Here are some of the most commonly received Time Machine Backup (macOS) related questions we receive at our Micro Center stores:
Q: How often does Time Machine create backups?
A. Time Machine tries to keep hourly backups for the last 24 hours, daily backups for the last month, and weekly backups for all previous months, as long there enough space on the Time Machine drive.
Q: Do I need to have my Time Machine drive connected to my Mac for backups to be created?
A. Yes. Your Mac will notify you if you have left your Time Machine drive disconnected and prevented backups from taking place.
Q: What if I accidentally disconnect my drive? Do I have to set Time Machine up again?
A. If the Time Machine drive has been disconnected for more than an hour, reconnecting it will cause Time Machine to create a backup. If the drive is always connected it will make backups for you every hour automatically.
Q: What is included in a Time Machine backup?
A. The backup is a snapshot of your entire system. It includes files, documents, pictures, applications, operating system files, and settings.
Q: Will a Time Machine backup save my applications and settings?
A. Yes. All applications and settings are saved by Time Machine.
Q: How do I set up Time Machine to a new drive?
A: Open Time Machine preferences from the Time Machine icon in the top right menu bar. Click Select Backup Disk and select your external drive. Click Use Disk and Time Machine should now be set up. For more detailed instructions see our guide below:
How to Back up your Mac with Time Machine
Q: How do I restore my whole Mac from a Time Machine backup?
A: The Migration Assistant can be used to perform the restore. Migration Assistant has a specific prompt to restore from a Time Machine backup. Please see our guide below:
How to restore macOS from a Time Machine backup
Q: How do I restore individual file using Time Machine
A: Open time machine in the top right corner of your screen, select the last folder and date you saw the file, click it then click restore. For more detailed instructions see our guide below:
How to restore Individual Files in Time Machine
