Can I select only a few specific folders to back up with Time Machine?

Can I backup only specific folders with Time Machine?

If there is not an "official" way to do this, does somebody know a trick to do so?

Solution 1:

You may exclude items from a Time Machine backup as follows:

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click Time Machine.
3. After having enabled Time Machine and chosen a backup disk, click Options.
4. Click + to specify an item that is not to be backed up. The backup disk is included on this list automatically so that it does not back up itself.

Solution 2:

Easily - no. Time Machine's selection only uses exclusion so you'd have to exclude everything but the folders you want. I'd recommend looking at a different solution instead (eg. rsync, Retrospect, or other backup software)