Move backup from external hard drive to time capsule

I am currently using Time Machine to an external hard drive connected by firewire. I have just purchased a time capsule - is there a way to move my existing backup to the time capsule so I do not lose my history?
bc
Found the answer on another post after I posted.
It is No you can't.
bc
Message was edited by: Bill Cunningham

You can move the backup, but you will likely not be able to continue to backup to the file that you move to the Time Capsule.
Time Machine will be able to access the "old" backups on the Time Capsule if the file is enclosed in a special container called a sparsebundle. This can get complicated, but details are available if you want them.
All things considered, this might be the same answer as "no" for most folks.

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Move data from external hard drive to time capsule

I want to move data from my external USB hard drive to time capsule.
If I drag and drop, it seems go through my computer, and it's 500 gig of data, that impossible, is there a way to direct copy?
Thanks in advance

maxxxx wrote:
If I drag and drop, it seems go through my computer
Yup.
is there a way to direct copy?
Nope.

How do I backup my external hard drive to time capsule?

How do I back up my external hard drive to time my time capsule?

Two requirements:
1) The drive must be connected directly to your Mac via USB, FireWire or Thunderbolt.
2) The drive must be formatted in Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
After both requirements have been confirmed......
Click the Time Machine "clock" icon at the top of the Mac's screen
Click Time Machine Preferences
Click Options
Here you will see a list of items that are currently Excluded from backups, so your hard drive will appear here.
Click on the name of the hard drive to highlight it
Click on the - (minus) button at the bottom of the list to remove the drive from the list of items that are Excluded from backups
The drive will be backed up on the next pass that Time Machine makes. Time Machine will continue to back up any changes that are made on the hard drive on subsequent backups.

How do I Access purple backups from external hard drive for Time Machine

My hard drive crashed and I installed a new one.
Did internet recovery and upgraded to my previous OS.
I am trying to get my data but the backup is purple that I need and I cannot access it.
How do I do this.
Also if I did something wrong, how do I setup Time machine to restore my whole system and set it up so the backups are accessible instead of purple.
Thanks in advance.
I am using Mavericks
External hd connected with USB

