backup disk is full

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

Posted on Jun 12, 2020 2:15 PM

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Posted on Jun 12, 2020 2:43 PM

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.


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Jun 12, 2020 2:43 PM in response to Hopzane

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.


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Jun 13, 2020 9:20 AM in response to Hopzane

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.

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backup disk is full

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