Largest internal HD for a Mac Pro to run Time Machine

I have a Mac Pro with all 4 HD bays in use (each with a (750GB HD). The 4th HD, I made into the Time Machine HD. I recently looked at how much of the drive I have used and I am already at 608GB out of 698.32 capacity. I am running out of HD real estate quickly.
Question 1: What is the largest HD that will be accommodated by a Mac Pro? According to Apple the Mac Pro can accommodate up to 3 TB... I have already 3 TB ( 4 x 750GB)
Question 2: If there is a larger HD, can I swap out one of my other drives then copy the Time Machine info that I have in the 4th HD? then remove the Time Machine HD, and replace it with the new HD with all of the info previously on the Tine Machine and continue to use without missing a beat?
Thanks,
KJP
PS Why does it say 750 GB but it's actual capacity is only 698.32? Thats 50 plus GB s loss, I read that a 1 TB is actually ~908GB (a lost of 92 GBs). Why is this?

I think you should look into external drives and maybe RAID 0.
The other thought is to put your docs etc. on your boot drive, and RAID the remaining two drives.
Rick

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I agree with teh OWC sggestion above, but why must it be USB powered? I find that far more unreliable, and the low power devices slow.
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Grant

Mac Pro freezes when Time Machine starts backup

MacPro1,1, Lion 10.7.5 (this machine won't run Mountain Lion).
Processor Name: Dual-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 3 GHz
Number of Processors: 2
Total Number of Cores: 4
L2 Cache (per Processor): 4 MB
Memory: 12 GB
Bus Speed: 1.33 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MP11.005D.B00
SMC Version (system): 1.7f10
I'm backing up to a newer 3Tb Time Capsule. When TM backup starts other applications freeze, Force Quit is unaccessible, I have to hold down the power button to shut down. This started about a month after starting to use the Time Capsule, now 2 months old. Here's some log data from when TM starts to the shut down:
9/7/13 9:54:44.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:44.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/Data failed 49.
9/7/13 9:54:44.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 1 seconds and then try again
9/7/13 9:54:44.560 AM com.apple.backupd: Waiting for Spotlight to finish indexing /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
9/7/13 9:54:45.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:45.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:45.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/Data failed 49.
9/7/13 9:54:45.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 1 seconds and then try again
9/7/13 9:54:46.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:46.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:46.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/Data failed 49.
9/7/13 9:54:46.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 1 seconds and then try again
9/7/13 9:54:47.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:47.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:47.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/Data failed 49.
9/7/13 9:54:47.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 1 seconds and then try again
9/7/13 9:54:48.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:48.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:48.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/Data failed 49.
9/7/13 9:54:48.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 1 seconds and then try again
9/7/13 9:54:49.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:49.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:49.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/Data failed 49.
9/7/13 9:54:49.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 1 seconds and then try again
9/7/13 9:54:50.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:50.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:50.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/Data failed 49.