donavonknight
Very impressive that it is that easy but trying to get my data is a pain.
Time Machine is a backup of your computer SYSTEM, not idealized as a data archive.
Consider other options for the future >
Data Storage Platforms; their Drawbacks & Advantages
#1. Time Machine / Time Capsule
Drawbacks:
1. Time Machine is not bootable, if your internal drive fails, you cannot access files or boot from TM directly from the dead computer.
2. Time machine is controlled by complex software, and while you can delve into the TM backup database for specific file(s) extraction, this is not ideal or desirable.
3. Time machine can and does have the potential for many error codes in which data corruption can occur and your important backup files may not be saved correctly, at all, or even damaged. This extra link of failure in placing software between your data and its recovery is a point of risk and failure. A HD clone is not subject to these errors.
4. Time machine mirrors your internal HD, in which cases of data corruption, this corruption can immediately spread to the backup as the two are linked. TM is perpetually connected (or often) to your computer, and corruption spread to corruption, without isolation, which TM lacks (usually), migrating errors or corruption is either automatic or extremely easy to unwittingly do.
5. Time Machine does not keep endless copies of changed or deleted data, and you are often not notified when it deletes them; likewise you may accidently delete files off your computer and this accident is mirrored on TM.
6. Restoring from TM is quite time intensive.
7. TM is a backup and not a data archive, and therefore by definition a low-level security of vital/important data.
8. TM working premise is a “black box” backup of OS, APPS, settings, and vital data that nearly 100% of users never verify until an emergency hits or their computers internal SSD or HD that is corrupt or dead and this is an extremely bad working premise on vital data.
9. Given that data created and stored is growing exponentially, the fact that TM operates as a “store-it-all” backup nexus makes TM inherently incapable to easily backup massive amounts of data, nor is doing so a good idea.
10. TM working premise is a backup of a users system and active working data, and NOT massive amounts of static data, yet most users never take this into consideration, making TM a high-risk locus of data “bloat”.
11. TM like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
12. *Level-1 security of your vital data.
Advantages:
1. TM is very easy to use either in automatic mode or in 1-click backups.
2. TM is a perfect novice level simplex backup single-layer security save against internal HD failure or corruption.
3. TM can easily provide a seamless no-gap policy of active data that is often not easily capable in HD clones or HD archives (only if the user is lazy is making data saves).
#2. HD archives
Drawbacks:
1. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
2. Unless the user ritually copies working active data to HD external archives, then there is a time-gap of potential missing data; as such users must be proactive in archiving data that is being worked on or recently saved or created.
Advantages:
1. Fills the gap left in a week or 2-week-old HD clone, as an example.
2. Simplex no-software data storage that is isolated and autonomous from the computer (in most cases).
3. HD archives are the best idealized storage source for storing huge and multi-terabytes of data.
4. Best-idealized 1st platform redundancy for data protection.
5. *Perfect primary tier and level-2 security of your vital data.
#3. HD clones (see below for full advantages / drawbacks)
Drawbacks:
1. HD clones can be incrementally updated to hourly or daily, however this is time consuming and HD clones are, often, a week or more old, in which case data between today and the most fresh HD clone can and would be lost (however this gap is filled by use of HD archives listed above or by a TM backup).
2. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
Advantages:
1. HD clones are the best, quickest way to get back to 100% full operation in mere seconds.
2. Once a HD clone is created, the creation software (Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper) is no longer needed whatsoever, and unlike TM, which requires complex software for its operational transference of data, a HD clone is its own bootable entity.
3. HD clones are unconnected and isolated from recent corruption.
4. HD clones allow a “portable copy” of your computer that you can likewise connect to another same Mac and have all your APPS and data at hand, which is extremely useful.
5. Rather than, as many users do, thinking of a HD clone as a “complimentary backup” to the use of TM, a HD clone is superior to TM both in ease of returning to 100% quickly, and its autonomous nature; while each has its place, TM can and does fill the gap in, say, a 2 week old clone. As an analogy, the HD clone itself is the brick wall of protection, whereas TM can be thought of as the mortar, which will fill any cracks in data on a week, 2-week, or 1-month old HD clone.
6. Best-idealized 2nd platform redundancy for data protection, and 1st level for system restore of your computers internal HD. (Time machine being 2nd level for system restore of the computer’s internal HD).
7. *Level-2 security of your vital data.
#4. Online archives
Drawbacks:
1. Subject to server failure or due to non-payment of your hosting account, it can be suspended.
2. Subject, due to lack of security on your part, to being attacked and hacked/erased.
Advantages:
1. In case of house fire, etc. your data is safe.
2. In travels, and propagating files to friends and likewise, a mere link by email is all that is needed and no large media needs to be sent across the net.
3. Online archives are the perfect and best-idealized 3rd platform redundancy for data protection.
4. Supremely useful in data isolation from backups and local archives in being online and offsite for long-distance security in isolation.
5. *Level-1.5 security of your vital data.
#5. DVD professional archival media
Drawbacks:
1. DVD single-layer disks are limited to 4.7Gigabytes of data.
2. DVD media are, given rough handling, prone to scratches and light-degradation if not stored correctly.
Advantages:
1. Archival DVD professional blank media is rated for in excess of 100+ years.
2. DVD is not subject to mechanical breakdown.
3. DVD archival media is not subject to ferromagnetic degradation.
4. DVD archival media correctly sleeved and stored is currently a supreme storage method of archiving vital data.
5. DVD media is once written and therefore free of data corruption if the write is correct.
6. DVD media is the perfect ideal for “freezing” and isolating old copies of data for reference in case newer generations of data become corrupted and an older copy is needed to revert to.
7. Best-idealized 4th platform redundancy for data protection.
8. *Level-3 (highest) security of your vital data.
[*Level-4 data security under development as once-written metallic plates and synthetic sapphire and likewise ultra-long-term data storage]

Can I transfer Time Machine Backup from WD Hard Drive to Time Capsule?

