How to select a backup drive and examine what is being backed up

TimRichards

Well-Known Member
I cannot find out how to examine one of my backup drives and determine what is being backed up?
Apple says:
  • If you back up to multiple disks, you can press and hold the Option key, then choose Browse Other Backup Disks from the Time Machine menu.
But either I don't understand or it's not working. What is the Time machine menu? I don't see a menu as such, just the system preferences menu and the Time Machine options button, which does not change into 'select drive' when I option -click it.

Update: I've finally sorted it out. They mean option click Time machine icon BEFORE you open it, from the menu bar of the computer. I was opening it first then looking for a menu while in Time Machine. However I still find the process of determining what has been backed up a little confusing. Still working on it. If I backup the Users folder does that do everything that I have created, (e.g. docs, music, photos) but not the operating system and Apps?
 
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chas_m

Well-Known Member
In Time Machine, everything is backed up. All files and folders including system files -- everything. After that initial “baseline” backup, only changed files are backed up in an iterative fashion, which is why you can easily “bring back” a deleted file or an earlier version of a file from just before a given change was made.

There’s zero reason to examine the Time Machine drive outside of the program’s “restoration” feature unless you suspect mechanical trouble on the drive being used for Time Machine.
 

TimRichards

Well-Known Member
But, Chas, I think some time ago I set a certain drive up to not back up my music (or my pictures) because of space limitations. Now, with much larger drives I am consolidating complete backups onto a 5 TB drive, so I suppose it doesn't matter, I'll just back up everything with a 'regular' Time machine backup. My new problem is a tall old WD drive that I have not plugged in for a few years; I suspect it has some old pictures on it, but it doesn't show up in finder at all.
 

chas_m

Well-Known Member
It might be dead, but open disk utility and see if it shows up there as a grey (unmounted) volume, then select it and try mounting it or disk repair. This can sometimes fix old drives.

This is one of the reasons why we recommend a cloud-based backup along with Time Machine (or whatever backup system you are using on the local machine).
 
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