Can I use an external drive for OS10.8 startup

I am currently running OS 10.6.8 on my iMac. I want to buy an app that requires at least OS 10.7. Most of the apps I use would not be compatible with OS 10.8. I am wondering if I can install the 10.8 on a Seagate GoFlex external drive tha i have; and use it as a startup when I want to use the new app? It is connected by the 800 firewire and has about 1.5 TB of memory left.
What kind of issues would I likely encounter? I doubt I'd want to upgrade the majority of my apps in the future, but would like to utilize this one particular one.
Thanks

That will work just fine.
I have the opposite set-up. I'm running Mountain Lion as my main OS on my MacBook. I have a partition on one of my external drives (connected via FireWire 800) that has Snow Leopard installed. I'll boot from that if I ever need to use any of the scant number of Power PC apps that I don't have replacements for.
Not knowing what the app is (or the specs of your computer), I can't tell you what specific issues you might encounter. I can say that performance from booting and operating on an external drive may be a little slower then on the installed drive. For a rarely used app, that probably won't be much of a drawback.

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Can i use my external drive for TM and files i don't want on my mac HD

my hard drive has a total of 232.57g which is not nearly enough space to save all my pictures, movies, etc. i've been using a 300g external drive to save my pictures, movies, etc. which is now full so i bought a maxtor one touch 4 750g to hopefully back up my computer using time machine, my 300g external drive, and whatever new pictures, movies, etc.
if i set up my new external drive for time machine can i still put the pictures, movies from my 300g external drive and whatever new pictures, movies, etc. on my new 750g external drive?
do i need to make a partition? if so can you tell me how?
should i not use time machine?
any information is appreciated

mac HD
capacity: 232.57g
available: 170.29g
iomega
capacity: 298.02g
available: 14.29g
one touch 4
capacity: 698.51g
available: 698.36g
thanks for the quick reply but i need to explain it better or ask, once all is backed up from my mac HD and my iomega external drive to my new one touch 4 i want to stop using the iomega since there isn't much room left on it
will i be able to add files directly to the one touch 4 without having those files saved to my mac HD like i do now?
or will TM remove my files the next time it backs up my mac HD since i won't have the iomega on anymore?

Can I use an external drive for Time Machine and storing other data?

At the moment I have one external drive, a 500gb LaCie. My internal drive is 160gb. I don't think I'll be using all 500 of those gigabytes for a while, so I want to put them to good use. Can I make a partition on this drive and use that for Time Machine, leaving the rest of the drive for my documents and other files? If so, how would I partition the drive? I'm not fluent in Disk Utility and even though I'm pretty sure I know how to do it, I don't want to screw up. Also, how big a partition would you recommend?
While we're here, I have a second question, somewhat relevant to the first. Could I move my Time Machine backups to a second drive if I wanted to? Also, if I used a big drive (say 1tb) could I use Time Machine to backup my current LaCie to a partition on that drive? Thanks in advance.

videoCWK wrote:
Does that also mean that I could back them both up on a very big drive?
Yes. Time Machine will, by default, back up all of your external drives unless you specifically exclude them.
Also, will Time Machine backups eat all my space after a lot of usage?
It depends on what you do on your Mac. If you work often with very large files (video editing, heavy photo editing, big disk images, Microsoft Entourage data file, Parallels disk image file, etc) then your backup drive could fill up very quickly.
I use my Mac mostly for e-mail, web browsing, iTunes, iPhoto, and the occasional iMovie project. I have 92 GB on my main hard drive (60 GB of which are my iTunes and iPhoto libraries, and one iMovie project.) My Time Machine backups consume 155GB on my backup drive, and that's after using Time Machine for a full year.

Can I use an external drive for a 2nd time capsule backup? Other questions too

My setup:
1 Macbook Air
1 Mac mini as HTPC
1 Mac mini as a media server (5tb and growing) with external drives.
I want to get a 2tb time capsule to back up my laptop and mac mini that i use as a HTPC. Simple enough....
Since the new gen airport extremes support external drives to a time machine back up i want to plug a CineRAID device with 4 6TB drives (12gb of storage in a RAID) and use that as a backup for my media server. Could I just plug it directly into the mac mini? Yes, but i am trying to have the lest amount of clutter possible visible. So i want to put in a closet where my router is..
So can I plug in the CineRAID into the usb port for a 2nd time machine backup with massive storage?
Option 2:
Just get an airport extreme and use the CineRAID for a backup via USB...
Also, how much space does the airport extreme support? Like i said up time I am at 5tb but its growing fast

So can I plug in the CineRAID into the usb port for a 2nd time machine backup with massive storage?
There is conflicting advice about whether a RAID setup will work with Time Machine, so you can find information that will say that it will work and other info that will say that it will not. In general, Apple says that Time Machine must "see" the RAID drive as a single partition, but they also say that you need to check with the support folks at the drive manufacturer for more details.
The only way that you will know whether it will work or not on your network, is try it out on your network.
Please let us know about your results.
Just get an airport extreme and use the CineRAID for a backup via USB...
Same as above.
how much space does the airport extreme support?
The firmware on an AirPort Extreme will support up to a 4 TB drive, but I have not tried it on a larger drive, so we'll need another user to answer on that one. Here again, it would be wise to try a few "tests" before you try to backup or transfer a large amount of data.