I have a Western Digital 500 Gb. Hard drive and recently purchased a 500 Gb.Time Capsule which, at the moment, am using only for the AirPort feature. I would like to use Time Capsule for my Time Machine backups and use the Western Digital drive as my Aperture Vault. Is there a way to move the Time Machine file from the WD drive to the Time Capsule drive so that I don't lose the old files? My Time Capsule is connected to my iMac via an Ethernet cable.

Unfortunately, no. Time Machine will backup to a local drive (e.g. via USB or FW HDD) using a folder structure. When backing up to a NAS (e.g. Time Capsule or USB HDD connected to a TC or Extreme), TM utilizes a sparsebundle. You cannot easily convert a folder structure to a sparsebundle. The best plan is to start a NEW backup to TC. Connecting via ethernet is highly recommended for the initial backup.
P.S. You can still access the old TM backups until such time that you want to reclaim the use of the HDD.

How do I get Time Machine to backup an external Hard Drive to Time Capsule?

Just purchased 3TB Time Capsule. I have a 250GB ext hard drive where iTunes library and iMovie files are stored. The external HD is connected to my iMac The iMac's 250GB is at 50% capacity with iPhotos so i cannot move iTunes/iMovie library back to the iMac. I would like Time Machine to back up both the iMac HD and the contents of the 250GB external HD. Thank you.

To reformat the drive, move the data on it to another location, including a second partition of the drive or the Time Capsule manually, open the Disk Utility in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder to erase it, and move the files back.
(64562)

I transferred data from my external hard drive to my restored Mac Book Pro via migration assistant and now my external hard drive in time capsule has red minus signs. How do I get rid of that without getting rid of any of my data?

I used Migration Assistant to transfer my data from my external hard drive via Time Capsule to my restored Mac Book Pro. When I now go into Time Capsule I there are red minus signs in the corner of all the folders that are contained in my back up. How do I get rid of this and access my previous back-ups?

Select the drive and Finder > Get info and at the bottom "ignore permissions on this volume"
You can copy the files, but the ownership on the files still belongs to the other user account, once your done copying, then perform a #6 Reset Users Permissions and that will set all the ownership to that account.
..Step by Step to fix your Mac
Another method is to copy the entire folder, then change it's permissions.

How do you back up an external hard drive with time capsule?

how do you back up an external hard drive with time capsule?

Will time capsule back up the machine and the hard drive that is plugged into the machine?
Yes, if the hard drive with the video files is formatted correctly for Mac
On the Mac with the hard drive connected....click on the Time Machine "clock" icon at the top of the screen
Click Time Machine Preferences
Click Options
Here you will see a list of items that have been excluded from backups
Click the name of the hard drive to highlight it
Click the - (minus) button at the bottom of the list to remove the hard drive from the list of excluded items
The hard drive will now be backed up with your Mac on the next pass that Time Machine makes

How to export photo to external hard drive? (time capsule 3t)?

cant find photo in hard drive. where does iphoto store photo? i looked for the foler everwhere....

how to export photo to external hard drive? (time capsule 3t)?
Simple - launch iPhoto, select the phtoos and export (file menu ==> export) to the destination of yoru choice - see the user tip onexporting for details on the export optiopns - https://discussions.apple.com/community/ilife/iphoto?view=documents
However is the Time Capsule being used for Time Machine backups? If it is do not use it as an external drive too - it needs to be dedicated to one use only
cant find photo in hard drive. where does iphoto store photo? i looked for the foler everwhere....
And this is a totally different question - by default in your iPhoto library - and to access then see the user tip on accessing yoru iPhoto files - https://discussions.apple.com/community/ilife/iphoto?view=documents
You never access them directly - always using the supported access methods
LN

Can I connect an external hard drive to Time Capsule for off site back up?

I like having a copy of everything at another site in case of a house fire. Can I connect an external hard drive to Time Capsule to make a duplicate of what is on Time Capsule? I would store that hard drive at work and bring it home monthly or something to back up Time Capsule. Thanks!

