May I backup both my MacBook & G4 desktop with WD-Passport External drive?

I want to be able to back up both machines (MacBook and G4) with the same portable drive but not synch them as I have different info on each. Will it recognize each as separate or will it try to overwrite one over the other?
My tech skills are limited and the Passport was explained as a simple external drive.

Then you will need to partition the drive unless you want to install Leopard on both computers. To use TM on both computers you will need to install Leopard on the G4. Otherwise you will need a separate partition for the G4.

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Desktop folder appering on external drives

For some reason I keep finding a "Desktop" folder on my external drives. Has anyone else run into this issue? I tried looking through the forum and couldn't find anything.

Yes, I have the same problem. The weird "desktop" folders appear on both external drives and partitions. I know it probably doesn't do any harm but it's pretty annoying. It might be Time Machine related…

Macbook no longer recognizes my lacie external drive

My macbook no longer recognizes my lacie external drive.

Use a data recovery product such as the ones listed here, and then get a replacement drive.
(110354)

HOTSYNC WITH PALM DESKTOP LOCATED ON AN EXTERNAL DRIVE

I've been hotsynching between my desktop, laptop and Z22. Recently I replaced the desktop harddrive with a much larger one. I put the old harddrive in a USB external drive housing and now have a nifty 40 GB external drive. Does anyone know how I can hotsync the Z22 one last time with the Palm Desktop info on the external drive? Then I'll install Palm Desktop on the new harddrive in my desktop, and hotsync from the Z22 to the new harddrive.
Post relates to: Palm Z22

Is all your current data on the Z22? If it is, install Palm desktop on the new hard drive and sync the Z22 with desktop overwrites handheld selected in hotsync manager.
Another option is to install the version of Palm Desktop that you were using on the old hard drive, copy the username folder on the old hard drive in the Palm folder, Paste the username folder into the Palm folder on the new hard drive. Open Palm desktop and the data should be there.
For reference purposes, click on the following link for the support page for your device on the kb.palm.com webpage.
http://kb.palm.com/SRVS/NUA/launchTab.asp?t=home&fn=zire&mn=z22&cn=unlocked
There are links on the page to the user guide, troubleshooting, how to's, downloads, etc.
Post relates to: Palm i705

13" late 2011 MacBook Pro has frozen after Yosemite installation. I can, however, boot from a clone of my MacBook Air that is on an external drive. Despite the fact that I can boot from the external, could it be the RAM that's the prob

My daughter's 13" late 2011 MacBook Pro has frozen (null sign displays) after Yosemite installation. I can, however, boot from a clone of my MacBook Air that is on an external drive. I reinstalled Yosemite on the MBP HD, but it still hangs in mid install. Despite the fact that I can boot from the external, could it be the RAM that's the problem? I'd happily put 8 GB in if it seems probable that would solve the problem. I've tried all the suggested procedures that I've seen posted here. Disk Utility, and my older version of DiskWarrior indicate the HD is OK. I have DiskWarrior 5 on order.

Boot the MBP with the OPTION key down. If successful, you should see two HDD icons, Select the recovery partition (on the right).
From the 4 option menu select Disk Utility.
Run Disk Utility>First Aid, Verify and Repair.
If the disk cannot be repaired, it will have to be replaced.
Ciao.

MacBook Pro Retina with a 500gb hard drive - 400gb storage space?

I have a MacBook Pro Retina with a 500gb hard drive. I recently deleted a windows 8 partition, and now my macbook says its total storage capacity is 399.42gb. Is this normal? Or am I missing 100gb storage space?
When I deleted the partition through boot camp, there was an error, but the boot camp partition seemed to have been deleted completely. I ran disk utility repair and single user mode command prompt /sbin/fsck -fy to make sure my disk was properly partitioned, but it still shows 399.42gb total storage in my "About This Mac".

You did not remove your Windows partition correctly. You need to remove it using Boot Camp Assistant. If you cannot then you will need to repartition the entire drive back to a single partition/volume.

How to backup both my MacBook air files and Windows 7 files via Parallels?

Hi,
I'm new to apple support........I need to purchase an external drive to backup my files from my MacBook air but I also need to backup two main programs that i use for my business on Win7 via Parallels.
Can I use the same drive and/or time machine for both?
Or do I need to use two different methods?
Thanks in advance!
Chef Heather

Any backup utility will backup the pseudo-disk that Parallels uses just like any other file on the drive. But if you are going to do that I recommend not using Time Machine. Time Machine will backup the pseudo-disk every hour even if only one byte changed. In no time at all your backup drive will be full. I suggest you use a different utility that overwrites changed files, only.
Suggested Backup Software
1. Carbon Copy Cloner
2. Get Backup
3. Deja Vu
4. SuperDuper!
5. Synk Pro
6. Tri-Backup
Others may be found at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.

