Time Machine not allows you to delete particular person recordsdata from backup snapshots, although you may nonetheless delete a complete snapshot. That shouldn’t be an issue: in virtually no case does it make sense to delete a file from a Time Machine backup within the first place.
As a part of Apple’s transition from its conventional Mac filesystem, HFS+, to the extra superior APFS, Apple took just a few years to flesh out Time Machine help. By macOS 11 Massive Sur, you’ve been capable of again up on to an APFS quantity. Earlier than APFS, you may browse a Time Machine snapshot in HFS+ and select to delete all situations of a given file throughout all snapshots. APFS snapshots can’t be modified, nevertheless; you may’t take away a file (or folder) inside the backup.
However take into consideration why you would possibly need to delete a number of recordsdata or folders:
- Scale back cupboard space required by snapshots. Time Machine solely shops a single copy of a file in every snapshot if the file hasn’t modified. Deleting some situations of the file in snapshots wouldn’t end in reclaiming any storage. For very giant recordsdata that change ceaselessly, you may wind up utilizing a whole lot of storage for these adjustments. Nevertheless, all of Apple’s library recordsdata are actually packages, a form of disguised folder that accommodates particular person gadgets inside–generally hundreds and even tons of of hundreds. Even disk pictures which can be used for information storage and never simply app installers might be created in order that they’re a bundle of smaller recordsdata, solely a few of which should be up to date when the picture adjustments. In case you have huge recordsdata that change so much, Time Machine will not be one of the best ways to make backups. Some third-party backup software program (native and Web-hosted) can analyze and archive simply modified parts of a file.
- Get rid of a file from backups that you just’ve deleted out of your actively backed-up quantity. This can be a trickier drawback and one which HFS+ did remedy. If you wish to be completely certain {that a} file isn’t retained in some style, you may delete it from all backups after eradicating it out of your actively backed-up quantity. To attain the identical process now, it’s essential delete each snapshot that accommodates the file–an even bigger process. However how usually do you’ve gotten this want? As a result of Time Machine mechanically purges previous backups as your archive quantity fills, over time all deleted recordsdata are finally washed away.
Time Machine snapshots seem as volumes within the Finder that you would be able to delete manually—however you may’t eliminate particular person recordsdata.
Foundry
You may handle snapshots in a wide range of methods, together with by way of the Finder (the place you may select a snapshot after which select File > Delete Instantly), by way of the Terminal command tmutil, and by way of Disk Utility.
This Mac 911 article is in response to a query submitted by Macworld reader Roland.
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