Leopard Time Machine: Delete Files or Folders from Backup

Contributor Icon Contributed by davak Date Icon October 19, 2007  
Tag Icon Tagged: Mac OS X Leopard

Time Machine does an amazing job of backing up all files on your system. However, sometimes you do not want every file saved forever and ever and evar. Here is how you remove a backed up file or folder from the time machine.


I really will not judge you for your huge file collections. Images, videos, programs — whatever they are. However, you may not want these files saved on your backup drive in perpetuity.

Here is how to remove files and folders from your Time Machine backup.

1. Hit the Time Machine icon to jump into the starfield view

2. For some crazy reason, you can’t ctrl-click (right-click) in the starfield view. So pull-up the options by clicking the “gears” Options icon as shown below. From here, select Delete All Backups…

Ahhh… safer you are, young Leopard Jedi.

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  • A User
    Thanks that's really helpful.
    I was trying to right-click.
  • Resuna
    Any way of getting this without going into the damn starfield view?
  • Fred
    Finally someone who can actually explain me how to do it! Puff, thanks a lot man!
  • John
    What if you do this, and nothing happens. I am trying to delete the movies folder from itunes, (it is huge and I manage another backup of it elsewhere) but it does not go anywhere. Nothing happens at all.
  • Franky
    Thank you so much for that tip.

    You are my hero :-)
  • So after doing that, does it still have a backup of the most recent state of this folder, or is that one also removed?
  • TM Newbie
    I tried to my back ups of Parallels XP from TM. The files disappeared in the Star Field view, but the free space on the disk did not change? Do I need to empty the trash somehow?
  • TM Newbie
    I forgot the word "delete", i.e. I tried to delete my back ups...
  • Jim
    After following your instructions, it then asks for my password, but I can't type anything into that area. No curser, so I still can't delete pictures.
    Jim
  • Diane
    I can't enter my password either. Guess it's time to wipe the drive and start over. <sigh>
  • Diane Bechtler
    it takes a longish time depending on what is being deleted and how big the files are. Previous system in my case. 10 copies
  • CSims
    Thanks a ton. That is the fastest tech answer I have found in some time!
  • d2
    Did you try entering entering the starfield view, selecting the item to delete all backups of, telling Time Machine to delete all backups from the gear menu, EXITING THE STARFIELD VIEW, then typing your password in the pop-up window that remains popped up?
  • zahadum
    hmm, too bad that it is not possible to selectively delete files from time machine ...

    * all instances prior to a certain date;

    * all instance in a range(s) of dates;

    * all instances of a certain attribute ... such as size; or label (eg draft1, draft2 etc); or permission mask (ie ACL); or f-stop; or geo-tag; or comment; etc etc

    as usual, apple takes a great idea & never finishes the proper execution of it!

    ... and because apple has not offered any OSAX support (for scriptable plugins) nor designed a proper API (for parametric control from the shell), there is no way for the user to implement the features they need extensibly or modularly ...

    as is usualy with apple :-(

    sigh.
  • Klaus Huber
    I can`t see the gears, what is wrong?

    Greatings from Germany K. H.
  • qdideas
    Klaus:

    Before you enter Time Machine do the following:

    1. Open a Finder Window
    2. Click the View menu
    3. Select Show Toolbar

    Now enter Time Machine and you will see the gears.
  • Klaus Huber
    Thanks, now it`s all working perfect.

    Greatings from Germany.
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