Macbook Pro will only read on external drive.....

I got a Maxtor portable external drive, 320gig model, and was able to backup my files from WinXp desktop pc that includes mp3's and mp4 videos. I'm converting to apple and just got a Macbook Pro, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo running on Mac OS X v.10.5.4. My question is that I wanted to add some files from my macbook to my external drive but some reason can't. Either the external drive won't let me or my macbook won't.
I check the info on the external and the drive is formatted to 'windows NT files system.' Does that have anything to do with why I can't make any changes on my external? Does any one have a solution for me? Any suggestions would deeply be appreciated.

bigjohnny002,
OS X can read NTFS volumes, but it cannot write to them. There is third-party software (MacFuse) that will allow OS X to write to NTFS volume, however.
In the absence of this third-party software, you will need to re-format that external. FAT-32 volumes can be created by OS X, and both OS X and Windows can read and write to them, but there is a 4 GB size limit for files stored in this file system.
If you are not planning on transferring files back to a Windows computer, the best format will be HFS+ (Mac OS Extended). Provided there is enough space on your Macbook Pro, you can copy all the files from the external to the Macbook Pro, use Disk Utility to re-format the drive, then copy the files back.
Scott

MacBook Air No Longer Sees Remote External Drive

I have an iMac with a FW800 connected external hard drive. I use it for Time Machine backups. Also use an Airport Extreme for wireless connection. My MacBook Air at one time was able to "see" that external drive via the Airport and I used it to backup the laptop with Time Machine. Now, all of a sudden, the MBA no longer sees the external drive. What has happened? I use the MBA only occasionally, and told Time Machine to backup only when I tell it to. So, LOTS probably has changed since the last backup. But, what change has broken this connection? My iMac sees it just fine and does Time Machine backups just fine. When I want to share the DVD drive of the iMac, that works as it should. I just can't see that dang external drive any longer. Both machines are at 10.5.6
Can you folks give me some places to start looking to get things working again?

Does the time machine volume meet the requirements?
-internal drive, not start up disk
-XSAN volume
-USB drive
-fire wire drive
-eSATA drive
-network server via AFP (from machines running Leopard), including machines running file sharing
the volume must be formated as Mac OS Extended or Mac OS Extended (case-sensitive)
You can't use:
-Boot Camp partition
-iPod
-disk image
-AirPort Disk
-iDisk

MacBook Pro won't recognize 1TB external drive

Hey team,
My mid-2010 MacBook Pro won't recognize my WD My Passport 1TB drive. I was copying files from the drive to my computer when my computer went to sleep (didn't run out of power, just went to standby mode). Turned computer back on and now it won't recognize the drive.
It is a USB 3.0 cord (computer is only USB 2.0 and the cord works with other drives) and when plugged in, the light turns on and the disk spins but isn't recognized my this or other computers (also not in Disk Utility).
Tried a handful of disk recovery programs but nothing wants to 'see' the disk plugged in.
Thanks for any and all suggestions.

yes yes yes, I warn people about WD drives on this link:
Your dead external hard drive is likely fine! Great hope for your 'faulty' external HD
theReKleiner wrote:
What now?
Only option is to buy the SAME exact HD and swap controller boards, or pay someone a LOT more $$$ to do the same thing.
its not soldered there, its just a controller/ SATA "one piece"
They do that to save 50 cents in mfg. costs.
I mention your "issue" in that link. Which is why you do NOT buy WD ext. HD.
they make the controller board and SATA card one piece.
CURRENT MFG. THAT HAVE controller board and SATA cards as one piece are : WD USB drives, and Toshiba USB Canvio
However Toshiba didnt USED to do that, but they started doing it at the end of 2013.
avoid those 2.
To avoid that nonsense, buy Hitachi drives in USB.
Or, the best option:
Save money and invest in a bare hard drive backup and redundancy plan
Its cheaper
less fuss
more reiable, removes the nasty failure point of SATA card interfaces.
takes up lot less space.
Bare hard drives and docks. The most reliable and cheapest method of hard drive data storage, archives, and redundancies
The best method for your data archives and redundancies, which is also the least expensive, the most reliable, and the most compact option is the purchase of naked hard drives and at least one USB 3.0 HD dock ($40 roughly).
While regarding Time Machine and your Macbook or desktop, your primary backup is best saved to a conventional USB (or Firewire / thunderbolt) hard drive inside an enclosure, the most important part of your data protection begins after your 1st / primary Time Machine / backup; and these are your secondary (most important) data storage devices, archives and their redundancies.
However bare hard drives and docks (below) also work perfectly as a Time Machine backup, this is for home use, since the docking station is certainly not very portable as a notebook Time Machine backup device should be; nor should bare HD be packed around with a notebook, rather remain at home or office.
Six terabytes of 2.5" HD pictured below in a very compact space.
Bare hard drives and docks have the lowest cost, the highest reliability, and take up the smallest storage space
Drawbacks:
1. Care and knowledge in general handling of naked hard drives (how not to shock a bare HD, and how to hold them properly). Not a genuine drawback.
Advantages:
1. By far the least expensive method of mass HD storage on a personal basis. Highest quality naked HD can be purchased in bulk very cheap.
2. Eliminates the horrible failure point of SATA bridges and interfaces between external drives and the computer.
3. Per square foot you can store more terabytes of data this way than any other.
4. Fast, easy, no fuss and most simplex method of data storage on hard drives.