9/7/13 9:54:50.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 1 seconds and then try again
9/7/13 9:54:50.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:50.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:50.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/Data failed 49.
9/7/13 9:54:50.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 1 seconds and then try again
9/7/13 9:54:50.734 AM configd: network configuration changed.
9/7/13 9:54:51.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:51.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:51.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/Data failed 65.
9/7/13 9:54:51.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 2 seconds and then try again
9/7/13 9:54:52.031 AM configd: network configuration changed.
9/7/13 9:54:54.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:54.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP asp_SetTCPQoS: sock_settclassopt got error 57
9/7/13 9:54:54.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: Logging in with uam 13 /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:54.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: Restoring session /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:54:54.000 AM kernel: ASP_TCP ReplayPendingReqs: replaying slot 0 with reqID 2981 afpCmd 0xB on so 0x1e43ce68
9/7/13 9:54:54.000 AM kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: get the reconnect token
9/7/13 9:54:54.443 AM SLRuntimeLoader: clip: empty path.
9/7/13 9:54:54.444 AM [0x0-0x17d17d].com.canon.SLRuntimeLoader: Sep 7 09:54:54 My-Mac-Pro-6.local SLRuntimeLoader[3031] <Error>: clip: empty path.
9/7/13 9:54:58.738 AM Address Book: Subscription request completed
9/7/13 9:55:10.581 AM [0x0-0x181181].com.apple.iTunes: 2013-09-07 09:55:10.581 The plugin 'Quartz Composer Visualizer' failed to load because it has the wrong CPU architecture for this version of iTunes. (3585)
9/7/13 9:55:22.038 AM com.apple.backupd: Starting standard backup
9/7/13 9:55:22.066 AM com.apple.backupd: Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/Data
9/7/13 9:55:33.811 AM com.apple.backupd: Disk image already attached: /Volumes/Data/My Mac Pro (6).sparsebundle, DIHLDiskImageAttach returned: 35
9/7/13 9:55:35.601 AM com.apple.backupd: Disk image already attached: /Volumes/Data/My Mac Pro (6).sparsebundle, DIHLDiskImageAttach returned: 35
9/7/13 9:55:36.791 AM com.apple.backupd: Disk image /Volumes/Data/My Mac Pro (6).sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups
9/7/13 9:55:36.988 AM com.apple.backupd: Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
9/7/13 9:55:55.532 AM com.apple.backupd: 1.77 GB required (including padding), 1.09 TB available
9/7/13 9:57:24.944 AM com.apple.backupd: Copied 3262 files (21.5 MB) from volume Internal 1 3TB.
9/7/13 9:57:31.941 AM com.apple.backupd: 1.92 GB required (including padding), 1.09 TB available
9/7/13 9:58:02.477 AM mdworker: CFPropertyListCreateFromXMLData(): Old-style plist parser: missing semicolon in dictionary.
9/7/13 9:58:02.480 AM mdworker: CFPropertyListCreateFromXMLData(): Old-style plist parser: missing semicolon in dictionary.
9/7/13 9:58:02.482 AM mdworker: CFPropertyListCreateFromXMLData(): Old-style plist parser: missing semicolon in dictionary.
9/7/13 9:58:02.483 AM mdworker: CFPropertyListCreateFromXMLData(): Old-style plist parser: missing semicolon in dictionary.
9/7/13 9:58:02.484 AM mdworker: CFPropertyListCreateFromXMLData(): Old-style plist parser: missing semicolon in dictionary.
9/7/13 9:58:02.485 AM mdworker: CFPropertyListCreateFromXMLData(): Old-style plist parser: missing semicolon in dictionary.
9/7/13 9:58:26.993 AM com.apple.backupd: Copied 1720 files (304.1 MB) from volume Internal 1 3TB.
9/7/13 10:01:45.000 AM bootlog: BOOT_TIME 1378566105 0
9/7/13 10:01:58.767 AM fseventsd: event logs in /.fseventsd out of sync with volume. destroying old logs. (307606 12 307803)
9/7/13 10:01:59.000 AM kernel: npvhash=4095
9/7/13 10:01:59.000 AM kernel: PAE enabled

