up in iCloud, allowing you to access your music anywhere.
Instead of backing up photos in Time Machine, sign up for iCloud Photo Library.
Make it a habit to clear your Mac of junk so that they won’t be included in your Time Machine backup. Apps such as Tweakbit MacRepair can help you get rid of junk in just one click.
If you’re running into errors and your system is suspiciously slow, your computer needs some maintenance work. Download Outbyte PC Repair for Windows, Outbyte Antivirus for Windows, or Outbyte MacRepair for macOS to resolve common computer performance issues. Fix computer troubles by downloading the compatible tool for your device. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy Policy Outbyte.
If you used Time Machine to create a backup of your Mac, you can restore your files from that backup or a local snapshot on your startup disk. You might want to restore your files after the originals were deleted from your Mac, or the hard disk (or SSD) in your Mac was erased or replaced, such as during a repair.
Restore from a Time Machine backup
When you restore from a Time Machine backup, you can choose to restore all your files, or restore both the Mac operating system (macOS) and all your files.
Restore all your files
Make sure that your Time Machine backup disk is connected to your Mac and turned on. Then turn on your Mac.
Open Migration Assistant, which in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
If your Mac starts up to a setup assistant, which asks for details like your country, keyboard, and network, just continue to the next step. The setup assistant includes a migration assistant.
If your Mac doesn't start up all the way, or you also want to restore the macOS you were using when you created the backup, follow the steps to restore both macOS and your files.
When you're asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk. Then click Continue.
Select your Time Machine backup, then click Continue.
If you're asked to choose from a list of backups organized by date and time, choose a backup and click Continue.
Select the information to transfer, then click Continue to start the transfer. This screen might look different on your Mac:
If you have a lot of content, the transfer might take several hours to finish. When the transfer is complete, restart your Mac and log in to the migrated account to see its files.
Restore both macOS and your files
These steps erase your hard disk, then use your backup to restore both your files and the specific version of macOS you were using when you created the backup.
Make sure that your Time Machine backup disk is connected and turned on. If your backup disk isn't available, keep going: You might be able to restore from a local snapshot on your startup disk.
Turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold Command (⌘)-R to start up from macOS Recovery. Release the keys when you see the Apple logo or spinning globe.
When you see the macOS Utilities window, choose the option to restore from a Time Machine Backup.
Click Continue until you're asked to select a restore source, then select your Time Machine backup disk. Or select your startup disk (Macintosh HD), which might have a local snapshot you can restore from.
Click Continue. If your disk is encrypted, you're asked to unlock the disk: Enter the administrator password you used when setting up Time Machine, then click Continue again.
Select a backup, if available, then click Continue.
Select a destination disk, which will receive the contents of your backup. If restoring from a local snapshot, you aren't asked to select a destination.
Click Restore or Continue. If your Mac has FileVault turned on, you're asked to enter your administrator password to unlock the disk.
When done, restart your Mac.
Apple Time Machine Software
Restore specific files
Learn how to use Time Machine to restore specific files, including older versions of your files.
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What to do if you can't restore with Time Machine. If you need help, contact Apple Support.