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Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac
Time Machine is the built-in backup feature of OS X. To use it, you need one of these external storage solutions, sold separately: External hard drive connected to a USB, FireWire, or Thunderbolt port on your Mac Time Capsule or OS X Server on your network External hard drive connected to the USB port of an AirPort Extreme base station on your network When you connect an external hard drive directly to your Mac, you might be asked if you want to use the drive to back up with Time Machine . Click “Use as Backup Disk.” If you select the option to encrypt, your backups will be accessible only to users with the password. If Time Machine doesn't ask you to choose a backup disk: Open Time Machine preferences from the Time Machine menu in the menu bar. Or choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Time Machine . Click Select Backup Disk. Select an external hard drive, Time Capsule, or other storage solution from the list, then click Use Disk. After you choose a backup disk, optionally click “Add or Remove Backup Disk” to add more backup disks for extra security and convenience.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250OS X El Capitan: Back up your files with Time Machine
Back up your files with Time Machine Back up with Time Machine With Time Machine , you can back up your entire Mac, including system files, apps, music, photos, emails, and documents. When Time Machine is turned on, it automatically backs up your Mac and performs hourly, daily, and weekly backups of your files. When you use Time Machine on a portable computer, Time Machine not only keeps a copy of everything on your backup disk, it also saves “local snapshots” of files that have changed on your internal disk, so you can recover previous versions. These local snapshots are made hourly unless you turn Time Machine off, and they’re stored on your portable computer’s internal disk. If you accidentally delete or change a file, you can use Time Machine to recover it. Even though Time Machine creates local snapshots on your portable computer, you should also back up your files to a location other than your internal disk, such as an external hard disk, a disk on your network, or a Time Capsule. That way, if anything ever happens to your internal disk or to your Mac, you can restore your entire system to another Mac and get all your information back where it belongs in no time. Connect an external hard disk to your Mac and turn it on. You’re asked if you want to use the disk to back up your Mac. Click Use As Backup Disk, then follow the instructions in Time Machine preferences. To open Time Machine preferences, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Time Machine . Choose a backup disk and set encryption options Disks you can use with Time Machine Start, pause, and resume a Time Machine backup Restore items backed up with Time Machine Keep your Time Machine backup disk secure
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21939?locale=en_USOS X El Capitan: Recover items using Time Machine and Spotlight
Recover items using Time Machine and Spotlight If you use Time Machine to back up your Mac, you can use Spotlight to initiate a search of Time Machine to recover lost or deleted items. Note: In apps that let you create and save documents, such as TextEdit and Preview, you can also retrieve earlier versions of documents from within the app. For more information, see View and restore past versions of documents. Open a Finder window and type a search word or phrase in the search field in the upper-right corner. Refine the results by specifying search criteria using the search bar. Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choose Enter Time Machine . If the Time Machine menu isn’t in the menu bar, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Time Machine , then select “Show Time Machine in menu bar.” Use the arrows and timeline to browse the Time Machine backups. Select one or more items you want to restore (these can include folders or your entire disk), then click Restore. Restored items return to their original location. For example, if an item was in the Documents folder, it’s returned to the Documents folder. Search with Spotlight Recover your entire system Restore items backed up with Time Machine View and restore past versions of documents Use multiple backup disks Connect a new backup disk to your Mac
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21943?locale=en_USIf you can't back up or restore your Mac using Time Machine
Before using Time Machine , you need a backup drive to copy your backed up files onto. Time Machine is designed to work with the following: External drives directly connected to the USB, FireWire, or Thunderbolt ports on your Mac The built-in drive of an AirPort Time Capsule A USB drive connected to the USB port of a Time Capsule or AirPort Extreme 802.11AC base station A networked volume served by OS X Server using Apple File Protocol (AFP) If your backup drive is connected differently, it might not work. Check with the device manufacturer for compatibility and connection information.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204157OS X El Capitan: Restore items backed up with Time Machine
