I have just backed up my iMac with a G-Drive USB 3.0. I cannot figure out how to see what has been backed up.
How do I find out what, in fact, has been backed up?
Thanks.
What’s your method of backup? …Time Machine (or, some other B/U app) or Clone (say, through Superduper! or Carbon Copy Cloner)?
I have used both Time Machine and Carbon Copy Cloner as two separate backups. I understood that it was a problem with Time Machine to see what you actually backed up so I got CCC in the hope that I would be able to see the status of what was there.
I recommend you read the How To guides for both Time Machine and CCC, as they backup differently.
Time Machine does incremental backups (after the initial backup), but not each backup is the same process. However, the way you’d see what was backed up between Time Machine backups, is to “Enter Time Machine” (it’s a Finder Bar Time Machine menu selection from the Time Machine icon) and scroll “back through time” to see what changed each time. When you’re in “Enter Time Machine,” you can recover (it’s almost a copy-paste process) file / applications you want to restore. [Time Machine is not doing bootable clones, as does CCC.]
Principally, CCC does a bootable clone (exact replica) each time completed, even though the just-finished clone may have only changed (within the clone) specific files that were updated since the previous clone. …This is to enable a quicker cloning process.
You didn’t mention in your 1st post about the size of your iMac’s HD (or, used space) and whether or not you’re using a partitioned, G-Drive USB 3.0. Assuming you’re using a partitioned, external drive, it’s recommended the available space allotted to Time Machine is 3x the size of your iMac’s HD. Frankly, you can easily get by with just 2x and then, use Disk Utility to erase the TM partition in order to complete a new, first TM backup when needed. The partition size for CCC only needs to be as large as the total size (or, the used-size with room to grow) of your iMac’s HD.
But it’s best for you to fully read the guides, and as result, you’ll then know how to actually “see” what was backed up each time as well as understand the differences between these two, backup applications.
Dear PDX_Leonard,
Got it and thanks. I will let you know the results when I am done.
Good luck.
Read the CCC manual, you have to change the Startup Disc in the Systems icon to the G Drive, then you Restart from that dialog box. You check on the About This Mac and it shows that you are in the G Drive. They suggest you check a couple of applications which I did with one minor problem and then you go back to the Systems icon and change the Startup Disc back to the Mac HD and Restart. It works just fine. Now I understand that I am getting a complete copy of everything with CCC.
FYI when I opened Word it asked for my Product Key to allow full access but wouldn’t recognize the Product Key when I was using the G backup. When I went back to the Mac HD it worked just fine.
Thanks for all your help. Good luck.
Understanding how Time Machine & CCC completes a backup / clone, enables you to develop a sound backup strategy (daily, weekly, monthly) that’s in concert with usage of your iMac.
While you’ve still not clarified whether you’ve got 2 partitions on the G-Drive where respective backups are being completed on their designated partition, I’ve assumed such is the case.
However if you’ve not setup 2 partitions (use Disk Utility to implement erasing / partitioning an external drive into multiple partitions), you should consider doing so (or depending on the size of your iMac’s HD, employ 2 external drives in lieu of partitioning the one) as you can then have 2 backups at any given time. …If one does not have, at least, 2 backups, you do not have a proper backup strategy (even backups can fail).
Time Machine is capable of making hourly, daily, weekly backups while you’re working on your iMac.
CCC is making a bootable clone of an internal HD at the time the clone is made / updated. Given cloning is more effective if what’s on an internal HD isn’t being changed during the cloning process, it is best to have Quit all applications, Time Machine Off (& Dismounted), and you are not using the iMac for anything other than CCC completing a new / updated clone. CCC is best used after making significant changes to your iMac (say, after macOS updates, purchases / updates within iTunes, application updates, additions to your Photos library, etc.).
