Storing information in TM as a external hard drive to free up space on Mac

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but after reading a bunch of questions and comments it is still not clear for me. I need to free space in my mac, can I backup and store information in TM and delete it from my mac without the risk to lose it? If so, how can I do it?

No. If it gets deleted from the computer, it may be deleted from the Time Machine backup when the drive holding it runs out of space; Time Machine is intended to recover accidentally deleted content and not as primary storage. In addition, if all the copies of it are on a single drive, its failure would wipe them all out.
You're better off moving it to a separate external drive and setting Time Machine to back that up as well.
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How do I move my i-tunes to an external hard drive to free up space, how do I move my i-tunes to an external hard drive to free up space

My Mac air is out of space, how do I put my i-tunes library onto an external hard drive to free up space?

Probably the easiest way is to drag the files from the iTunes window to the external drive. Make sure they have copied. Delete them from iTunes. Hold down the option key and drag the copied files back to iTunes. This will add them back but mapped to their new location and the option/alt key will stop the files from being copied to your Media folder on the internal drive.
In future if you are adding a batch of files in one go you can set preferences temporarily to store media on the external drive, then change back again. See also: iTunes 12 for Mac: Change where your iTunes files are stored - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH19507

HT1923 hi, my mac air is really low on disk space, can i remove iTunes (which is huge) to an external hard drive to free up space and then just run it from the hard drive. instead of taking space on the mac? even if the mac no longer has enough to accommo

Hi, my mac air is really low on disk space, can I remove itunes (which is huge) to an external hard drive to free up space?...and then run it from the hard drive instead of the mac,even if the mac no longer has space to accomodate the size of the library?

Yes.
Copy your music iTunes Library folder to the external drive and change the Advanced settings in iTunes to point to this new location.
Once you're happy with these changes you can delete the same Library from your User account to free up space on the internal drive.

I need to move the iTunes library to an External Hard Drive to free up space on iMac. Need suggestions on type of External Hard Drive to use. A Multimedia Hard Drive like LaCie LaCinema Classic HD Multimedia Hard Drive OR a Large Desktop Hard Drive?

I need to move an iTunes library to an External Hard Drive to free up space on iMac. I Need suggestions on type of External Hard Drive to use. Should you use a Multimedia Hard Drive like LaCie LaCinema Classic HD Multimedia Hard Drive OR a standard Large Desktop Hard Drive like Western Digital/Seagate/LaCie?

There is no benefit to the multi-media feature on the first drive you mentioned. If you are going to look at differences between certain drives, I'd look at the differences in reliability first.

How do you export your iphoto library from a mac air to an external hard drive to free up space on the mac air

how do you export your iphoto library from a mac air to an external hard drive to free up space on the mac air

Go to Pictures folder and copy the library to the external drive. Then, open iPhoto holding Option key and select the library in your external disk. Finally, delete the library on Pictures

Can anyone give step-by-step instructions for moving my iPhoto library to my external hard drive to free up space on my internal hard drive?

I want to move my iPhoto from my internal hard drive to an external hard drive to free up space. Can it be moved entirely and function the same as before with all features and the software itself on the hard drive? Also, can anyone give step by step instructions on how to do this? I'm having a difficult time figuring this out on my own by trying to search through Apple support.

Oops...
Here you go...
iPhoto: How to move the Library to an EHD
Make sure that the EXT Drive is formatted as Mac OS Extended (journaled).
That's what iPhoto Likes...

How do I transfer time capsul data to external hard drive to free up space?

How do I transfer time capsule data to external hard drive to free up space?

