Did You Know That You Can Compare Time Machine Backups?

I hate to break it to you, but a Time Machine drive can get corrupted just as badly as a normal drive. Luckily Apple gives you the tools to compare the differences between your Time Machine backup and your main drive as well as backup folders.

The command line tool tmutil lets you compare your save state and determine what files have been changed, deleted, or recently added to your Time Machine backup. In addition to the comparisons, you can also get file size readings if you’re trying to determine the state of a particular file that’s been backed up recently.

The tmutil tool also brings with it some other features, like forcing a backup to start or finish, creating a snapshot, restoring a backup, as well as configuring Time Machine to backup to a remote location over AFP. If you’re comfortable with the command line, you’re going to want to check out tmutil. There are some real hidden gems buried within the terminal app.

Huge hat tip goes out to OS X Daily for the recommendation. It just saved my butt.

Joshua is the Content Marketing Manager at BuySellAds. He’s also the founder of Macgasm.net. And since all that doesn’t quite give him enough content to wrangle, he’s also a technology journalist in his spare time, with bylines at PCWorld, Macworld and TechHive.