Can I connect an external hard drive to Time Capsule to make a duplicate of what is on Time Capsule?
That is exactly what the Archive function on the Time Capsule is for. Connect a USB drive and click Archive, and a mirror image of your Time Capsule will be copied over to the USB drive. It's a slow process that will take 4-8 hours depending on how much data is on the Time Capsule, so best to start things late at night and let them run overnight.
Another option would be to use a commercial application like Carbon Copy Cloner to keep your backup. The advantage to this approach is that once the first "master" backup is done, the application will only back up the changes on the Time Capsule that have occurred since the last backup. So, subsequent backups will be much faster, probably only taking about 10-15 minutes.

Is there a way to backup my external hard drive with Time Machine?

Most of the memory used on my MBP is mainly used for applications and miscellaneous things for Logic and Final Cut. I have two external HD's. To save space on the internal HD, all of my music, pictures, and videos are one my external hard drive, while Time Machine set as the other. Is there a way I can back up my external HD using Time Machine? What would even be better is if I could only select specific files (My Music, Videos, Pictures) and not everything on my one external HD to be backed up in Time Machine.

TM can back up external HDs. If you have both of your external drives attached, go to the options in TM preferences. Be sure the data drive is not listed (this lists drives/folders to exclude from a backup). Then initiate a TM backup or wait for the hourly backup. That should back up the data drive.
You can only tell TM what to exclude from a backup, not what to include.

How can I backup an external hard drive using Time Machine?

How can I backup an external hard drive connected to my MacBook Pro using Time Machine?

Attach drive, open Time Machine preferences, be sure external drive is not in the Exclude list.

Can I connect an external hard drive to Time Capsule?

Is it possible to "extend" Time Capsule storage with an external hard drive? If I connect a hard drive to Time Capsule using its USB slot, would I be able to access it wirelessly from my Mac the same as I access the built-in Time Capsule drive? If so, will it be slower than the native drive?

1. No.
2. Yes. The external drive will be treated as a separate volume instead of adding to the capacity of the internal drive.
(119108)

I recently updated to Mountain lion 10.8 . I backuped using external hard drive using time machine . I used Lacie drive. I had to format it MAC OSX " extended journaled" before I could back up my dat and after that I backed it up.

1) I cant seem to restore my data back from Time machine as many files seem Locked. I cant use the Migration app since it doesnt show me my external hard drive when I try to use it. Plus Ive heard that Migration app copies whole drives rather than selecting and copying some folders/data.
2) Even if i use the time machine to restore the data , It does copy on to my mac but that locked symbol is still there .
3) I have read that my drive wont show on migration application cuz the OS should be same before and after the backup and there shouldnt be any difference , otherwise the migration app wont show the drive. This is absurd cuz mostly ppl back up because they want to upgrade their computers . It will never be the same , I mean the OSX , cuz after i have done the back there would have been an upgrade .
Can anyone help Linc Davis .

If you mean you're getting the same message:
see #C3 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting. It will show you how to locate the message(s) that describe the problem, then help you fix it. If that doesn't help, post back with details, including all the messages, your setup (especially the destination for the backups), what you've done, and the results.
If that's not the message you're getting, please clarify.

How to restore session from external hard drive as time machine?

Hi - I'm trying to restore my apps and data from my time machine onto a new hard drive, which was just replaced by Apple. I'm using a WD elements hard drive as a time machine and the new hard drive only sees it as an external hard drive - it asks whether I want to use it as a time machine, so if I select this will it keep all my old back ups from the previous hard drive?
When I went through the set up assistant it didn't pick up the external hard drive - it is definitely plugged in, on and on the same network! I'm now trying migration assistant which closes down all apps, and so it can't pick up the drive either - any ideas?
Thank you!

You need to boot to the recovery HD and then select Restore from a Time Machine backup.
You can't do that when you are bootiing to the real OS. It has to be done from the recovery hd.

Move backup from external hard drive to time capsule

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