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Time Machine filling up HDD & deleting old backups

  • 18-01-2010 1:04pm
    #1
    silvine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,132 ✭✭✭


    I've come across a few threads about this but no definitive answer.

    I've a 500GB external drive hooked up to my 500GB mac. Time Machine keeps saying it's running out of space but I can't see anyway to delete my old backups.

    The help file keeps telling me that Time Machine will delete the old backups automatically (it's not doing this).

    I can't even see anything in Time Machine preferences beyond a facility for excluding folders and prompt box if I want to be notified when Time Machine does delete old backups (I ticked this but it didn't make a difference).

    Any ideas?


Comments

  • #2
    steppen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 323 ✭✭steppen


    As far as I know, the rule of thumb with time machine is to have a drive that is twice as large as the one you are backing up.

    i have a 160gb harddrive on my macbook, but time machine uses about 320 out of the 500gb i have for the back up.

    i'd say you need to get a bigger drive for your back ups


  • #3
    silvine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,132 ✭✭✭silvine


    I've been using the HDD for over a year with no problems until now. It always seemed to delete the old backups. I can't really afford a bigger drive anyway.


  • #4
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,693 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    In my experience TM is initially a bit finicky about having to delete old backups. It hassled me quite a bit when it first ran out of space. I just kept telling it to backup until it worked. It deletes the old backups fine now. TM is great but there's still a lot of tweaking needed.


  • #5
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    Sad Professor wrote: »
    In my experience TM is initially a bit finicky about having to delete old backups. It hassled me quite a bit when it first ran out of space. I just kept telling it to backup until it worked. It deletes the old backups fine now. TM is great but there's still a lot of tweaking needed.
    I use Time Machine with a Time Capsule, and it works a little differently for me. When the disk is about to fill up, Airport Utility starts prompting me to clear some space unless I start deleting things or tell it to ignore it (more commonly done). Time Machine usually takes care of itself after that.


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