{"id":"external-drives.stop-time-machine-asking-to-use-a-new-drive","url":"/faq/external-drives/stop-time-machine-asking-to-use-a-new-drive","category":{"id":"external-drives","title":"External drives"},"subcategory":{"id":"setting-up","title":"Setting up your drive"},"question":"How do I stop Time Machine asking to use my new external drive for backups?","alt_questions":["Do you want to use this disk to back up with Time Machine","Time Machine pop-up when connecting drive","Don't Use Time Machine prompt","stop backup prompt new disk mac"],"short_answer":"Click Don't Use and macOS won't ask again for that drive. If you accepted by mistake, remove the drive in System Settings → General → Time Machine. Nothing happens to the drive unless you agree.","answer_markdown":"Click **Don't Use** in the prompt. macOS remembers that choice for that drive and won't ask again. If you clicked **Use as Backup Disk** by mistake, open **System Settings → General → Time Machine**, select the drive and remove it as a backup destination.\n\nTime Machine erases or takes over a drive only after you agree, so the prompt itself changes nothing. If you'd like Time Machine **and** your own files on one drive, give Time Machine its own volume — see [adding a volume](/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-add-a-volume-to-an-external-drive) and [using a Time Machine drive as the fast drive](/faq/external-drives/can-i-use-my-time-machine-drive-as-the-fast-drive).","answer_html":"

Click Don't Use in the prompt. macOS remembers that choice for that drive and won't ask again. If you clicked Use as Backup Disk by mistake, open System Settings → General → Time Machine, select the drive and remove it as a backup destination.

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Time Machine erases or takes over a drive only after you agree, so the prompt itself changes nothing. If you'd like Time Machine and your own files on one drive, give Time Machine its own volume — see adding a volume and using a Time Machine drive as the fast drive.

","answer_text":"Click Don't Use in the prompt. macOS remembers that choice for that drive and won't ask again. If you clicked Use as Backup Disk by mistake, open System Settings → General → Time Machine, select the drive and remove it as a backup destination.\n\nTime Machine erases or takes over a drive only after you agree, so the prompt itself changes nothing. If you'd like Time Machine and your own files on one drive, give Time Machine its own volume — see adding a volume and using a Time Machine drive as the fast drive.","tags":["time machine","prompt","new drive"],"related":[{"id":"external-drives.can-i-use-my-time-machine-drive-as-the-fast-drive","question":"Can I use my Time Machine backup drive as the fast drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/can-i-use-my-time-machine-drive-as-the-fast-drive"},{"id":"external-drives.how-do-i-add-a-volume-to-an-external-drive","question":"How do I add a second APFS volume to an external drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-add-a-volume-to-an-external-drive"},{"id":"external-drives.how-do-i-set-up-my-external-drive","question":"How do I set up my external drive in Storage Studio?","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-set-up-my-external-drive"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"How do I stop Time Machine asking to use my new external drive for backups? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Click Don't Use and macOS won't ask again for that drive. If you accepted by mistake, remove the drive in System Settings → General → Time Machine. Nothing happens to the drive unless you agree.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"External drives","path":"/faq/external-drives/"},{"name":"How do I stop Time Machine asking to use my new external drive for backups?","path":"/faq/external-drives/stop-time-machine-asking-to-use-a-new-drive"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/stop-time-machine-asking-to-use-a-new-drive","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I stop Time Machine asking to use my new external drive for backups?","alternateName":["Do you want to use this disk to back up with Time Machine","Time Machine pop-up when connecting drive","Don't Use Time Machine prompt","stop backup prompt new disk mac"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Click Don't Use in the prompt. macOS remembers that choice for that drive and won't ask again. If you clicked Use as Backup Disk by mistake, open System Settings → General → Time Machine, select the drive and remove it as a backup destination.\n\nTime Machine erases or takes over a drive only after you agree, so the prompt itself changes nothing. If you'd like Time Machine and your own files on one drive, give Time Machine its own volume — see adding a volume and using a Time Machine drive as the fast drive.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/stop-time-machine-asking-to-use-a-new-drive"}}]},"fragment":"
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External drives · Setting up your drive

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How do I stop Time Machine asking to use my new external drive for backups?

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Short answer: Click Don't Use and macOS won't ask again for that drive. If you accepted by mistake, remove the drive in System Settings → General → Time Machine. Nothing happens to the drive unless you agree.

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Click Don't Use in the prompt. macOS remembers that choice for that drive and won't ask again. If you clicked Use as Backup Disk by mistake, open System Settings → General → Time Machine, select the drive and remove it as a backup destination.

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Time Machine erases or takes over a drive only after you agree, so the prompt itself changes nothing. If you'd like Time Machine and your own files on one drive, give Time Machine its own volume — see adding a volume and using a Time Machine drive as the fast drive.

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