Better disconnect time machine?

[denetoet]

I use a Time Machine which is in fact a Seagate external disk connected (almost) permanently to my Mac via a USB cable. Backups are done automatically each few hours. Now if any virus (etc.) gets hold of my Mac it might also infect (or lock by ransomware) the external disk I fear. If so, I should in principle disconnect the Time Machine after 'each' backup. But then I will often forget to reconnect it. Am I right, or can I protect the TM in some other way?
Thanks in advance for your answers! Dirk

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

Since there are very few, if any, actual viruses for Macs, you should be safe. If you are worried and want to make sure, you can unmount and disconnect the Time Machine drive. Time Machine should then prompt you that you haven't backed up in XX days at some point via an onscreen notification, which you can then simply reattach and mount your drive and it will back up.

You could also use two external drives and rotate them monthly or so. Then if anything did happen, you would have a second backup to rely on.

C

 

[denetoet]

Thanks Cory! I indeed have a second TM which I connect once a week. Especially fearing a failure of one of these. You triggered an idea. How can I be warned to do a backup - say - every evening if the TM is disconnected? Use Calendar or something else? (But maybe I am too anxious, especially because of ransomware, anyway!))

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries.

The only way that I know of to remind you to connect your TM HD is a daily repeating alarm/reminder in Calendars or Reminders. That would simply tell you to check, not monitor whether the drive is connected or not. I believe Time Machine will only remind you at an interval of 10 days or so, or at least it used to.

Better safe than sorry...at least until a point of inconvenience.

C