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User profile for user: Wonderwalker
Wonderwalker Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Finding a list of backed up files on WD My Passport external hard drive on OS High Sierra 10.13.6

Trying to back up I-Mac mid 2011 on a WD My Passport for Mac external hard drive.

May have set up the format incorrectly as two back ups show 528 GB on a 1 T. ext. hard drive.

Don't know how to find a volume? for the external hard drive or figure out how to access a

list of files backed up to know if the back up worked.

Want to buy a new I-Mac, but don't want to lose everything on the old computer as don't know

if back up worked, and can't find a list of files backed up.

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Sep 6, 2023 7:03 PM

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User profile for user: John Galt
John Galt
User level: Level 10
146,516 points

Posted on Sep 7, 2023 5:12 AM

Please select (single-click) the Time Machine icon in your Mac's menu bar. Is the date of its latest backup recent?


Next, select Open Time Machine Preferences... A list of all backup devices (disks) will appear. There will be a minimum of one. Each device will display the backup range of dates it contains for that Mac.


Next, click the Options... button. Anything that appears in that list has been excluded from Time Machine's backups. Confirm it reflects your intent.


Click Cancel and close the Time Machine preferences window.


That's it, you're done.


If you want to be completely certain your backup disk can reliably be used to migrate content to another Mac, or to restore backed up items, or to restore an entire Mac, the only way to be certain is to actually do those things. Wait until you obtain the new Mac before exposing your existing Mac's data to the slim possibility things don't go as planned.


Obtaining at least one additional, redundant backup drive is one step closer to an ideal backup strategy. Time Machine will back up to as many devices as you wish to provide.

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User profile for user: John Galt
John Galt
User level: Level 10
146,516 points

Sep 7, 2023 5:12 AM in response to Wonderwalker

Please select (single-click) the Time Machine icon in your Mac's menu bar. Is the date of its latest backup recent?


Next, select Open Time Machine Preferences... A list of all backup devices (disks) will appear. There will be a minimum of one. Each device will display the backup range of dates it contains for that Mac.


Next, click the Options... button. Anything that appears in that list has been excluded from Time Machine's backups. Confirm it reflects your intent.


Click Cancel and close the Time Machine preferences window.


That's it, you're done.


If you want to be completely certain your backup disk can reliably be used to migrate content to another Mac, or to restore backed up items, or to restore an entire Mac, the only way to be certain is to actually do those things. Wait until you obtain the new Mac before exposing your existing Mac's data to the slim possibility things don't go as planned.


Obtaining at least one additional, redundant backup drive is one step closer to an ideal backup strategy. Time Machine will back up to as many devices as you wish to provide.

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Finding a list of backed up files on WD My Passport external hard drive on OS High Sierra 10.13.6

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