use same external hard drive time machine 2 macs

And since Time Machine only backs up data instead of the entire hard drive, restoring an entire system is relatively slower.ĭespite this minor shortcoming, Time Machine is a reliable, user-friendly, and economical way to back up your files.

That said, similar backup systems like ChronoSync offer slightly more comprehensive backups. Select the storage disk you’ve just connected, then click ‘Use Disk’Īlthough there are various other backup systems for Mac, Time Machine is one of the more practical options for users who value simplicity, convenience, and reliability.If Time Machine doesn’t automatically pop up when you connect an external storage disk, go to Time Machine via System Preferences or click the Apple icon on the upper left corner of the menu bar, click System Preferences > Time Machine.Click ‘Use as Backup Disk’ (It’s recommended that you click Encrypt Backup Disk before you do so, in order to set up a password for accessing your backup).Go to System Preferences > Time Machine.Connect an external storage device (or macOS server) to your Mac.To use Time Machine, you only need an external storage drive such as a USB, an SSD card, or any storage device that can be plugged into your Mac. And if you’re backing up data from several Mac computers, there’s no need to use a separate device for each Mac, provided it has enough space for all files. In case you’re replacing a Mac, you can easily copy all your files from your old computer to the new one, with your settings, files, and folders intact. So if you need to retrieve a version of a file with changes made on Day 2, you can do so even after you’ve made several changes on the file from Days 3-5 because Time Machine stores multiple copies of the file from Days 1-5. Let’s say you’ve been working on a file for five days: Time Machine has periodically created backups of the changes you made every day. These scheduled backups don’t replace previously saved files rather, they only save the changes you’ve made to a file. If you’re concerned about storage space running out fast because of the frequent backups, don’t worry.

It makes regular periodic backups in the following intervals: Time Machine is a backup system software for Macs that run on Mac OS X Leopard or later.

What is Time Machine and why should you use it? When these happen, the Time Machine is your friend to restore your data. And like any other computer, Macs aren’t invulnerable to coffee spills, theft, and crashes. There’s a popular belief that Macs are the most reliable computer brand because they are less likely to get viruses or crash often – but they do.

Use same external hard drive time machine 2 macs