What is a file that is incompatible with backup? -MacOS's backup function "Time Machine" Introduction Part 5

The VM file of Parallels Desktop is the first file that goes well with Time Machine.If you use the function "SmartGuard" for the time being, you can respond a little ...

For the time being, some of these files are compatible with Time Machine by changing to a form that makes it easier to take a difference, but Time Machine also has countermeasures against such huge files.。

Giant files are excluded from backup

The countermeasures prepared by Time Machine are "excluding large files from backup".If you do not back up in the first place, you will not eat the capacity.The time it takes to back up can be shortened.

Setting is easy.Open the "Time Machine" panel of "System Environment Settings" and click the "Options" button at the bottom right.The dialog for registering the file or folder is displayed here. Click the " +" button at the lower left to specify the target file or folder from the file selection dialog.

If it is a VM of Parallels Desktop mentioned above, it is saved in the "Parallels" folder in the user directory, so it is better to register the folder.Similarly, it is better to be subject to the "application" folder, a cloud synchronous folder such as "iCloud", "Dropbox", and "Google Drive" (if you are synchronized properly and have enough capacity.Limited to).If you are a player who plays the game well, "Steam" will not be a problem.There are also iTunes (Music) and "Photo" libraries (although it is conditional for using iCloud backups).

This area depends greatly on the software environment used by the user, so please devise rules such as "No backup in the cloud" and "not required to install later".If you boldly, you don't need a system -related folder ("System" or "Library" directly under the startup storage in the first place.

Of course, this method has disadvantages.If something is blown by a system or storage, important documents can be rescued, but all app environments must be restored on their own.This is a bit cumbersome, but in many users, you will be able to find the benefits that match it.

What should I do with non -target files?

The files excluded from Time Machine are not backed up, so they cannot be saved from Time Machine.These files should be backed up at a more gentle interval, apart from Time Machine.You can do it manually, use another backup software, which is the user's freedom.In any case, backing up a local file, unless the cloud has a backup, is the only way to regret when something happens.

Next time, I will introduce how to operate Time Machine on multiple Macs.