Restore items backed up with Time Machine If you use Time Machine to back up your Mac, you can easily get back lost items or recover older versions of files. You can use Time Machine within many apps. If you have iCloud Drive turned on, you can recover older versions of documents in iCloud. Open a window for the item you want to restore; to recover a document in iCloud, open the app used to create the document, choose File > Open, then click iCloud Drive (in the Favorites section of the Finder sidebar). For example, to recover a file you accidentally deleted from your Documents folder, open the Documents folder. To recover an email message, open your inbox in Mail. If you’re missing an item from the desktop, you don’t need to open a window. You can also open Time Machine by clicking the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choosing Enter Time Machine . If the Time Machine menu isn’t in the menu bar, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Time Machine , then select “Show Time Machine in menu bar.” Use the arrows and timeline to browse the local snapshots and backups. If you see a pulsing light to semi-dark gray tick mark, it represents a backup that’s still loading or validating on the backup disk. Select one or more items you want to restore (these can include folders or your entire disk), then click Restore. Restored items return to their original location. For example, if an item was in the Documents folder, it’s returned to the Documents folder. With many apps you can use Time Machine within individual documents so you can examine and read past versions to find the version you want. For more information, see View and restore past versions of documents. Recover items using Time Machine and Spotlight Recover your entire system Revert to a previous OS X version Use multiple backup disks Connect a new backup disk to your Mac Time Machine problems
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21941?locale=en_USOS X El Capitan: Time Machine problems
Time Machine problems Time Machine must create a new backup See: If you see a message that you must create a new backup The backup disk is unavailable or can’t be found or “mounted” See: If Time Machine can’t find your backup disk If you need a password to unlock your backup disk Apple Support article: Time Machine - Backup volume could not be mounted An incomplete, interrupted, or failed backup occurred See: If a Time Machine backup is interrupted If Time Machine doesn’t back up certain files Time Machine is slow or seems stuck See: If your Time Machine backup disk runs out of space If Time Machine is slow If Time Machine remains in the preparing stage General troubleshooting Make sure your backup disk is plugged in, turned on, and securely connected to your Mac. If your backup disk is on a network, make sure both the disk and your Mac are connected to the network. If the network is experiencing problems, your backup disk may not be available. Download and install all recent updates to OS X. If you have a Time Capsule, update it with the latest software and firmware. For more information, see Keep your Mac up to date and Apple Support article About AirPort base station firmware updates.
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21954?locale=en_USOS X El Capitan: If Time Machine is slow
If Time Machine is slow Try these suggestions if Time Machine is slow. The first time you use Time Machine , set it up in the evening so that the initial backup can be done overnight. If your backup disk is a Time Capsule, leave your Mac in the same room as the Time Capsule for the initial backup, or use an Ethernet cable to connect your Mac to one of the Ethernet ports on the Time Capsule. Virus scanning software can make Time Machine backups very slow. If you use Norton AntiVirus or a similar product, try to exclude your backup disk from automatic scanning. Also make sure you are running the latest version of the virus scanning software. If Time Machine remains in the preparing stage Connect a new backup disk to your Mac Time Machine problems
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21947?locale=en_USBackup disks you can use with Time Machine
Time Machine can back up the data on your Mac to these backup disks: An external USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire drive connected to your Mac An AirPort Time Capsule's built-in drive (any model) An external USB drive connected to an AirPort Time Capsule (any model) or AirPort Extreme (802.11ac model only) Network volumes connected using Apple File Protocol (AFP)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202784Time Machine: How to transfer backups from a current backup drive to a new backup drive
If you want to switch to a different Time Machine backup drive, use these steps to move your existing backups.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202380OS X El Capitan: Recover your entire system
Recover your entire system If you use Time Machine to back up your Mac, you can recover your system if your system or startup disk is damaged. Important: Use your Time Machine backup to restore your system to the Mac that is the source of the backup. To transfer your information to a new Mac, use Migration Assistant. If you’re restoring your system because of a problem with your startup disk, repair or replace the disk before following these instructions. Print these instructions. Click the Share button in the Help window, then choose Print. Make sure your Time Machine backup disk is connected and turned on. If your disk is on a network, make sure your Mac is on the same network. Choose Apple menu > Restart. After your Mac restarts and you hear the startup chime, hold down the Command and R keys. When the Apple logo appears, you can release the keys. Select “Restore from a Time Machine Backup,” then click Continue. Do one of the following: External backup disk: Select it, then click Continue. Time Capsule: Choose your network from the AirPort menu on the right side of the menu bar, select your Time Capsule, then click “Connect to Remote Disk.” Network backup disk: Select it, then click “Connect to Remote Disk.” If necessary, enter the name and password you use to connect to your backup disk, then click Connect. Select the date and time of the backup you want to restore, then follow the onscreen instructions. After you restore your system, Time Machine may perform a full backup at the next scheduled backup time . This is normal. Time Machine resumes incremental backups after the full backup is completed. Recover items using Time Machine and Spotlight Restore items backed up with Time Machine Revert to a previous OS X version View and restore past versions of documents
