I have a 7TB TM backup disk that's about 70 percent full. A second machine was added to it a year ago that is not needed on this backup. How can I purge it? An earlier "accepted answer" is to erase the whole disk and start again. This is unacceptable and kinda weird for the world's richest computer company.
iMac 21.5″
Several systems ago we had the capability of entering TM, selecting a file/folder and removing all occurrences of it in all backups. Unfortunately that capability has been removed. Tell Apple what missing features you'd like restored via Feedback - macOS - Apple.
Several systems ago we had the capability of entering TM, selecting a file/folder and removing all occurrences of it in all backups. Unfortunately that capability has been removed. Tell Apple what missing features you'd like restored via Feedback - macOS - Apple.
There have been numerous topics here where users have tried to remove individual folders or devices from TM drive and couldn't empty the Trash bin.
Are your drives formatted OS X Extended (journaled) or APFS. It may have been able to do so with the former format but APFS has changed it to a read only for the user and they can't delete from the drive.
I wish Pondini was still with us. He was the ultimate Time Machine guru and if he were alive today I'm sure would be on top of whatever is going on with TM today.
You can't delete any files from a TM backup drive with the Finder. It's a read only drive for the user, Read and Write for the system. As more backups are made and if additional space is required TM will delete the oldest backups to make room for the new backups.
OR if you do not have any files on the backup drive that are not on the drives being backed up you can erase the TM drive, format it APFS and start over with a new, empty drive. The first backup can take a very long time. I just did that and for about 2 TB of data it took around 6 hours to complete and this was from SSD drives to an SSD TM drive. So patience is definitely a virtue and a necessity.
Thanks, Old Toad, but referring back to my original question, I see it was too terse. I know where the files are on the Time Machine 7 TB easystore disk. I had read your earlier answer (discussion closed) and was dismayed that I must essentially trash the old backups and reformat the disk or buy another one -- a frequent apple response to programming difficulties: erase the computer/drive/whatever and start over, a solution I've encountered countless times since system 7. I think I will be happier with alternative backup methods. Thanks for getting back to me and setting me straight on the utility of this utility.
jay
Each backup set on the Time Machine backup drive, should have a computer name associated with it.
Depending on what file format the drive is in, using the Finder, it should be something like:
Hi @Old Toad
Hmm, so you had me curious.
I have a couple WD My Passport drives that I have used for Time Machine backups. One was for the current Mac I writing this on, and another for a completely different Mac.
Using Finder, I can easily see the TM's Backups.backupd "folder" on it. Again, within that folder is a sub-folder with the name of the Mac computer that was backed up.
Regardless, I can delete either backup set from the Finder app. I did not come across any permissions issues doing so. However, I did not try deleting individual files within those sets as I was always told would corrupt the set and not make them useable again.
Not disagreeing with you, just can't duplicate what you are saying.
It's standard Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled) (actually 8 TB, not 7).
I really admired Pondini. We had quite a bit of correspondence many many years ago. As I said, I've been at Mac land since 1988, I think. Mac+ and a 20MB seagate that I could never possibly fill ... managed to brick it, though.
Jay
Here’s what I’m dealing with. TM backs to easy store, a 7TB WD machine
Started off backing up home machine “Bunk” after my house burned down.
2020-10-31-232448
Bunk
After I upgraded to ?? System shortly thereafter, between Jan. 18, 2021 and Jan. 26, the
2021-01-26-212208
Bunk
Macintosh HD
Macintosh HD - Data
Recovery
That turned into
2021-02-16-071405
Bunk 1
KPJay
Macintosh HD - Data
Recovery
And then to:
2021-05-11-200526
Macintosh HD - Data
Recovery
And stayed that way until
2022-04-02-153120
Bunk 1
Frederica
Macintosh HD - Data
Recovery
I haven’t done full forensics to compare the data on both backups, but they are roughly the same, particularly with applications. I have a full set of duplicated apps on both bunk and Macintosh HD - Data, which by now add up to a buncha TBs.
Reappear with a new machine and persist today.
A screenshot of folder layout:
Yes, Pondini was an incredible asset for anything Time Machine. He is sorely missed.
To answer your question, one is formatted for HFS+, and the other, APFS. I don't have access to the latter drive at the moment, but I can verify that I can still access the TM backup set on the HFS+ drive and delete it.
Yes, removing it from the Trash does take a considerable amount of time, but it will delete.
When I get a chance I will try the same with the AFPS-formatted drive and provide my results.
Yes, and ... ?
... and, now that you know where they are located, you can delete them.
Removing files from time machine backup disk
