Can use old macbook for Time Machine Backup?

Have an old macbook running snow leopard.  Can I use it for Time Machine Back-up for my current macbook pro?

Boot your old into Target Disk mode, then plug a FireWire cable from your old to your pro.  Presto!  Your old's internal HD will appear in your pro's Finder as a disk on your pro.  Time machine running on your pro can use it for backup.  Time machine won't disturb its contents, except to add a potentially huge folder there, which will grow to fill the disk with copies of your backups. (Backing up, then) partitioning (and then restoring from backup) your old's internal hard drive will keep your pro's Time Machine from consuming all free space.

Similar Messages

  • Can two macs use same disk for Time Machine backup with Airport Extreme?

    Hi
    I use a Western Digital disk as a wireless Time Machine backup connected to the USB port on my Airport Extreme and it works great. My question is: can my girlfriend use that same disk for Time Machine backup from HER computer too? (I don't mind formatting the disk if needed.)
    If she can't, is it then possible to connect a USB hub and have two disks hooked up to the Airport Extreme?
    Thanks for helping. I am constantly in awe of all the help people like you give people like me. Thanks!!!
    Jakob

    I've gone through the manual setup and the assisted setup and can't seem to get my MacBook to use the Time Machine. Any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated.
    Well, as the Jolly Giant points out....+this type of configuration is not supported by Apple+, so it's difficult, if not impossible, to provide a fix for something that Apple says that you cannot do. Reference these Apple Support documents regarding this topic:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2038
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/15139.html
    Your situation is not unlike other users who try this and find that one computer may backup...(usually for a limited time before corruption issues start to creep in)...but another computer cannot backup. Count me as one of those users who thought that because things seemed to work that I had somehow "beat the system".
    I started getting the corruption error messages after 4-5 weeks of successful backups, so I figured that it did not make sense to continue to try to get a second computer to backup (yes, I too could not setup a second Mac to backup).
    Sorry, I could not get a second machine to backup, so can't tell you how to accomplish that goal. If you want to continue to try backing up this way, you might want to also think about a second backup strategy...just in case backups become corrupted on the WD drive.
    Maybe if Apple says you cannot do this, they just may be right?
    Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

  • Use TC 2TB for Time Machine Backup and Storage simultaneously?

    Hi
    I am planning to buy a TC 2TB.
    I would like to know if the TC can be used as a Time Machine backup device and for storage simultaneously?
    for example:
    Can I use 1TB for Time Machine backups and 1TB for storage.
    Please let me know if this is possible?
    Thank you

    I tried for ages to seek a relatively easy way to do this.. i.e. partition it, it's a huge pain! You can, but i'm pretty savvy and got bored and confused! What I did do was switch the TM back-ups to manual so they don't end up filling the disk. Trust me it's the easiest and best option!

  • Trying to install Mountain Lion on macbook. It keeps telling me that I'm using my HD for time machine backups and won't install. Any known fixes for this?

    I have tried everything I know (which is not a whole lot) to circumvent this issue, but I can't get the install process to understand my HD is not my time machine backup.

    Hello:
    Go to system preferences>time machine and move the slider to off.
    Barry

  • I am setting up a time machine backup to a external Hard drive.  I want to backup by Mac book Pro running OSX 10.8.5. I would like to Partition the disk and use one partition for Time machine backups and the other for my Lightroom backups. How to do this?

    I want to create a two partition disk. One partition for time machine, the other for Lightroom backup. Currently Time Machine is using the entire drive and it is doing the intial encryption and is about 29% complete after two days.  I've decided that I want to turn encryption off and partition the disk. So I do I start over?

    With the external drive attached, open Finder>Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility.  Select the external drive from the list in the left side panel of the DU window.  In the main window panel, click Partition in the buttons top center of that panel.
    Select the number of partitions you want and adjust their sizes.
    For the first partition, click to highlight the partition, then select the format, Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and then the partition table as GUID [both of those are the defaults].  Click Apply and it will ask to confirm and erase and format that partion...oh, give the partition a name, like Backup. 
    Then repeat those steps for the second partition..and remember to name it...something like Lightroom.
    Close Disk Utilitty and you are ready to send TM to the one partition, and do your backup of Lightroom to the second partition.