Thanks, Linc. Based on earlier posts around the same problem I assumed it was something to do with the computer. TC is up to date and restarting it seems to have corrected the problem, at least during the one TM backup that's gone since.
BTW, I have two internal 3 TB HDs, one with all content, the second which mirrors the first and is updated every night. I'm using the TC/TM as the backup to my backup. I also take a new full copy offsite weekly. Curious though, what do you think of backing up to cloud storage?

Mac Pro- 2 monitor Time Machine screen redraw issue

Late 2013 Mac Pro
OSX V. 10.10.3 (which includes the supplemental install that came a week later)
30 Inch Cinema HD Display
23 Inch Cinema HD Display
When I enter Time Machine I see the attached image on my 30 inch display (my primary display). the 23 Inch does NOT go black- it just displays whatever was showing prior to entering TM. The black box appears to be the 23 Inch Display's "cover" that has been slid over onto the 30 inch display. Time Machine DOES back up regularly according to the TM pull down. You can see the cancel button obscured by the black box.

Open the Mission Control pane in System Preferences and uncheck the box marked
Displays have separate Spaces
Test.

Internal Hard Drives for Apple Mac Pro

Hello there,
Does any one have some advice on the following internal HDs. I am in Germany and this is what I have found that I am interested in. I just don't know if they all are for Apple Mac Pro because the provider doesn't specify.
1) HD 1000GB Western Digital RE2 GP, SATA, intern, 3,5'', 7200rpm, 16MB Cache, RoHS compliant, 5 years warranty (not bad eh?) = 139,00 €
2) HD 1000GB Samsung SpinPoint F1 HD103UJ SATA intern 7200rpm 32MB Cache 8,9ms: 109,00 €
3) HD Seagate Barracuda ES.2, 1000GB, SAS, intern, 3,5'', 7200rpm, 16MB Cache, 8,5ms, 5 years warranty: 214,00 €
Any bad experience with Wester Digital? Or recommendations for internal hard drives, they are greatly appreciated!
I was wondering too, does it affect the hard drive, that the bigger it is the shorter it will live? I love having 1T, and I already got 2T EXTERNALS from WesternDigital. But I am certainly concerned that the bigger they get, the more chances to fail the might have. Does this make sense?
I am also a little doubtful about internals, they seem to fail faster than the externals, is this true in most cases?
I just want to have the capability of storing my Aperture Library in an internal HD, for easy access and all the images on an external drive.
Thank you for the advice!!
Cheers!
E.

http://www.barefeats.com/hard94.html
I would get WD Black, Hitachi (latest, not their earlier model) or Seagate (no need to spend on ES).
WD has been excellent in Mac Pro, I just would skip on GP.
I only had one drive with 4 bad blocks in 20 WD drives.
Personally, I would get 4 x 640GB WD Caviar drives for internal. They are fast, quiet, and run cool. And sells for US$80.
http://www.wdc.com/th/products/products.asp?driveid=394
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Western%20Digital/WD6400AAKS/
http://www.barefeats.com/harper14.html

Are there any Installation instructions for adding an MCE internal Blu-Ray burner to a Mac Pro(2013) running OS X Montain Lion?

Looking for any installation instructions or assistance in adding hardware (MCE internal blu-ray burner multi-drive14x) to my Mac Pro system running the latest version of OS X Mountain Lion.

Ask the vendor if they provide installation instructions. Otherwise, do a Google search for links on installing optical devices in a Mac Pro.

What is a recommended internal hard drive for a Mac Pro 1,1 (2006)?

What is a recommended internal hard drive for a Mac Pro 1,1 (2006) model? I would like to
add more hard drive space by utilizing the three available slots. However, from my understanding,
Apple does not produce hard drives for my older computer so I'll need to turn to a third party.

You are very much over-due for some new larger more efficient drives.
the most common best approach goes something like this....
SSD 120GB for system
WD Black 1-2TB for data (and put all your data and media files, all your home account sub-folders)
Backup. I use WD Green but use what you want. I have a small boot volume, TimeMachine, and 3rd that is a clone image of the boot drive volume.
Very fond of WD 10K VelociRaptor drives. Not much louder now than the WD Black 2TB, $100-200 for 250GB to 1TB.
You can use any size SATA 3.5" drive, most now are 1TB and up to 4TB.
You should have always bought Amazon or Newegg or outside of Apple, Apple can often charge 3x what those places charge.
Probably want to add or replace FBDIMMs you have, these are excellent and price in the last year has fallen.
2x2GB FBDIMM DDR2 667MHz @ $29
http://www.amazon.com/BUFFERED-PC2-5300-FB-DIMM-APPLE-Memory/dp/B002ORUUAC/
WD Black 1TB $93
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Internal-Desktop/dp/B0036Q7MV0/
WD Green 3TB $149 - backup
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Green-Desktop/dp/B004RORMF6/
WD VR 10K 250GB $103 200MB/sec boot drive :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007V5A1BK/
Those last and last and make a nice boot drive.
SSD: Samsung 840 128GB
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-120GB-internal-MZ-7TD120BW/dp/B009NHAF06/
Over-due to upgrade and replace the graphic card most likely it sounds like also:
ATI Radeon 5770
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC742ZM/A
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-ATI-Radeon-5770-MC742ZM/dp/B003Z6QH6M
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/726537-REG/Apple_MC742ZM_A_ATI_Radeon_HD_5 770.html
Your OEM 7300GT isn't helping now and with Lion or the X1900 dust magnet and out of date too. If you have a functional 8800GT still working you are lucky and no need.

Best replacement internal Hard Drive for a Mac Pro 3

I am looking for a replacement Hard Drive for my Mac Pro 3. It currently has an Intel ATA drive. Can I replay it with a SATA drive or a Solid State drive to upgrade it? Thanks.
Craig

I need to inform you there are no SATA. hdd in your or any Maqc Pro. Serial ATA only.
Buy yourself a 250GB Samsung SSD $150 or 500GB $250 are best.

