Playing video and running an Operation System in the external hard drive

I am sorry that this question is not relevant to apple but I want to ask if I paly video or run an operation system on my external hard drive, will it shorten the life of my mac air or my harddrive.

Probably not. That said anything can and will eventually break but what you are doing what these devices were designed to do. Relax and enjoy.

Similar Messages

  • Is it possible to run an operating system from an external hard drive?

    Really weird question here, but I've always wanted to know this. I have a MBP 13" mid-2012 and I installed a 256GB SSD. I currently have OSX 10.9 and Windows 8.1 installed on the drive, but is it possible to actually run an operating system from an external hard drive. I don't want to install anymore operating systems onto the internal SSD because I don't want to run out of space. So, I'm wondering can I install Linux on an external hard drive, the same way I would on an internal hard drive and just plug it in via USB 3 or Thunderbolt? Is it actually possible to use a computer this way? I know I can boot from a usb stick, so is it possible to actually use a computer with an operating system installed in an external hard drive?

    windows don't support being installed on usb mass storage installs like usb

  • Just got Prosoft drive genius 3 software, and it's telling me that the external hard drive that i am using for my time machine back up drive needs to be defragmented.  is it wise to do this or should i not??

    just got Prosoft drive genius 3 software, and it's telling me that the external hard drive that i am using for my time machine back up drive needs to be defragmented.  is it wise to do this or should i not??

    Let's hope a couple things: that you have bootable clones of your drives also; that the backup drive for TimeMachine has over 3x capacity of the data you plan and are storing. I would also switch TM backup drives so you have a 2nd.
    Fragmented free space affecting performance happens when the drive is too full which may mean there isn't enough free space for a full backup set.
    1.5TB for backing up 500GB, while WD Green 3TB is $140 and WD Black 1.5TB is, about the same price.
    I'd be worried about the integrity and directory, and whether you can afford to lose that drive. Defragging is also a very slow operation. the ideal: to just clone a drive, or start over with another drive and wait. cloning TM volumes has not been done or has it? SuperDuper hoped to but I don't think they or Bombich's CCC made it there.
    Trouble with highly fragged is when free space gets to 20% normally, 1/3 or so though for TM volumes, and finding where and a chunk of space for the file being written. Does TM use large spare image files of like 2GB?
    Best would be to ask in the TimeMachine section Snow Leopard
    https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/mac_os_x_v10.6_snow_leopard?view= discussions#/?tagSet=1009
    where there are some good FAQ and tutorials, and people that know the ins-and-outs and shortcomings.

  • Saving music to an external hard drive thru itunes so that its not stored on my already overloaded macbook, but plays thru i tunes when i hook up the external hard drive

    Hi,
    I have a macbook pro, and sooooo much music the hard drive is already full and i'm not halfway thru importing all my cds, I have hooked up a 2TB external hard drive and used it to back up my hard drive with time machine but i want to use the remaining space on the external drive to store every cd that i have so i can become a cd free household. How do I copy music onto my hard drive thru itunes so it adds to my library but runs off my external hard drive rather than my already over loaded internal hard drive?
    also is there a way of selecting music already on my hard drive to be shipped over to the external hard drive to free up space on my macbook, as the lack of disc space occasionally causes problems working on dj programmes and garage band when i am recording large files o my hard drive in realtime as i am making them.

    Yes you can. Open iTunes preferences and select advanced. In the iTunes Media folder location use your external location.

  • Can i back up my mac and windows operating system on the one hard drive?

    Hello everyone, i use a 4TB external hard drive to back up my imac. I recently installed Parallels and Windows 8.1 so I can run a PMS for my business. Now that i have installed Parallels and windows 8.1 on the mac can i format the drive so it will back up the mac and the windows operating system? Thanks!

    If you want to back up with Time Machine, you need a GUID partition table and an HFS (Mac OS X) partition. If you can also create a Windows partition without destroying the partition table, then you can use the same drive for both systems. I can't give you specific instructions for Windows.

  • What do I need to do to have my iTunes run on any operating system from my external hard drive?

    I've already moved everything from my computer to my external hard drive, but for some reason I'm having a hard time being able to open the iTunes program every time I'm trying to open it on a different computer. I'm having to continuously uninstall and reinstall to be able to use it. I use my computer at home mostly but i also use my friends computer, and sometimes computers at school. Are there any files or anything that would enable be to be able to use it on any operating system or how can I get it working?

    Draeon wrote:
    You need to run the install file on the computer fresh as though you were installing itunes to the computer for the first time. Direct the installation to occur on your portable drive instead of in the typical destination folder (In the case of windows)
    No, no, no... that is extremely bad advice.
    Programs get installed on the main drive of the computer.  Never install a program on a removable drive unless that program has been specificially designed to run on a removable drive.
    Install iTunes on the computer as you normally would.
    Once installed, hold SHIFT and launch iTunes.
    When prompted select the option to point iTunes to an existed library.
    Then point iTunes to the external drive.
    Anytime you want to access the drive on a new computer, launch iTunes in the same fashion pointing it to the external drive.

