Sorry for another OT, but while we're on the subject of Mac OSX...

I'm trying to get a definitive answer about Time Machine. On a couple
of our computers, Time Machine is failing to do the back-ups because
the back up disk is full.

In the TM Preferences, it says it keeps hourly backups, daily back-
ups, and then weekly back-ups "Until the back up disk is full", then
there's the option to have it warn you "When old back-ups are
deleted". The implication being that when the disk fills up, it
deletes the oldest weeks backups (so you'll only be able to go back so
far in time).

Fine. Then how can the disk be full? Why isn't it deleting the oldest
back-ups?

The official Mac support page on the topic is confusing at best, and
seemingly contradictory...

<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/15137.html>

Excerpt:

> Also, as your backup disk fills up, Time Machine deletes older
> backups to make room for new ones. You may be able to use Time
> Machine for a long time before running out of space on your backup
> disk.

Huh? How can you run out of space?? (I should mention here that the
back up disks are the same size as the internal HD, and we're
excluding the Applications folder from the back-up.)

Forums are all over the place on this from what I see. SOme people
saying it works as advertised, warning them then successfully deleting
old backups, other people recommending you just delete the oldest
back-ups yourself, others warning that is a horrible idea because of
how TM builds on a base set of backups (the oldest), with newer
backups only containing that time period's changes.

Does anyone feel like they have an authoritative answer on this?
(Which you'd think Mac Help would be, but just read the above link.)

Thanks,

Keith

******************************
Keith Parks
Graphic Designer/Web Designer
Student Affairs Communications Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7444
(619) 594-1046
mailto:kparks@mail.sdsu.edu
http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/communications

http://kparks.deviantart.com/gallery
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