buddah17 Loc: The Bahamas

Hello;
Does any UHH member know how the WD Passport for Mac external hard drive is SUPPOSED to work?
A couple years ago, I purchased a 1T drive from a well known large electronic retail chain.
I plugged it in, and downloaded my images, and files, and it was fine. As time went by, whenever I plugged it in, and updated it, I noticed more and more space being used. A bit over a month ago, I decided to buy another Passport, this time choosing the bigger 4T drive.
However when I tried to back up the files, and images, the drive runs, and shows a certain number of GB's being stored when it's finished. (Seems to be MUCH lower than what I have on my computer. When I open up the drive, there is one file there with about 60 images, (while my computer and files hold at least 1,000 images and more info.)
I have taken it back to the store twice now, the first time I was told it "seems to be working," and if I wanted to leave it there, there would be a charge of $80 to transfer the data in and out. I didn't leave it. I went back again, and a different person said that I am not understanding how the Passport works with Time Machine. He assures me that everything HAS been backed up, and that I need not worry about the low number of GB's being shown. But when I plug the Passport into a different Mac computer, and open it up, the same two files (one has my images from the one file that I can SEE has been backed up, and the other, seeming those the system, (library etc..) info. for my computer(?) or the Passport. Am I missing something here? Not using the drive correctly? I thought I could use this as I did my other Passport, back up sometimes, then plug it back in later and download any file/Image that I want to use, that I might have taken off of my computer to free up space on it...

Machinedoc Loc: Yorktown Heights, NY

Hi,
If you are using the Mac Time Machine to back up your data, it is probably backing up all of you internal hard drive to the WD Passport. Each time you plug in the WD drive to your Mac, Time Machine is going to look at the last time it was backed up to determine what has changed and then attempt to perform a backup. The first Time Machine backs up every last bit of data on your internal HDD to the external drive. Subsequent to that, Time Machine backs up only what has changed since the previous back up. So, depending on how much data you have on your internal HDD, a substantial amount of space could be occupied on the back up drive. If your back up drive does not have enough space, Time Machine will automatically remove information from the oldest back up to free space, but it will never delete all of your data...it always maintains the current state of your machine. You cannot retrieve information directly by opening a file on the backup disk...you must use the Time Machine utility to look for files you want. That is accessed by double clicking the Time Machine icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen. If you want to back up and retrieve photo files more easily, you might want to think of using an external back up drive as opposed to the Time Machine drive. I hope this helps and does not confuse the matter.

buddah17 Loc: The Bahamas

Thanks for taking the time to write. Ok (please bear with my ignorance.) when I go to Time Machine, it only goes back to (say) August or September. It does not SEEM to be backing up all of my image files, (maybe my operating systems...)
So to me it seems that the Time machine is NOT going back far enough. (There is a LOT of space on the new drive.)
Why is it that I can retrieve a file directly from the old 1T Passport but only one file from the 4T?
How do I change the new drive settings on my computer so that I can use it to store/retrieve files and not the Time Machine?
Still don't understand having to go to the Time machine to retrieve images, doesn't seem very safe to me as it is still on my computer.
I want my external drive to be something that I not only save my images on, but I can take with me an plug into other computers to work on or show. (I am an abstract artist who incorporates digital photography in my paintings.
BTW: My computer had a MELT DOWN last Christmas, that even regional tech managers for Apple were stumped by. In the end they completely wiped my HD drive clean and rebooted it. (I kept everything I COULD save on my old Passport..) Could THAT have anything to do with what is going on now?

Machinedoc Loc: Yorktown Heights, NY

Happy to try and help.Wow - let's see how I can address your ??s. All your data, applications and photos are probably on the 4TB drive. If you try and look at the Time Machine (TM) file on the 4TB drive, you will probably see a folder that says DATA...if you try and open that folder, you'll see something that ends in .sparsebundle. Actually, don't bother...only by using the TM utility in the menu bar can you look for individual files. But, I think you already know that. As far as TM not going back far enough, when did you purchase the 4TB drive? Sounds like it was August or September which would explain why it doesn't go back "far enough." My guess is that there is a TM file on the 1 TB drive which might go "further back." Whatever state your machine was in when you first connected the 4 TB drive should be in TM, even though it only goes back to Aug or Sept. As the 4 TB fills up and there's not enough space to complete a backup, TM will automatically delete the oldest backup ... it doesn't delete the original back up, it deletes on the incremental changes between the "original" and the latest backup. Hope that's not too confusing.

The best thing you can do is use the 4TB as a TM drive and the 1 TB drive ONLY for photos...that way you can move it from computer to computer to do your work. I keep all my photos on my Mac and back up all my data to TM, also to a cloud (Google Drive) and periodically I also clone the hard drive to an external drive using Carbon Copy Cloner. The advantage of backing up to the cloud is that you can sync multiple computers to the cloud drive so they are always current (almost...it does take some time to sync to a cloud drive).

Not sure that the MELT DOWN contributed to your current issue, but one never knows.