I would like to use an external drive for the iPad I just purchased for my husband? How can I accomplish this is there an accessory that would allow me to use a USB

I would like to use an external drive for storage on the ipad I just purchased. How can I do this?

You can't attach drives to any iOS device.
Having said that, there are some drives with built-in wifi routers that a device can connect to. These would behave like a cloud device in which some of your apps might be able to connect.
Try googling to find some brands.

I have the G Drive 1 TB (GEN4 1TB) external drive purchased in 2010. I need to connect to my new MacBook Pro. I'm using the external drive for media storage of my video editing projects. Will a 800fw to thunderbolt adapter cable work?

I have the G Drive 1 TB (GEN4 1TB) external drive purchased in 2010. I need to connect to my new MacBook Pro. I'm using the external drive for media storage of my video editing projects. Will a 800fw to thunderbolt adapter cable work? I understand that using a USB port connection is not fast enough for video editing. I read somewhere the G Drives don't connect well to MacBook Pro.
thanks
larry

I doubt this can be relocated or moved so you might want to just repost in the macbook pro area.
MacBook Pro
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os?view=discussions
Can you afford a new Thunderbolt case and cable? any case with FW800 is going to be slow 72MB/sec and less, and any new 1TB drive is capable of 75MB/s minimum up to 125MB/sec.
Thunderbolt storage can of course when setup properly reach 100's of MB higher using multiple drives.
Use what you have for a system backup or for secondary backup storage.
you might be able to take the drive - most cases allow you to open and swap drives - and use this:
G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE mini High-Speed Portable Hard Drive
or this:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/HB137VC/A/g-technology-4tb-g-raid-professional -high-performance-dual-drive-hard-drive?fnode=5f

I've used an external drive for time machine which has important files on it. After trying to back up my computer, it suddenly needed to be "repaired" by utilities. Now it's not being "seen" at all! How do I recover my important files off the drive?

I've used an external drive for time machine which has important files on it. After trying to back up my computer, it suddenly needed to be "repaired" by utilities. Now it's not being "seen" at all! How do I recover my important files off the drive?

If the external drive can be seen at all in Disk Utility, follow the instructions for repair here.

I'm having a problem with using an external drive for my iTunes media

I recently switched to using an external drive for my iTunes library and I was able to switch everything fine. I was able to get iTunes to download and new TV shows, videos, and music that I purchased from the iTunes store to the iTunes folder on my external drive but I can't get it to do the same for applications. All my applications are still being used through the iTunes folder on my internal drive and new ones that I download get put in that folder too. How can I set it to get iTunes to put new applications and use the existing application files from my external drive?

There is a Windows based utility that will allow one to change the location of the 'My Music' folder, but you appear to be running a Mac.
You may find more appropriate help in the iTunes for Mac Discussions.
If you are running Windows, post back and some info can be provided.
Best of Luck

HT3275 I am using an external drive for backup. I am now getting a message that the drive needs a disk repair, but when I run disk repair it just seems to freeze.

I am using an external drive for back up. Yesterday the backup failed and I received a message that the external drive( a passport drive) needed a 'disk repair", when I ran disk repair nothing happened it seemed to freeze. Suggestions? should i simply erase the external drive and start over-my computer is fine.

Get a different drive for backup.
In the meantime, once you are backed up some drive safe, then you can attempt to repair the backup drive using the repair the directory link.

Going from xp to windows 7 64 bit using an external drive for music storage

Greetings Techies!
I hope you all are well.
I need to move my iTunes from an XP machine to Windows 7 64 bit. On the XP machine I am using an external drive for music storage and the iTunes database is stored on the internal drive. I am looking for advice on how to transfer all of this over to my new Windows 7 64 bit machine. I know iTunes can be picky about everything and I don’t want to take and chances and loose my playlists or music.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Blessings,
paul

You are right about it being picky. I just upgraded from Vista to Windows 7 and was forced to format my drive. I had all the music backed up, but when I imported it, I have 2 or 3 copies of some songs, art work missing, and have lost my playlists. I hope someone responds to your question, because I could use similar help! Best of luck to ya . . .

Updated to Mavericks OS X but can't use my external drive by WD My Passport. The Mac reads it but I can't add/remove files to the external drive. Help?!

Updated to Mavericks OS X but can't use my external drive by WD My Passport. The Mac reads it but I can't add/remove files to the external drive. Help?!
The WD My Passport, I purchased back in early December 2013 & I just used it the other day after I updated my Macbook... & of course it says in the online manual it works for Mac Lion, Mountain Lion, Snow Leopard but not this new Maverick update. Is there anything I can do?