  • Install and run app from App Store on external hard drive?

    I just made the switch from a MBP to an Air, and am figuring out how to best utilize an external hard drive (1 TB) to save space on my internal drive (128 GB).
    I am not sure how the performance will be, but I would like to at least try out running Bioshock Infinite (39 GB, purchased through the App Store) from the external drive.  My biggest hurdle right now is figuring out how to properly install the app on my external drive.  Here's what I've tried so far:
    1. When I try to install it from the App Store, there's no way to choose where it is installed, and because I don't have much space left on my internal drive, I of course get the error that there is not enough disk space available to install.
    2. When I copy the app from my old MBP to my external drive, and then try to run it on my Air, I get an error that the file is corrupt, and am told to reinstall it.
    What can I do to be able to play Bioshock Infinite on my Air without it taking up nearly a third of my internal drive space?  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    Welcome to the Apple Discussion Forums!
    I will have to think about your problem for now. But an easier way to copy your CD's to your computer is:
    On iTunes, open up preferences then click on the "Advanced" tab. You will then see "iTunes Music folder location. And you will see where your music is being saved on your computer. There are two boxes to the right that say "Change..." "Reset". Click on the "Change..." button and select your folder on your MyBook. iTunes will now import the music from your CD's into that folder AND this is where all of your music will need to be if you want to play it on your computer. What this is doing is pulling the music from the folder that you selected other than the folder on your computer.

  • I have an older MacBook Pro using 10.4.11 and want to use new operating system to use the latest iLife. Can i install 10.7 on an external hard drive and use the external hard drive to run new system while leaving my old system intact?

    I want to use a new version of iLife (for iMovie and iDVD) but am currently running OS 10.4.11, which won't work with the newer iLife programs. Can i install OS 10.6.3 or 10.7 on an external hard drive, boot to that hard drive and work with the new software (installed on the external hard drive) using my MacBook Pro  (circa 2005/6) as the engine while leaving my laptop running 104.11 the rest of the time?

    Yes, you can use an external drive. To upgrade, however, means:
    Purchase Snow Leopard DVD then update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8.
    Access the App Store with your Apple ID and purchase and download Lion.
    Your computer must meet system requirements:
    Snow Leopard General requirements
    Mac computer with an Intel processor
    1GB of memory
    5GB of available disk space
    DVD drive for installation
    Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.
    Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and terms apply.
    Lion System Requirements
    Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
    2GB of memory
    OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
    7GB of available space
    Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
    Obviously, you do not have to upgrade to Lion but can stop at Snow Leopard 10.6.8 which is sufficient for the current versions of iLife apps. Note that iDVD is no longer part of the newest version of iLife. Lion 10.7.2 or later is needed should you wish to use iCloud.

  • How do I move my operating system from one internal hard drive to another on the same Mac?

    My question is pretty straightforward: How do I—or can I—move my operating system from one internal hard drive to another on the same Mac Pro desktop?

    I'll let baltwo come in with a definitive answer, but the last time I just made a clone, CCC used Disk Utility to create a recovery partition on an external drive's partition. You get these windows successively (and it did create it with a message that it was successful):

  • I have an IMAC and I'm running OSX 10.9.2.  I'd like to store my Aperture /IMovie Libraries to an external hard drive.  In addition, I'd like to partition the external hard drive so that Time Machine can use it to both back up my IMac and the externa

    I have an IMAC and I'm running OSX 10.9.2.  I'd like to store my Aperture /IMovie Libraries on an external hard drive.  In addition, I'd like to partition the external hard drive so that Time Machine can use it to both back up my IMac and the external library drives.  Is this possible? Can I set up a RAID 5 format for redundancy?

    I'd like to store my Aperture /IMovie Libraries on an external hard drive.
    That is fine and recommended.. use the fastest disk you can afford.. ie Thunderbolt>USB3>FW800>USB2.
    In addition, I'd like to partition the external hard drive so that Time Machine can use it to both back up my IMac and the external library drives.
    Let me be clear.. you want to partition the one disk.. use it for TM and move your files to the external disk.. and then backup to the same disk.. You can do it.. but that is not a backup.. that is an experiment in how long you can get away with running files and backups on the same disk before you lose everything.. like Russian Roulette.. pull the trigger enough times and laws of probability will do you in.
    You must have backups on a different disk .. otherwise it is pointless.
    Can I set up a RAID 5 format for redundancy?
    No.. you can buy special USB and Thunderbolt external drives that support RAID..
    BUT that is still not a backup.. let me show why.. you make a silly move and corrupt your file in aperture.. it is not that rare.
    Raid will corrupt all copies of the files.. it is replicated across all disks.
    Delete a photo it is deleted across all disks.. you have no recovery.
    Alway, always consider RAID system one disk.. backup onto another disk.. and if the photos or movies are at all important to you.. ie your family .. make another copy and store in a relatives house.. There is no such thing as too much redundancy.