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21952?locale=en_USOS X El Capitan: Start, pause, and resume a Time Machine backup
You can have Time Machine perform a backup at any time, even if the On/Off switch in the Time Machine preference pane is Off. Start a backup: Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choose Back Up Now. Pause a backup: Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choose Skip This Backup. Resume a backup: Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choose Back Up Now. If the Time Machine menu isn’t in the menu bar, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Time Machine , then select “Show Time Machine in menu bar.” Choose a backup disk and set encryption options Connect a new backup disk to your Mac Time Machine problems
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21955?locale=en_USOS X Yosemite: Back up your files with Time Machine
Back up your files with Time Machine Back up with Time Machine With Time Machine , you can back up your entire Mac, including system files, apps, music, photos, emails, and documents. When Time Machine is turned on, it automatically backs up your Mac and performs hourly, daily, and weekly backups of your files. When you use Time Machine on a portable computer, Time Machine not only keeps a copy of everything on your backup disk, it also saves “local snapshots” of files that have changed on your internal disk, so you can recover previous versions. These local snapshots are made hourly unless you turn Time Machine off, and they’re stored on your portable computer’s internal disk. If you accidentally delete or change a file, you can use Time Machine to recover it. Even though Time Machine creates local snapshots on your portable computer, you should also back up your files to a location other than your internal disk, such as an external hard disk, a disk on your network, or a Time Capsule. That way, if anything ever happens to your internal disk or to your Mac, you can restore your entire system to another Mac and get all your information back where it belongs in no time. Attach an external hard disk to your Mac and turn it on. You’re asked if you want to use the disk to backup your Mac. Click Use As Backup Disk, then follow the instructions in Time Machine preferences. To open Time Machine preferences, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Time Machine . Choose a backup disk and set encryption options Disks you can use with Time Machine Start, pause, and resume a Time Machine backup Restore items backed up with Time Machine Keep your Time Machine backup disk secure
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18835?locale=en_USOS X Yosemite: Recover items using Time Machine and Spotlight
Recover items using Time Machine and Spotlight If you use Time Machine to back up your Mac, you can use Spotlight to initiate a search of Time Machine to recover lost or deleted items. Note: In apps that let you create and save documents, such as TextEdit and Preview, you can also retrieve earlier versions of documents from within the app. For more information, see View and restore past versions of documents. Open a Finder window and type a search word or phrase in the search field in the upper-right corner. Refine the results by specifying search criteria using the search bar. Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choose Enter Time Machine . If the Time Machine menu isn’t in the menu bar, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Time Machine , then select “Show Time Machine in menu bar.” Use the arrows and timeline to browse the Time Machine backups. Select one or more items you want to restore (these can include folders or your entire disk), then click Restore. Restored items return to their original location. For example, if an item was in the Documents folder, it’s returned to the Documents folder. The restored item is returned to its original location. For example, if the item was found in the Documents folder, it’s returned to the Documents folder. Search with Spotlight Recover your entire system Restore items backed up with Time Machine View and restore past versions of documents Use multiple backup disks Connect a new backup disk to your Mac
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18839?locale=en_USIf a Time Machine backup takes longer than you expect
You can use the Time Machine menu to check the progress of your backup. When Time Machine backs up your data, the "Backing Up" indicator appears and increments: If you see an alert message in the Time Machine menu, or you can't back up at all, see "If you can't back up or restore your Mac using Time Machine ." If your Time Machine backup is working but it takes longer than you expect, check these things:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204412Restoring OS X Server from a Time Machine backup
In Lion Server v10.7.2 (or later), OS X Server (Mountain Lion), or OS X Server (Mavericks), service data can be stored on a non-startup volume. The steps to restore from a Time Machine backup depend on whether your data was stored on the startup (boot) volume or a non-startup volume. Important: When restoring, restore from a local Time Machine backup. If you try to restore from a network-based Time Machine backup, not all settings will be restored correctly.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202406
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