I like the free demo of SuperDuper to make clones. It's free, Tiger and Leopard ready and is easy to use. If you buy the full version you can do incremental backups.
You should use Disk Utility to do a Disk Repair, as shown in this link, booted up on your install disk, before you make a clone of it.
I then partition my external disk, in Disk Utility, with a partition that is the same size , actually a tad bigger, as my system disk. I then use SuperDuper to clone my system disk over to that partition.
With a clone on an external FireWire drive (USB drives are not bootable on some Macs) you can bootup on it to do your repairs or just run your Mac anytime you have trouble with your main drive. Be careful, there are a few external FireWire drives out there that are not bootable on Macs. Check the drive's manual to be sure.
 DALE

Using an External Drive for Time Machine and Other Things

I have a 2TB external drive which I use for Time Machine Backups on my 2 macs. The macs have HDs of 500GB and 160GB so the external drive has ample space for backups.
Is it okay to use the external drive for other things that I don't care if they aren't backed up (like digital copies of DVDs)? i.e. Will Time Machine cause any issues if a drive is used for more than just Time Machine backups?

rgraves wrote:
I have a 2TB external drive which I use for Time Machine Backups on my 2 macs. The macs have HDs of 500GB and 160GB so the external drive has ample space for backups.
Maybe. See #1 in [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
Is it okay to use the external drive for other things that I don't care if they aren't backed up (like digital copies of DVDs)? i.e. Will Time Machine cause any issues if a drive is used for more than just Time Machine backups?
It's best to put such things in their own partition. See #3 in the FAQ.
You may also want to make separate partitions for each Mac's backups, if you're backing-up either one directly (ie, not over your network). See #4 in the FAQ.

Can I use an external drive as my main drive?

My hard drive just died and I can't purchase a new one for about a month (I'm living in a mac-unfriendly place at the moment). Here are my questions:
1. Can I install an OS on my external Maxtor drive and use it as my main hard drive? Even with a dead internal drive?
2. If so, how do I properly install the OS onto the Maxtor?
3. (extra credit) I've been using my powerbook (AC 100-240V 50/60Hz) for the last 8 months in a country that uses 50hz 200V power. Though the apple adaptor specs clearly state that it is okay to use here, I'm wondering if it could be the reason for my drive's failure (This is the second powerbook that I've had here that has died -- seems suspicious).
Powerbook G4 15" 1.5Ghz Mac OS X (10.4.2)

You can use an external drive as your main drive,
although it's really not so hard to replace a drive
and you could get a new one for a hundred or so
dollars + mail order depending on what you go with.
Bear in mind the actual drive will not be unique to
Apple so that will be your best bet. Most drives are
Hitachi or Seagate I think - you might even be able
to upgrade to a faster 7200 drive - they start at
$150 I think.
As for the external drive, you can install the OS on
to it - I've seen that work - Apple store will
typically boot from an external firwire drive. I
think you might be able to plug in the drive, start
the machine with the install CD and then select the
external drive as the target to load the operating
system on - it should load on to it, assuming the
drive is in mac os format first. Others will pipe in
if I'm wrong. When you start the machine it should
search for your operating system.
You'll have no problems installing onto whatever drive you like, provided that it is powered-on during the boot process so Installer recognizes it. Once OS X is installed, holding down Option during power-on will allow you to manually select your external drive, since I think it will default to the internal until you tell it otherwise. Go into System Preferences --> Startup Disk and select your external as the new default.

How can I use single hard drive for both Mac OS and Windows without changing the formats and reformatting?

I have a windows PC and a Macbook Air and a 1TB external hard drive. They said in order to transfer large files into the hard drive you have to change the format of your hard drive (which would be from MS-DOS to Mac Os extended) so how can I use my external hard drive on my windows PC without reformatting its files? Please heeeelp

Natively Windows can read and write to NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT while the Mac can read and write to FAT32, exFAT, and MacOS Extended.
Option 1: You can purchase driver software for Windows to allow it to read and write Mac's MacOS Extended or you can purchase a driver to allow the Mac to read and write to NTFS.
Option 2: you can format the hard drive for exFAT and use it with both Windows and the Mac without purchasing any special drivers. (Obviously the 4GB file size limit is why you don't want to use FAT32)

Can I use an external HDD for Boot Camp?

I've got the new MacBook. So, I'm gonna be short on space if I allocate space from the in built Hard Disk or ssd whatever you want to call it..
Is it in any way possible to set up the windows account with an external hard drive(with USB 3)? Or can I use time capsule(or whatever their external hard disk is called) as an external drive for windows?
Since I'll mostly be playing games in windows, I'll need decent space there too...

FaceLord wrote:
I'm not sure you're numbers are quite right. I have Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit installed right now with Service Pack 1 on my bootcamp partition. I've also got Steam and Deus Ex: Human Revolution installed. Steam and the game occupy 8.47GB of space. Total space occupied on the disk is 21.2 GB, which means Windows is taking 12.73 GB. So I'd say the system requirements of 16GB for 32bit and 20GB for 64bit definitely include cache and paging, and also account for service packs and drivers.
You could easily get by with 20GB minimum space for bootcamp.
Take a moment and read the posts on this site, users who installed Windows in a 30G or less partition come here regularly trying to find the easy way to make it larger. We'll help you when you need the space.
Windows 7 should not be installed in less than a 40G partition, larger if the drive is an SSD.

Can I use an external drive for OS10.8 startup

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