TimeMachine Backup

[tekguru]

I've ordered a new Mac Mini M2 Pro which will be replacing my ageing Intel i7 Mini. I have a TimeMachine backup folder on the NAS for the existent Mini and will want to wipe this and once it is empty use this for the new Mac.

What is the bet way of cleaning the folder out?

 

[Deleted member 5784]

If you are happy to delete everything and start afresh, just turn off time machine then delete the .sparsebundle folder and any other files & directories in the TM share from within FileStation.

On your new machine, go through the TM set up process again to start a new TM backup on your existing TM share. Follow the steps from the 'Perform Time Machine Backup to your Synology NAS' section onwards to do this. You dont need to recreate a new TM share & user - you're just reusing the previous ones.

 

[tekguru]

Brilliant, that is what I thought, thanks for confirming. I already set followed the guide when I set the folder up so all should be good!

 

[Deleted member 5784]

PS this assumes only your 1 current mini is backing up to this TM folder; obviously if you have other apple machines backing up to the share then you only delete the .sparsebundle for your mini...!

 

[tekguru]

Yep just the one Mini, my Wife's iMac backs up to a different share

 

[fredbert]

I did a macOS Migration Assistant from Mac Mini 2012 to M1 (there was absolutely no online noise about the M2, and I tracked that for ages, grr!*). Connected the two with Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapter and a TB1/2 cable and it was fairly quick.

I hadn't stopped the TM schedule on the MM-2012 before doing this and I now have the MM-M1 backing up to the same sparsebundle on the old NAS. I had isolated the MM-2012 from WiFi and wired LAN, so afterwards I stopped any chance of it doing another backup before allowing it back on the network.

My TM archive goes back to April 2022, it's the most stable/reliable TM archive I have, and I can go into the backup before the migration. One thing I see is my Mac user's home folders have a locked icon (e.g. Movies, Music, Pictures, etc) for backup point before the migration.

I probably should have just wiped the sparsebundle folder on the NAS, but it's not hurting anyone. My wife's MM-M1 is now only using ABB for the Time Machine-like backup.


*the M1 still knocks the socks off the 2012 MM (both have 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD). And heat is much lower when running at max CPU, which means the fan is quieter too. The only thing I miss from the 2012 is the optical audio output that was built into the 3.5 mm jack. Which I fixed with one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B2DBGKL3

 

[tekguru]

I thought about doing a migration but there are 3 yeas of rubbish and messing around on the old machine so it'll be good to get rid of that. A lot more work granted but worth it I feel.
Interesting on the optical audio output, what do you link that to?

 

[fredbert]

Three years! Is that it? Checking my home subfolders and they were created in 2007, one the first Intel Mac I got. I had thought it was earlier, from my first install of Max OS X 10.1 (Puma?).

Yes I wasn’t going to migrate too, then the enormity of restoring my stuff on a clean build was just to daunting

The optical audio is to a mini HiFi I have in my study/office. But can work with my other amps downstairs if I need.

 

[tekguru]

3 years 9 months to be exact

Yeah it's a big job but I've got it planned out and as I'm retired it'll be a nice project to undertake

Ah a fair enough. I've bookmarked it as it's a useful bit of tech, but I'll likely never need it