How to copy everything off your Time Capsule safely: a checklist

Published: 2026-10-27 · Capsule Bridge

Short answer: check how much data there is, get a drive with enough room, copy the biggest and most important folders first, then verify the copies before you touch the Time Capsule again. Never delete anything from the Time Capsule until you have opened copies.

Before you start

• Measure. Find out how much is on the disk. A typical 2013 Time Capsule can hold hundreds of gigabytes, often with one large Time Machine backup bundle.
• Get room. The new drive should be larger than the data you copy, with space to spare.
• Use Ethernet. A cable is faster and more stable than Wi-Fi for hundreds of gigabytes.
• Leave settings alone. Do not update firmware or change Time Capsule settings during this.

The steps

1. Connect to the disk with an older Mac, or with an app that speaks AFP such as Capsule Bridge (coming soon).
2. Copy photos and documents first. They are small and irreplaceable.
3. Copy videos next. They are large. Let the copy run overnight and keep the Mac awake.
4. Copy the Time Machine bundle last. It is one huge item. Copy the whole .sparsebundle as one unit.
5. Verify. Open a handful of random files from each folder on the new drive. Compare folder sizes.
6. Make a second copy of the most important folders somewhere else.
7. Only then decide what to do with the Time Capsule.

If a copy stops halfway

Large copies sometimes stop when the Mac sleeps or the network drops. Start again and copy only what is missing. Do not delete the partial copy until the complete one has been checked.

Read first: is it safe to keep using a 2013 Time Capsule?