The fastest method is straight copy and paste..
Plug a suitable hard disk into your computer.. format it Mac OS extended journaled (if not already).
Select the folders/files you want to move.. copy and paste them to the external drive..
Double check that the files are copied because the next step will delete the files forever.. there is no trash on the TC.
Delete the files on the TC.
You can also do a full archive of the TC disk to a USB plugged into it by USB.. it must be formatted Mac OS Extended Journaled. It must be big enough to hold all data on the TC disk.. best idea is to buy the same size or bigger.. so if you use 2TB TC buy a 2TB or bigger external drive.
In airport utility select archive.
That will copy everything on the TC disk to the USB drive.. you could then Erase the disk of the TC.. this is super fast if you choose quick erase.. just a few minutes. But the archive will take many hours.. say for 2TB about 12-24hours.. and you cannot use the disk in the TC during that time.

Want to save my iTunes files in an external hard drive to free up space for next semester

I'd like to save my college music itunes files in an external hard drive to free space for next semester's music stuff.........how to proceed ???? need detailed guidance....thanx

Copy all your iTunes music to external HDD
Finder -> Music -> iTunes and select your library
In iTunes. select iTunes preferences (in top bar of Mac screen) Then click Advanced. Deselect "Copy files to iTunes media when adding to library".
Highlight all your songs in iTunes and delete them. Then re import them, you can just click on the file named music on your external HDD to import all of your songs.
Once they're imported delete the original iTunes library on your Mac HDD. iTunes will now look to your externak HDD to play your music.

My iphoto has 90gbs of pictures can I put on an external hard drive to free up space

my iphoto has 90gbs of pictures can I put on an external hard drive to free up space

Yep:
http://www.cultofmac.com/172491/move-your-iphoto-library-to-an-external-drive-to -save-space-os-x-tips/

How can I move my pictures to an external hard drive to free up space?

Does anyone know how to move pictures in iPhoto to an external hard drive? My computer is running out of memory and therefore running very slowly. I get the spinning circle constantly.
Thank you!!

I don't know if you're under Applecare, but I've used them often to guide me through the process of both moving my photos & music, and getting my laptop to know where to look for them. I've stored my media on an external drive for years and the Apple techs always help, from partitioning the drive to moving the libraries.
They can also help you understand the difference between RAM & 'memory'. It's possible the computer needs the 81 GB's for 'running purposes', though that sounds a bit high for that. Someone else may know.
What Clinton describes does work, by the way. But if you're not sure you get how to do that, don't be shy about calling Applecare.
Karen

2 computers at home working with the same files i keep on an external hard drive to free up space the internal drives. I have an airport extreme time capsule to back up both computers. how can i get it to back up the hard drive plugged into time capsual?

I want to run both my macbook pro and imac from a single external hard drive.
i bought a time capsual and set it us as my network and plugged my external hard drive into it. so now both my computers can access it and work on the same image and film files. the time capsual does a lovely job of backing up both my computers and my wifes. but i cant get it to back up the external hard drive that is conected to it. ive looked on the forum and it seems to me that its not possible, which seems odd to me that mac would enable you to plug a hard drive into the time capsual but not let you back it up, what is the point in that!?
so my question is can i back up the external hard drive with time machine, and if not how do i set up my home network so that all my computers can access the same files and time machine will back everything up?
I did the upgrade to maverics on my imac which has caused me a major headache as now all my apature albums have been updated to 3.5.1 but my macbook pro can no longer open them because im unable to upgade it to maverics, but thats another story.
If anyone can help me with my time machine issue i would be very greatful.
many thanks