Should i get a antivirus for my mac pro

should i get a antivirus for my mac pro?

1. This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets (see below.)
It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been another layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't actually been tested by Apple (unless it comes from the Mac App Store), but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. For most practical purposes, applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed can be considered safe.
Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could find some other way to evade Apple's controls.
For more information about Gatekeeper, see this Apple Support article.
4. Beyond XProtect and Gatekeeper, there’s no benefit, in most cases, from any other automated protection against malware. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence. All known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source. How do you know whether a source is trustworthy?
Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe.
5. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was never a good idea, and Java's developers have had a lot of trouble implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style "virus" affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful. Fortunately, Java on the Web is mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice.
Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it — not JavaScript — in your browsers. In Safari, this is done by unchecking the box marked Enable Java in the Security tab of the preferences dialog.
Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a specific task, enable Java only when needed for the task and disable it immediately when done. Close all other browser windows and tabs, and don't visit any other sites while Java is active. Never enable Java on a public web page that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, password-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be practically as safe from malware as you can be.
6. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use the free software ClamXav — nothing else.
Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
7. ClamXav doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
ClamXav is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
ClamXav may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use ClamXav unless a network administrator requires you to run an anti-virus application.
8. The greatest harm done by anti-virus software, in my opinion, is in its effect on human behavior. It does little or nothing to protect people from emerging threats, but they get a false sense of security from it, and then they may behave in ways that expose them to higher risk. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.
9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.

I can't see two of my internal drives on my mac pro?

I can't see two of my internal drives on my mac pro? Any idea's or suggestions on how I can see them again. They were working last week just fine - Now they don't even show up in the finder? I have video stored on one and the other is just used for extra storage if needed - not really used much.

A drive that will not show BOTH its Make&Model AND a reasonable Size/capacity in Disk Utility has failed.
IF Disk Utility can see those things, use (Repair Disk) to attempt to repair its Directory. It takes about five minutes. If it finishes in 10 seconds, it just repaired the Partition Map and nothing else. Select the Macintosh_HD or whatever you renamed the Volume, and (Repair Disk) again.

Need advice on hard drive set up for a Mac Pro

Just changed over to a Mac and would like some advice on hard drive setup. Have a Mac Pro 2.8 with the 320 gig hard drive.
I plan to run Windows with MS Flight Simulator and Office 2007 through VMware Fusion/Boot Camp.
Will be transferring camcorder video to edit and make DVDs. Lots of music, podcasts, photos, and short videos will be stored.
I'm planning to buy additional hard drives.
Any suggestions on how many/what size hard drives to get.
What should the stock 320 hard drive be used for?
Where would I put the Windows stuff? What format/partion size?
Where should the backup go?
I've seen many positive comments on Western Digital Caviar Black drives, would that be a good choice?

Welcome to Discussions!
Here's my (current) setup.
4 x WD640AAKS. As Hatter says, brilliant drives. Whisper quiet and very fast. Plus extremesly good-priced.
Drives 1 and 2:
Raid0 boot volume. Also set as Photoshop scratch. I ran lots of tests on different setups and this is faster than having a separate scratch drive, almost the same as having a separate internal raid0 for scratch. But I felt I couldn't motivate that use of harddrive bays for the little extra it offered in speed.
Drive 3: User account on first partition and a second, 23GB partition for Windows XP.
Drive 4: Time Machine, which only backs up the User account partition.
I clone the startup drive to an external regularly. In fact I have three bootable clones, one OS X with latest updates, one with OS X with latest updates and my applications, and one of the boot volume before any major updates - overkill perhaps... I use the 320GB OEM drive in an FW800 enclosure for this.
/p

