Mac Os X Can You Use Usb Drive For Time Machine Backup

For some reason it wouldn't boot from my Time Machine backup. (Maybe I didn't partition it with a GUID partition table?) It just flashed a disk with a question mark after trying to boot from the partition with the TM backup. So I on my other computer, and booted from that disk. Best dictation for mac. I was a little worried that it wouldn't create a Restore partition on the new hard drive if I just selected 'Restore from Time Machine backup onto disk', so I opted to do a Mavericks install onto the new hard drive.

2008 – Apple released the Time Machine backup utility as part of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard in October 2007. Time Machine is most commonly used to back up to an external USB or FireWire hard drive directly attached to a Mac running Leopard.

Then, during Mavericks' opening sequence, they give you the option to copy everything from a Time Machine backup. If you really like to have 1 to 1 the same it's better to copy the disk than to use Time Machine. With time machine it works like this at first it does a proper new os install the copies the files from these Folders back to your disk. /Applications /Users/* /Library/* so if you use something like homebrew, macports or fink or any other terminal tools witch install them selves in /usr/local/bin they will be lost. Also things like changes made by lion tweaks and candybar etc. Will be lost.

Also self made permission changes on System folders or icon changes on these folders may get lost. For a 1 to 1 copy you can use a os x install usb stick or any live linux stick with gparted on it. Then clone the whole disk (including the hidden restore partition). Now boot into the new disks restore partition and run a disk permission verify/repair and if needed also a disk verify/repair so you know your os on the new disk works all fine. @Deesbek maybe (can't validate this anymore this was on Leopard which was the First OS with TM i think) - As i can remember some of my customized Icons (Candybar) weren't there after the Restore and also some of my manually set File/Folder Rights get overwritten and last but not least it screwed up my homebrew installation (files were there but wrong Permisions) - I really can't say if it was cause TM in it early days was a little buggy or if it was my external HDD - So anyway when your TM Disk Fails it's always good to have a 2nd Backup. Just in Case you know what i mean;-) – Oct 28 '14 at 5:53 •.