i cant get it to back up the external hard drive that is conected to it. ive looked on the forum and it seems to me that its not possible, which seems odd to me that mac would enable you to plug a hard drive into the time capsual but not let you back it up, what is the point in that!?
so my question is can i back up the external hard drive with time machine, and if not how do i set up my home network so that all my computers can access the same files and time machine will back everything up?
The TC for whatever it is promoted as,, is still a simple hard disk in a router. It was designed for laptops to use as a backup. A desktop can use a USB drive, faster cheaper and more reliable than a network drive but the laptops need a network wireless storage. Hence the TC. It is NOT nor was it ever designed to do the job you are trying to use it for.. it is not a NAS.. it has no internal backup.
What is more Time Machine has no ability to backup network drives no matter what their format.
So the solution is to either use a real backup software.. eg Carbon Copy Cloner which can do far more than TM can or ever will. It is around $40 so hardly expensive. But since the TC was never designed for it, this will be slow.. and the next question is where are you going to back to. Using the TC as backup location for your files is less than great. Primarily because all your files are still on the same device albeit on different disk. It is also because mixing data and TM backups is not so great. The TC cannot be partitioned although you can alleviate some of the issues..
See this info.
Q3 here http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html
Let me go back to the question.
so my question is can i back up the external hard drive with time machine, and if not how do i set up my home network so that all my computers can access the same files and time machine will back everything up?
Fundamentally the TC is the wrong place to do this.
The right place is to plug the USB drive into the iMac.. since it is a desktop machine and you are probably not lugging it around. Simply share the USB drive to the network.
The MBP can then access the USB drive, and it will be around twice the speed of networking to the same drive on the TC. TM on the iMac can then also backup the USB drive to the TC as part of the normal TM backups.
The only thing is the iMac needs to be turned on to allow MBP access.

How do I moves files to an external hard drive to free up space on my MacBookPro

My MacBook Pro is running out of memory space. I want to move some files to my external hard drive, but when I highlight the file and try to move it, it doesn't go into the new file I have created on my external drive. I did it when I first bought my external drive, but that was over a year ago, and now I guess I have forgotten how I did it. Help!

Highlight your external drive with left mouse button click, select get Info of Finder File menu, then tick off "Ignore owenership on this volume" could solve the problem.

I am trying to move my iphoto and itunes to an external hard drive to free up space on my macbook...i have followed the steps to the change itunes media folder location (chosen external hard drive) but my new folder is greyed out so cant continue ?help?

I need to free up space on my macbook pro as hard drive is full!! So with 20 000 photos/video clips and itunes I would like to move this to a external hard drive!
I have followed steps on apple support but when i get to the Change itunes media folder location and chosen external hard drive it will not let me access the new folder option ?? help?

errrrrrrm!
Yes external drive shows up in finder on desk top and can change to in the media folder location thing!
My external hard drive is a WD Elements. I have no idea about permissions to the external? Do i Have to format external hard drive to a mac?
I am trying to follow the steps on the apple support page to transfer files (consolidate library etc) just cant get further down steps as the new folder option is greyed out!
Thanks for you help

I moved my iPhoto library to a external hard drive to free up space on my iMac per instructions, but the library is still on my iMac so I don't have much room left. How do I get rid of the all the contents of my library on my iMac so just on backup drive

As per Apple instructions, I moved my iPhoto library to an external hard drive so that I could free up space on my full iMac. However, I was not told the last step in the process -- How do I get the iPhoto library off my iMac so I free up that memory?

And after deleting the old Library, you should start up iPhoto while holding down the Option key in order to force iPhoto to let you select your iPhoto Library that is on your external hard drive. If you start up iPhoto the usual way, it will just create a new, blank iPhoto Library in your /users/yourusername/Pictures folder on your iMac's internal hard drive.

Can I move old video footage from Disk Utility to an external hard drive, to free up space?

I have a lot of old videos of my students located on Disk Utility.
I need to free up memory, so am wondering if I can move these videos to an external hard drive.
From time to time, I need to access these old videos, either to show to a new choreographer or to pull out a clip for a grant proposal, so I don't want to totally lose access to them.
Thanks so very much!!!

What's the file extension of the DVD in question located in Disk Utility? That's why I was asking for a screenshot. Is that .cdr? Can you do a File>Save As? If it's .cdr can you try dragging it to the external. Doesn't have to go to Disk Utility. Can just be to a folder there. As you drag it does it show with a + inside a green circle? That will mean it's copying it, but leaving the original in place. If it can be moved successfully, you can then remove the original from Disk Utility.
Or just copy (drag) it to your Desktop, then move it over to a folder on the external.
Message was edited by: WZZZ

Storing information in TM as a external hard drive to free up space on Mac

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