I have a 2 TB external drive that is used to backup my iMac (2017) Catalina. This drive is now full. Must I get a new bigger drive to backup my computer, or can I delete some of the backup files to make more room on the current backup drive
iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 10.15
Time Machine will automatically delete the oldest backup when it needs additional space for the next backup. Do not try to delete any files from the TM drive via the Finder. That will cause you to erase the TM drive and start over in order to empty the Trash bin in the Dock.
If you run into problems on your next backup run Disk Utility's First Aid on the TM drive. It will take much, much longer than on a regular drive due to the complex ecosystem of file permissions and hard links. My 6TB drive took about 4-5 hours.
If you decide to get a larger capacity HD please use the following so you don' t lose your older backup info:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202380
Thanks for your explanation. I shall just leave it there then and see what happens next.
Thanks again. I will certainly do that, and also consider getting a larger backup disk.
If you do get a replacement drive seriously consider OWC's Mercury Elite Pro series. Very reliable hardware, excellent customer support and good warranties which are seriously honored.
backup disk is full
