If you can’t connect an external drive to your Mac, you can still use Time Machine to back up all your data to an internal partition.

Backing up with Time Machine is one of the best ways to safeguard your most important data. However, constantly connecting an external drive to a portable MacBook every time you want to back up can be tedious.

If you don’t want to use Apple’s recommended backup process, you can instead use Time Machine to make backups on an internal partition. This method won’t protect your data if something happens to your Mac. But it does allow you to easily retrieve deleted files, which can be extremely useful.

Let’s discuss how to use Time Machine to back up your Mac to its own internal hard drive.

Before initiating your first backup, you must create a new partition on your Mac’s internal drive. When partitioning, you should allocate enough space to accommodate the entire contents of your device and then some. If you’re running low on storage, you can exclude some items from the backup to help.

Backing up to an internal partition will not protect your data if something, such as hardware failure or theft, happens to your Mac.

Here’s how to create an internal partition for Time Machine in macOS:

Partitioning your internal drive can take a long time, so you shouldn’t panic if the process appears to be slow. Once the Operation successful statement appears, you can click Done and prepare to start your first backup.

The process for initiating an internal backup is the same as when you direct Time Machine to an external drive. In both cases, all you really need to do is ensure that you select the correct disk.

Here’s how to use Time Machine to back up to your Mac’s internal hard drive:

After you add the disk, a countdown to the first backup begins. If you don’t want to wait, you can click the Time Machine icon in your Mac’s menu bar and select Back Up Now. If the icon is missing, you’ll need to tick Show Time Machine in menu bar in your Time Machine preferences.

As we already mentioned, you may need to exclude certain items from the backup if your new partition is too small. To do this, you can click Options in Time Machine preferences and use the plus (+) button to add files and folder to the exclusion list.

If you accidentally delete a file or regret removing an important item, your internal Time Machine backup can help with retrieval. Here’s how to restore a deleted item using Time Machine:

When you enter Time Machine, you can navigate through previous backups using the menu on the right side of the screen. Selecting a particular date shows the contents of Finder as they appeared at that exact point in time.

Ideally, you should back up any important data to an external drive. If connecting a hard drive to your Mac is too inconvenient, you could always opt for a cloud-based solution. Even something as simple as dropping your most precious files into iCloud Drive will save you a lot of future pain in the case of hardware failure or theft.

But when you simply need to retrieve deleted files, an internal Time Machine backup definitely comes in handy.

Matt is an Australian writer with a degree in creative and critical writing. Prior to commencing his studies, he worked in tech support and gained valuable insights into technology and its users. He is also an editor and author coach at Dean Publishing, where he helps people bring their stories to life.

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