Advice re LR2, laptop & desktop, with photos on ext drive

Please critique this setup. I've been considering this b/c I have had images stored to both computers but would prefer that one storage drive be known to contain all of my work; as it is, I can't recall if certain photos are on one or the other computer and don't want to mirror the collections on two computers.
I have LR2 on a MBP & iMac and have some photos already imported to their respective drives but have been considering to change my arrangement such that all photos are imported to one external drive which would be shared between the two computers (small portable drive). I also have a larger external drive always attached to the imac to be used as a backup copy location.
My idea was to have one, master repository of all my photos (the small port. drive) but work on them either on the MBP or iMac depending if I am home or not. My understanding is that LR can allow you to work on the images (a preview really) even though the drive containing the images isn't attached but then 'apply' the changes when the drive is next connected.
Does this sound reasonable or not? Please recommend variations, improvements etc or point me to other posts with similar arrangements.
thanks

Your proposal will work just fine. I use a Windows desktop and a Mac laptop and much the same set up as you. If you propose on using the images off line and also want the speed benefits of having the actual catlog and preview files on an internal drive, then it does mean maintaining two catalogs. One on the desktop and one on the laptop, both linked to the images on the external drive. In order to keep the two catalogs in sync in relation to the development settings you need to connect the external drive and write the data to file and then sync this when connecting to the other computer...which is how I do it usually. This means that each catalog can have different collections but the same process settings for all the files. If you use smart collections (as I do) these can be exported and then loaded so these remain in sync, but for ordinary collections you have to create these on both catalogs.
Alternatively you can have a single catalog on the external drive. This can slow things down a bit and means you must always have the external drive connected.
You can also export as catlog to the external drive from the desktop.

New to Macbook. How do I remove external drives?

Hi there,
I am new to Macbook and cannot remember if I need to safety remove external devices. Can someone please advise me.
Thanks

To safely eject external drives, drag them to the Trash from the Finder (if they're on the Desktop) or, from a Finder window, use the 'eject' arrow next to the name of the drive in the Sidebar.
And, yes, you need to do it! Otherwise, you might suffer data loss.
Good luck,
Clinton

I have an iPod G2 with a firewire 400 lead. how can I attach it to my new 13 inch Mac book Pro, is there a 400 to 800 firewire converter. USB lead wont work with the Macbook Pro. iPod used as an external drive to archive memory cards on the go.

My G2 iPod that I use as an external drive to archive memory cards on the go cannot link with my new 13" Macbook Pro cause it uses a firewire 400 lead. It will not work with a USB lead. Is there a firewire 800 ipod lead or converter available? Can any one shed some light on this please?

As far as I know, if a harddrive works with a Macpro, it should work with the Macbook: if your Macbook is low on power, plug in the AC adapter
If your Macbook has a firewire port, then it should be fine. BUt i would do somemore research first.

My macbook pro can't find my external drive after upgrading os

I have a macbook pro from 2009. I recently upgraded to Yosemite and now it won't read my external drive (Toshiba). I am able to find it in disk utility but I am not able to open it. The device works fine in other computers. I have all my pictures there. How can I fix this problem?

Have you tried following through the trouble shooting tips in this knowledge base article on Firewire?

Problem with WD passport 1TB drive not mounting on OS 10.5.6. Leopard macbook

I bought a new WD passport 1TB external hard drive and formatted it to FAT 32. It was working fine on my macbook (running OS 10.5.6 Leopard) & i have loaded it with files & also been using it on a windows PC with no problems.
I partitioned my macbook hard drive with bootcamp (the WD drive was plugged into the macbook at the time) and now it will not mount. I unpartitioned the macbook hard drive and restarted. I checked in disk utility and it appears there - I eventually got the option to repair the disk and I tried repairing and verifying the disk. No errors are showing up but it still doesn't mount. I now do not have the option to repair or verify the disk anymore, but its still visible.
It is still working perfectly on the windows PC but I want it primarily for use with my macbook. Is there any way to force mount the drive (the mount button is greyed out in disk utility)

No, the disk set is machine specific.

May I backup both my MacBook & G4 desktop with WD-Passport External drive?

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