Do I need antiviral software for a Mac Pro notebook

is antiviral protection needed for a Mac Pro notebook

WARNING: "Avast" is useless garbage that will cause you nothing but problems.
1. This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets (see below.)
It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been another layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't actually been tested by Apple (unless it comes from the Mac App Store), but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. For most practical purposes, applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed can be considered safe.
Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could find some other way to evade Apple's controls.
For more information about Gatekeeper, see this Apple Support article.
4. Beyond XProtect and Gatekeeper, there’s no benefit, in most cases, from any other automated protection against malware. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence. All known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source. How do you know whether a source is trustworthy?
Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe.
5. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was never a good idea, and Java's developers have had a lot of trouble implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style "virus" affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful. Fortunately, Java on the Web is mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice.
Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it — not JavaScript — in your browsers. In Safari, this is done by unchecking the box marked Enable Java in the Security tab of the preferences dialog.
Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a specific task, enable Java only when needed for the task and disable it immediately when done. Close all other browser windows and tabs, and don't visit any other sites while Java is active. Never enable Java on a public web page that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, password-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be practically as safe from malware as you can be.
6. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use the free software ClamXav — nothing else.
Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
7. ClamXav doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
ClamXav is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
ClamXav may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use ClamXav unless a network administrator requires you to run an anti-virus application.
8. The greatest harm done by anti-virus software, in my opinion, is in its effect on human behavior. It does little or nothing to protect people from emerging threats, but they get a false sense of security from it, and then they may behave in ways that expose them to higher risk. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.
9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.

RAID setup for a Mac Pro

I'm trying to figure out what would be the best configuration for my Mac Pro tower as far as storage and backup is concerned. I want a RAID drive with hot swappable slots but I'm not sure what the best solution is. Apple's SAN and xServe seem far too sophisticated for my needs (not to mention pricey). I bought a Norco DS-500B eSATA RAID storage array but the RAID controller card is a PCI-X and incompatible with my machine (although the documentation says it's totally compatible...weird). And so in my investigation as to what card to get to replace the one provided, I couldn't find any reviews on this product, save one which said that the array is very bad and will destroy all your hard drives. Sooo...I'm returning the array in search of a new one, but again my investigation has turned up very little. Am I the only one? Or am I out of touch with the real solution?

What's missing in your post is two of the most important elements.
How much storage do you need?
There is a myriad of options if you want 2-5TB of space. Not so many if you want 2-5 petabytes of space
How much are you prepared to spend?
You have many, many options at $100,000, but no so many at $100
The other thing to consider is that by and large, price reflects quality - either in reliability or performance (or both).
If your budget is, say, $2000 you have to decide whether you're better off buying a budget 5TB system or a pro 2TB system - the latter system clearly has less capacity but may offer higher performance and/or reliability. Any RAID system is only as good as all the parts, and the physical drives are only a small element there. The controller, internal electronics, cabling and even interface can have just as much impact on a reliable RAID system (almost any RAID system can recover from a failed disk, but a burned-out controller is harder to recover from).

What model of Airport Extreme Card for 2007 Mac Pro 2.6GHz

I am trying to find what model of Airport Extreme Card I need to install into my 2007 Mac Pro 2.6GHz
I understand that there is a 2008 card which is incompatible, so I don't want to buy the wrong one.
Any help appreciated.
Laus.

Its really confusing when Apple calls their internal wireless card on a Mac an AirPort Extreme card......and they also market an outboard wireless router called an AirPort Extreme. See info below:
http://www.apple.com/airport-extreme/
You posted in the support community for the Apple wireless routers.....AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule.
While it is possible that someone here might be able to answer your question, you will likely receive a much faster and more informated response if you post your question again in the support area for the Mac Pro.
The link to that support area is here:
Mac Pro

How do I use Airport Extreme to act as a wireless receiver for a Mac Pro?

Hello -
I'm trying to use an Airport Extreme (1st Generation) as a wireless receiver for a Mac Pro but I can't figure out how. My main modem / wireless router (non-Apple) is upstairs. My Mac Pro is down stairs. I'm looking to get internet connection for that Mac Pro downstairs. Is it possible to use the Airport Extreme to connect the Mac Pro to the wireless internet provided by my wireless router?
Thanks for the help.
Nathan

Is it possible to use the Airport Extreme to connect the Mac Pro to the wireless internet provided by my wireless router?
Unfortunately, Apple designed their routers to work with other Apple routers. It would be extremely unilikely that the AirPort Exteme could be configured to work with a router from another manufacturer.
The AirPort Extreme would need to be configured to "Extend a wireless network", but an error message is almost surely to occur when you try this.
There are other alternatives, but they would involve more hardware. Post back if you are interested.

Largest internal HD for a Mac Pro to run Time Machine

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