  • Using Ipod Classic for Time Machine backup

    If I use my Ipod Classic (60GB) as Time Machine Backup will it converted to a storage device only loosing my music and videos?.

    you can't use an ipod as a TM disk.
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/11421.html

  • Can i use and old ipod for time machine backups?

    i've reformatted the ipod and enabled it for use as a hard drive. will it work with time machine? time machine doesn't seem to be recognizing it...

    Generally I wouldn't rely on the iPod for backing up because of how power and caching is taken care of on the iPod. Small files is one thing. But the spin up and down of the iPod can make backups unreliable if done of a system as a whole.

  • Can Not Use Air Disk for Time Machine Backup

    I have my Lacie 750 GB drive plugged into my AEBS, and it shows up on my network. I can not get Time Machine to recognize it so I can backup. I would appreciate any specific setup info. anyone has that can fix this problem.
    Thanks -
    Dudley Warner

    Have you installed the most recent Airport updates? BTW, while the update now allows AEBS with a tethered drive to be used for TimeMachine Apple doesn't support it. So far I've had no trouble, backing up and restoring, but that doesn't mean there couldn't be hidden problems waiting to get us. Also, since Apple doesn't support it, if there are problems, we are on our own.

  • HT3275 "The external disk must be erased before it can be used for Time Machine backups because it has an incompatible filesystem." What if I don't want to erase the disk?

    I'm trying to use Time Machine on my Macbook (which is a year old) to back up onto a 1Tb external hard drive. I have 860 Gb free on the hard drive. But for some reason Time machine presents me with the statement above. How can I back-up my laptop without clearing out the data I already have on the hard drive?

    Time Machine must back up to a hard drive that has been formatted in Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Your drive is likely formatted in FAT 32.
    If you want to use the drive for Time Machine backups, you will have to erase it and reformat using Disk Utility on your Mac.
    First, move the files that you do not want to lose to another temporary location and test to make sure they are OK.
    Second, erase the drive that you want to use for Time Machine backups and format it for Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
    Third,  move the files back to the hard drive.  Test  to make sure they are OK. When you are sure that the files are safe, you can erase them from their former "temporary" location. (Although I do wonder how you are backing up these files).
    Time Machine will not touch the other files that you have on the hard drive.

  • How do I connect Airport Extreme and Time Capsule to my new iMac so that AE is used for network and TC only used for Time Machine backup?

    I didn't realize that Time Capsule will only support the print function of a wireless multifunction printer.  So I want to use Extreme for my network to have full use of my printer and use TC as the Time machine backup only.  How to I make the connections?

    Thanks for your response and this is getting complicated but I just purchased a new iMac as well as the Airport TC.  I've had the Airport Extreme for a year or so.  The Airport Extreme worked perfectly with my old iMac wirelessly and I had all functions of my printer with no problems.  I was expecting the same with the TC.  But the instruction that came with TC say to connect the printer to the TC via USB...which I did.  And the print function worked perfectly but nothing else.  In researching I discovered that when wired that way the TC only supports the print function...not scan or fax or anything else.  I tried going wireless since my AE worked perfectly via wireless but I got no printer functions at all that way.  But I'm wondering also if I tried that during a time I was having other issues...I had to delete and re-add my printer which solved some other problems.  I may try that again...and see if I can get all print functions with just the TC connected
    As far as connecting both your AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule on your network, we're not clear on exactly how you want to do this.  Will the AirPort Extreme connect to your modem using an Ethernet cable and the Time Capsule connect to the AirPort Extreme using an Ethernet cable?.......or......do you want the Time Capsule to connect to the network using wireless?
    Well... first of all I would like not to have to use the AE at all...I would prefer using just my TC for network, all print functions and Time Machine backup if that's possible. My printer will not accept Ethernet connections (Canon MX512).
    After failing at getting this to work, I decided I would try to use my AE for net and print functions and just use my TC for Time Machine backup.  I tried several different connection configurations with no success until finally I connected cable modem to my AE via Ethernet and went wireless with the AE and printer. but connected the AE to the TC via Ethernet and amazingly everything worked like a charm (for a while) and I was patting myself on the back for being so smart.  But now I find that the connection only lasts for a short time.  If I leave it for a while the TC goes invisible...or at least I see a message saying the Ethernet is unplugged...but it is not... and I lose internet connection even though I have a green light on my AE. So now I'm at a loss. I don't know why I keep losing network signal and why my system thinks the Ethernet is unplugged.
    So... after all this...I figured I wasn't so smart after all and I must have things wired incorrectly.
    So... it sounds like you are saying I should go back and try again to get my new TC to work as I want it to via wireless instead of connecting via USB...is that correct?  Could you tell me exactly how I should wire my equipment from cable modem to AE and/or TC to achieve net capability, full functions of my printer and Time Machine backup...
    Thanks...

