Warning to Time Machine Users
 

Yesterday I upgraded the HD in my Macbook Pro, and I used Time Machine to restore my stuff to the new drive. Worked like a charm, except...

First bit of strangeness: I noticed that Time Machine hadn't restored the most recent versions of some of my applications, e.g. OmniFocus, Transmission, Skim, and PTH Pasteboard. I checked my TM backup, and sure enough, it had not backed up recent updates.

I noticed that all those programs have one thing in common: built in updaters. The programs download and install the updates themselves. I used the built in updaters to get the latest versions of the above programs, then ran Time Machine. Time Machine did not back them up. Hmm...

Second bit of strangeness: Prior to my HD upgrade, I kept my iTunes Library on an external drive. After the upgrade I had enough space for my iTunes library on my internal. I changed the Library location in the iTunes prefs, then did a "Consolidate Library" in iTunes. It dutifully copied my 100+ GB of music to my internal drive.

I then did a "Backup Now" in Time Machine. It didn't recognize the that any new files had been added.

So I decided to restart my computer to see if that had any effect. Bingo! Time Machine recognized the new music files AND the programs I had updated.

Just a heads up that Time Machine my not be backing up what you think its backing up.

Just to clarify though, TM wasn't backing up the software updates to the program, but it was backing up the actual projects, actions, contexts, etc etc changes that you were making within the program right?

[QUOTE=Chris Humphreys;30963]Just to clarify though, TM wasn't backing up the software updates to the program, but it was backing up the actual projects, actions, contexts, etc etc changes that you were making within the program right?[/QUOTE]

That is Correct.