Finally, if you want to just synchronize the photo files on your Mac with the external drive, just look in the App store. ChronSync Express seems to get good reviews...not an endorsement since I don't use it.

buddah17 Loc: The Bahamas

Keeping in mind that I'm computer stupid, this is what has transpired today. When I plugged in the ext. drive, the same things came up. But I noticed that the two drives showing in the Time Machine say My Passport for Mac (the 1T) and My Passport (4T) with NO "for Mac" designation. (The body of the 4T drive and box states "for Mac.") I tried doing a b/up with the new drive, and the "wheels" just kept turning, stating that "..It was preparing" I finally got out of it, deleted the 4T port. HD from my computer and rebooted. It did ask if I wanted to back up on EITHER drives or both. (I chose both.) I then went back into the 4T drive and pressed b/up. Decided to leave the "spinning wheels" and went back to painting.
When I came back, the "back up" was finished, but consisted of only TWO of those "post card" looking cards with a few images on them, going back only for today!! Feel this is a dilemma...
Do you think I should take the computer back to the electronic retailer, OR to Apple? (So far I haven't gotten MUCH success with the retail "G Squad!")
BTW: Have a real basic website: williamsxpressions.com if you want to know what I do... (Not real sophisticated, but it's me!)

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Don't take your computer back to the Retailer or to Apple, it will just be a waste of your time. When backup software runs, and this is common to any of them iOS or Windows, the first step is to scan all files to take a snapshot of the creation dates. This is for incremental (only files or folders that have changed) backups. This can take quite a while. On a 2 Tb drive in a Windows system, the first scan (even before backup begins) can take 12 hours since there are a bunch of individual files to examine. This is the "..It was preparing" portion of the program. Set it to run and go someplace, like away for the weekend or something (being snarky) and see.

buddah17 Loc: The Bahamas

Thanks for taking the time to write...
How do I scan "all files," or take a "snalshot of the creation dates?"
(Might sound silly, but I'm new at this....)
Regarding the time, my computer always is showing that the backup is finished, so not sure how leaving it for hours would make a difference...

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

I don't use "time machine "any more, I found it to be slower and less efficient than simply copy and paste to my WD external drives the files you want so all photos are stored on 2 external WD 4T each one is a duplicate of the other

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

I know I'M totally confused. LOL

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

I think it needs to be understood that the Time Machine is a complete back-up intended to be accessed through the Time Machine. It is not a direct hard drive file copy of the images of which you wanted to archive copies that could possibly be read by another computer. The Time Machine back-up works well through Time Machine. I have recovered lost files several times over the years. For image copy duplication, I attach a separate standalone hard drive and copy the image library files from iPhoto, Photos or Photoshop images in the Pictures file on the computer hard drive. I keep at least the Time Machine backup and at least two external hard drive copies of the image format files.

david94945

Don’t use your TM drive as portable photo storage. Just plug it in and leave it alone. Better yet, get Backblaze and skip the whole hardware game. I’m a backup nut and photo nut. Here’s my set up.

All photos are stored on a 1tb SSD, masters and Lightroom files. (I also store all my copied music CD’s there too as after duping 600 CD’s to my HDD three times I got tired of that.) This drive is compact and totally portable, and if I run over it or it falls into the ocean, my backup system described below rescues me.

That drive copies using superduper (superduper.com) to a second SSD drive three times a week. The second drive is a 2tb drive, partitioned to two 1tb partitions. One partition is a photo backup, and the other partition is a fully bootable boot drive created by superduper that is renewed every night. When things get too large, I just upgrade my SSD sizes.

The whole multi disk structure is copied to Backblaze on a constant basis so I have an offsite copy of everything in the cloud if the house burns down. I use Dropbox for all documents and work product, though I use Selective Sync so as not to keep my internal HDD cluttered with archival stuff. (I also have a Microsoft OneDrive account for various things, but not relevant here.) Last, I have a 200gb iCloud account for family photo storage and access, stuff that is apart from my photography hobby resources.

I stopped using Time Machine about three years ago because it was sluggish and unreliable in both the copy and retrieval processes. The tech in my office uses it for some office stuff, but we also have a main server, Dropbox and Backblaze.

I told you I was a backup nut.

buddah17 Loc: The Bahamas

Thanks for taking the time..
Your talk about "partitions" bring me back to the nightmare I had when not even senior Apple tech managers could "fix" the problem that I was having with my Mac Pro Laptop that they ended up having to wipe clean in the end.
Your system seems "foolproof" (IF there is such a word in the world of digital data.) I will take your info. and show it to a techie that I know (I am computer dumb!) And see what/where he thinks I can borrow parts of your set up for my purposes... Thanks again.

david94945

It's a "set it and forget it" system that backstops against escalating degrees of data jeopardy severity. Data-wise, it sort of turns my iMac into a "dumb workstation," because if the whole thing went kablooey all it would cost me is the time it takes to reinstall software. With the bootable external solid state drive (the "SSD" in the above description) if my internal hard drive fails, I can boot up from that drive, which also has everything from my main internal HDD on it too. (I don't believe you can boot from Time Machine, but maybe you can now). As for portability, my photos are on the OTHER (1TB) SDD so I can take it with my laptop knowing that it is backed up to the second partition on the other drive, as well as to Backblaze. If either external drive fails, they are replicated. And if EVERYTHING fails, burns or floats away, I have Backblaze, Dropbox, iCloud and Microsoft OneDrive.

Good luck.