Time Machine can be a life-saver. Use it to automatically back up your Mac to an external hard drive and never again will you have to worry about losing a file or your Mac’s hard drive falling. All your files will be safe and sound, and regularly backed up so that the most up-to-date version of each file is always available to you.
What’s brilliant, too, is that it’s incredibly easy to set up: all you need to do is plug in an external hard drive, then switch on Time Machine from the System Preferences panel. Once it has been activated, the app will automatically save all the files on your Mac to the backup drive and update them whenever they’re changed.
But there are a few tips and tricks you can use to make the system even better. Whether it’s slimming down your backups. Ignoring certain files or securing your backups with a password, there are plenty of ways to power up Time Machine. Read on to optimise your machine and make sure all your files are safe – for good.
‘Time Machine will automatically save all the files on your Mac and update them whenever they’re changed
Pick the files to miss “Time Machine out of space”
When you’re backing up to an external drive, It’s an Inevitability that you’ll eventually run out of space. Fortunately, Time Machine automatically deletes old files in order to make space for new ones. But there are some files that you might not want to save, or just might not
need to have backed up in the first place. These might Include a variety of things such as work files that are already saved elsewhere. To remove them, simply click on the Options button in System Preferences, then click the’+’ button and select the folder you want to exclude
- On or off
Remember, you can switch on Time Machine at any time In the System Preferences panel – and this Is also where you switch It off again
- Get help
If you need any extra help with Time Machine at any point, just click this question mark Icon and you’ll get a dedicated help window. You can get details quickly by clicking the Time Machine icon in the menu bar. You can see the last backup, and the disk used
Restore from a backup
Rescue your Mac with Time Machine. There’s a good reason why we would always advise readers to back up their devices, whether It’s a Mac, iPhone or iPad. But with your Mac it’s especially important you can have irreplaceable photos, videos and documents stored on your Mac, which could all be lost without a backup. Fortunately, Time Machine allows you to restore a broken Mac, or move your data onto a new Mac, without losing a thing – simply plug it in and follow the on screen Instructions.
Encrypt your backups
Secure your data with a password. Some external disks support data encryption for your backups, so if you’re at all worried about your data being safe when It’s being backed up, this Is a great way to add some additional security to your hard drive.
To do it, all you need to do is open the Time Machine section of System Preferences, click on Select Disk, then highlight your disk. If its supported, click the Tncrypt option and you’ll be prompted to choose a password. Just make sure you don’t forget it!
Manage Time Machine Backups
Ensure your backups always run smoothly. You can add more than one backup disk to your Time Machine If you wish. This will allow you to always be sure that your backups will run on time, even if your primary disk isn’t plugged in 24/7. Plus, it’s great for scheduling multiple backups, in case one ever fails.
In order to do this, simply choose Select Disk in the Time Machine section of System Preferences, and select any additional available disks that you want to use.
Speed it up
Get faster backups with an improved connection. Big backups can take a long time – that’s just the way data transfers work. But if you want to shorten backup times and stop a Time Machine cycle taking hours, your best bet is to change your connection. Modern Macs offer both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connections, both of which offer high-speed data transfer. Grab a fast external hard drive and use these connections and you’ll find that your data will be saved to the drive much more quickly than with other connec