How to exclude folders from Time Machine on macOS

How to Exclude Items from a Time Machine Backup in Mac OS X

1. Launch System Preferences and click on “Time Machine”
2. Click on “Options”
3. Drag and drop folders into the 'Exclude items from backup' list.
4. Click Save and close out of System Preferences.

1. How do I delete a folder from Time Machine?
2. How do I selectively backup my Mac?
3. How do I manage Time Machine on Mac?
4. How do I delete one file from a Time Machine backup?
5. How do I remove an external hard drive from Time Machine?
6. Should I use Time Machine to backup my Mac?
7. How do I backup my Mac without time machine?
8. How long should a Mac backup take?
9. How do I manually start a Time Machine backup?
10. Can I restore Mac to earlier date without time machine?
11. How do I know when Time Machine is done backing up?

How do I delete a folder from Time Machine?

You need to 'Enter Time Machine' by clicking on the menu bar icon that looks like a clock face. One of the options is to enter time machine. This transforms your screen temporarily into a time machine window. From there you can select and delete time machine files.

How do I selectively backup my Mac?

You can exclude items from a backup to save space on your backup disk, or to exclude items you back up using another method.

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Time Machine. ...
2. Click Options.
3. Click the Add button , then select one or more items to add to the list of excluded items. ...
4. Click Save.

How do I manage Time Machine on Mac?

How to use Time Machine on Mac

1. From your Mac's menu bar, select the Apple logo on the left side.
2. Select “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
3. Select “Time Machine”

How do I delete one file from a Time Machine backup?

To do this, simply go to the file's location and invoke the Time Machine interface (done from the Time Machine menu). When the star-field view of Time Machine appears, locate the file in the foremost window, right-click it, and choose the option to "Delete All Backups of [filename]" and confirm the action.

How do I remove an external hard drive from Time Machine?

Click on the "Time Machine" icon in System Preferences, then click "Change Disk." In the window that drops down, you can either click on your other hard drive or select "None" and change this to your other disk afterwards.

Should I use Time Machine to backup my Mac?

Your Mac's Time Machine should be your primary backup system. Not only does it let you restore your Mac to a happy working state after a crash, but it also lets you recover individual files or folders you may have accidentally erased.

How do I backup my Mac without time machine?

The second method is to manually backup Mac data to external storage devices without Time Machine.
...
Method 2. Manually Back Up Mac without Time Machine

1. Click Finder > Preference > Check Hard disks box under Show these items on the desktop.
2. Open backup disk and create a file folder and name it, for example, 'My Backup'.

How long should a Mac backup take?

If it's just a normal backup it's unlikely to take more than five minutes. If you feel that the Time Machine backup is taking too long there are ways to speed it up, which we look at below.

How do I manually start a Time Machine backup?

Start a backup: Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choose Back Up Now. Pause a backup: Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choose Skip This Backup. Resume a backup: Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choose Back Up Now.

Can I restore Mac to earlier date without time machine?

you can do just that with TM system restore but you need the install DVD. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. ... Time machine can restore the entire drive or any specific file on the drive.

How do I know when Time Machine is done backing up?

If you'd like to see what Time Machine is working on, the only GUI solution is to open up the Time Machine System Preferences panel, where you'll see either the time of the last and next backups, or if a backup is currently in progress, a progress bar showing how much backup work is left to be done.