  • I want to install Yosemite onto an external hard drive, and keep Snow Leopard installed on the internal hard drive. I want to be able to boot from either system, depending upon circumstance (at least until Yosemite is stable). Is this possible?

    iMac, Model Identifier iMac12,1 with 121.5" screen, 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 memory, 1 TB internal hard drive, running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 from internal drive.
    I want to install Yosemite onto a 1 TB external hard drive (OWC) , and keep Snow Leopard installed on the internal hard drive. I want to be able to boot from either system, depending upon circumstance (at least until Yosemite is stable). Is this possible?

    It is possible. I'll let you read some articles that cover the setup:
    Starting from an external USB storage device (Intel-based Macs) - Apple Support
    or
    http://osxdaily.com/2013/06/22/boot-mac-external-drive/

  • How do I Play videos from external hard drive on Apple TV2?  Can I just move the iTunes Library to the External Hard Drive?

    I have several HD videos stored on an external hard drive and would like to bring them into iTunes and play them via iTunes on my Apple TV2, but I am not sure how to go about it.  I don't want to store the movies on my iMac hard drive because it would eat up to much space...so do I just move the iTunes Library to the external hard drive?  And, if so...will the Apple TV2 find the iTunes Library on the external hard drive?  Thanks for any help anyone can suggest.

    iTunes content on an external drive isn't a problem.
    The simplest method is to just move your library to an external drive.
    If you wanted to keep just movies on an external drive, that's a little more difficult. You'd need to put the movies where you want them to reside on the external drive and add drag and drop them onto iTunes while holding down the option key. Obviously any movies already in iTunes would need moving from their current location and removing from iTunes first.

  • I downloaded some videos to Premier Elements 13 from external hard drive but now the external hard drive is damaged. I tried to open the videos on the organizer which it shows the video but with a yellow ? and says missing file. Is there anyway I can open

    I downloaded some videos to Premier Elements 13 from an external hard drive but now the external hard drive is damaged. While setting up my new MAC the external hard drive was dropped and I have been told by an outside source they could not retrieve the files.  It had 4 years of photos and videos on it. I remembered that I had downloaded some of the videos from the external hard drive (before it was broke) to Adobe Organizer 13 when I installed the Adobe 13 on my MACOS X 10.9.5.  I tried to open the videos on the organizer which it shows the video but with a yellow ? and says missing file. Is there anyway I can open these videos?
    Any input is greatly appreciated!! I am sick over losing the videos and had a little hope on Adobe Organizer until I was unable to open them.  I am thinking it is due to my external hard drive not being plugged in. I thought when I transferred from the external hard drive to Adobe 13 that it would be there without the external hard drive needing to be attached but maybe I did something wrong.
    Thanks again for any help!!!!

    jnrmendonca
    It had 4 years of photos and videos on it.
    To what did your camera record those photos and videos - camera's internal memory, inserted memory card, other?
    Any remote chance that the latter may still exist for you to use to download the camera files to your new external hard drive?
    ATR

  • I downloaded several cds to my external hard drive in .mp3 format. Later, I copied them to iTunes. The songs only play when the external hard drive is plugged in. I tried to load the songs from iTunes to my iPhone and the songs don't play.

    I downloaded several cds to my external hard drive in .mp3 format. Later, I copied them to iTunes. The songs only play when the external hard drive is plugged in. I tried to load the songs from iTunes to my iPhone and the songs don't play. I thought iTunes allowed me to transfer music to my iPhone and play it. What am I doing wrong?

    Hi skoorb1,
    When adding music to iTunes, you can set it to either make a local copy of the file, or simply point to the original location of the file (for example, on an external hard drive). If it is set to do the latter, it will not be able to play or transfer those files when the external hard drive is not plugged in. You may find the following article helpful:
    iTunes: About the Add to Library, Import, and Convert functions
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1347
    Regards,
    - Brenden

  • I have an Apple Macbook and will be backing up the entire system to an external hard drive utilizing the Time Machine application. when I am doing this, will the data on the external drive that I am using be erased?

    I have an Apple Macbook and will be backing up the entire system in order to upgrade to a newer OS. I will be using an external hard drive to do this and there is already data on it. To complete the backup, i will be using the Time Machine application. Does this application wipe out all of the existing data on the external hard drive, or will it create a new "folder" for the backup?
    thank you

    No, but as steve359 states you should use a dedicated hard drive for backups. It you need a temporary backup then you can use the drive provided it has sufficient space for all your data on the hard drive.
    When Time Machine finds that the drive has data on it already it may decide to erase the drive before continuing, which is another reason to use a dedicated drive.

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