  • I can't install OS X mountain Lion to my macbook pro. It says when I'm trying to choose the disk, (This disk is used for time machine backups'. What can I do about it? thanks!

    I can't install OS X mountain Lion to my macbook pro. It says when I'm trying to choose the disk, (This disk is used for time machine backups'. What can I do about it? thanks!

    From the Finder's Go menu, choose Computer:
    Double-click your hard disk icon. It is usually named "Macintosh HD":
    Look for this folder:
    Drag it to the Trash.

  • Can't install Lion on my HD.  Says this disk is used for time machine backups

    I just downloaded Lion to install on my 2008 macbook and i can't get past the window that asks me to select the disk where I want Lion installed.  It says my hard disk is used for time machine backups.  Any suggestions on how I can select my hd to install Lion?
    Thanks

    That means there is a directory on your HD called something like backups. backupdb
    It thinks you're using the drive for TM.  Delete this directory and it will then load.
    Regards,
    Captfred

  • I have created a new partition on the Mac HD for Lion as I would like to dual boot. Do I need to install Snow Leopard on that partition before installing Lion? If so, can I use one of my Time Machine backups to do this?

    I have created a new partition on the Mac HD for Lion as I would like to dual boot. Do I need to install Snow Leopard on that partition before installing Lion? If so, can I use one of my Time Machine backups to do this?

    zoominnana wrote:
    Can I set up 2 different time capsule backups? one for the lion partition and one for the snow leopard partition?
    No, you can't partition a Time Capsule's internal HD.  Both partitions will back up to the same sparse bundle. keeping the backups for each partition separate.
    Time Machine will not take the two OSX partitions as two different computers, but for best results, exclude the Snow Leopard drive from backups on the Lion partition, and exclude the Lion partition from backups on the Snow Leopard partition.
    There may be some files on the Lion partition that Time Machine on Snow Leopard won't like, among other things.  See #10 in  Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions for details.

  • Can you use the same external hard drive for Time Machine backups and as an additional storage drive?

    I have an external HD that I've been using exclusively for Time Machine backups. I need to clear space on my hard drive, so I was thinking to move music & photos to an external drive.  Wondering if I can use the same one I have (which I'll aslo keep using for Time Machine) or if I need to get another drive. 

    Hi Jossydtaylor,
    Time Machine can use either an entire external disk or a partition of that disk:
    OS X Mountain Lion: Disks you can use with Time Machine
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11171
    You can use Time Machine with a Time Capsule, and with USB, FireWire, and Thunderbolt disks. The backup disk can be directly connected to your computer or be on a network. If the backup disk has been divided into partitions, you can use one of the partitions.
    If the disk is partitioned using the Master Boot Record (MBR) partition type, some partitions may not be available for use with Time Machine. The GUID Partition Table (GPT) partition type is recommended.
    For more info on partitioning, see this article:
    Disk Utility 12.x: Partition a disk
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5845
    Cheers!
    - Ari

  • Can I use a 1 TB EHD which has an iPhoto library on it for Time Machine backup?

    Or do I need a separate EHD for that? I'm trying to make an ancient 2008 MBP (running OS X 10.6.8, 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB 667 MHZ DDR2 SDRAM) last me for another 6-9 mos. With my hard drive about full I ordered an EHD and copied my iPhoto library to it before deleting events on iPhoto on my computer. This freed up 95 GB of space. I hate to admit that I've never backed up my computer.
    Thanks for your help.

    Hi,
    you can use the drive with Time Machine while still using the drive as a normal disk. Be careful however, that if the external drive dies for a reason, your photos will be lost forever.
    The best would be to set Time capsule on a secondary hard drive, and asking Time Capsule to backup as well your 1st drive, which contains the iPhoto library.
    That way you'll have 2 full versions of your data
    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
    All the best,
    James

Maybe you are looking for