Move time machine backup to another time capsule hard drive

It is taking a while and I don't have answer yet..

Let me show you the setup. Two Gen5 TC setup with ethernet.. Computer with wifi off so using ethernet only.

Setup CCC to new task. Select data partition of the first TC you are using as source.. beneath that you can fine tune the files you are copying.

Select the destination. In my case the second TC.

There is no need to set a schedule since this is a one off.

Click clone down the bottom right.

The backup begins.

It takes a while to start showing actual throughput.. don't worry.

Progress is about 40GByte/Hr. Not fast as this is double copying through the computer from network source to network target.

So far all running well and do not expect any issues.

CCC btw has been very reliable for me and useful for lots of things beyond just backups.

Great question.. it is something we do get asked a bit if not so much lately.

In the past it was relatively easy to move Time Machine Sparsebundles around.

Since Sierra Apple put a lot more security on the backup (ransomware issues) And it became a lot more difficult to copy.

Officially you can archive the Sparsebundle to USB drive using the archive function in the TC via Airport Utility. You need a Mac OS formatted disk of size equal to the TC drive or all the files on the drive.. unfortunately you cannot just select a file. It will archive the whole drive. With the USB drive plugged into your computer it maybe possible to then copy the Sparsebundle to the new TC.. but the other issue that cropped up is the moved sparse bundle then seems to become fragile. It might work for a while then corrupts itself.

Our general instructions therefore changed to start a new backup in the new location. Keep the old backup on USB drive for sometime if needed.. mostly after you have 6-12months of history the chance of needing the old backup history is unlikely.

If you want to have a go.. I would do it from command line using a sudo in front to cover the permissions.

I would also do it using rsync rather than copy command. The commands are no longer sitting in my head.. which is becoming old and large areas of ROM blank out as well as RAM slowing down. As a way to try this without any big hassle figuring out commands why don't you download and install Carbon Copy Cloner which is rsync based. It is free to use for a month and is fully operational.

I will test it myself to see if I get a decent backup doing it and I can show you how if it is successful.

A better setup while copying the file is to plug the old TC into the new TC with ethernet.. do not use wifi. It will work much better with the two TC on ethernet. You will need one TC.. likely your new one setup as router and the old one setup as bridge.

Ok the answer is it worked using drag and drop.

So having the two TC connected together might help.

Just have another try via Finder.

No luck then CCC should work.. but my test included a huge backup and it is not complete yet.. so I will stop it and start over.

Just to get this straight: the first TC is connected to a Mac via ethernet cable and the second TC is connected to the first one via ethernet cable as well, correct ?

Yes.. that is the standard way to do this.

Your first TC is in router mode and the second in Bridge.. although if you get internet via ethernet from another router both can be in bridge mode.

Just one more item to note..

CCC was also successful. It is fast, around 60GByte/hr which is excellent for a Time Capsule.

CCC does a check as well so it is double checked.

Do turn off safety net.. I left it on the first time through and that also might have slowed things down.

Safety net is for normal backup to retain versions of files.

I am in Australia so we are opposites.. sorry for delay in reply.

Glad you worked out a way to do it.

A 500GB TC is very extremely old and should be considered not long for this world (without major work).

Sorry the ethernet connection between the two did not work.. it should have.. as long as you have one as router and one as bridged.. it is fairly easy to do.. but it might take a reset of one TC..

Anyway I think using new backups is well worth the effort.. and in a few months.. delete the old backups is fine.

1TB of music.. wow.. I would make sure you still have a separate backup of this on another disk.. just for the ease of mind.

At some point you should think about using a NAS. Far better as central storage for your files.

If that TC would be connected via USB

A TC cannot be connected by USB to a computer or another TC.

You are not the first to have thought of it.. nor will you be the last..

But the TC is network device.. Files can only be copied to it over ethernet or wifi.

USB attached disk cannot copy files back to the TC directly.. Most NAS offer this sort of function but Apple made no provision for such a connection. It would have to be part of the Airport Utility..

It is possible if you do some nifty work on your TC to gain SSH access.

See the first part of my web page about changing country.

https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems/apple-time-capsule-repair/change-country-on-airport-router

You will need to use command prompt of course.. how are your linux/bsd muscles..

You can plug the archive USB drive to either of your TC and access the backup over the network.. but it is hugely faster to use the USB drive plugged directly to your computer.. !!

To copy the archive back to a TC from USB use the same method as above .. but this time plug the USB into your computer. I would still recommend using command line or an App like CCC.

Seldom would you want to do this.. because the archive is by its nature older files.. it is better to hold it on the USB for a suitable length of time and then wipe your USB and archive the newer back bundle from the TC to the USB.

I could not find a command in Airport Utility.

It is not intended that you ever restore archive back to a TC.. Apple did not include it.

Apple never intended the TC as a NAS.. it is really the simplest type of device they could come up with for network target when using Time Machine on laptops. Stretching it to do more results in tears as people have literally lost their iTunes library when the TC disk failed. And worse.. because they tried to use it as a storage device.