Use time capsule as a hard disk for macbook air

I am running out of disk space on my macbook air.
If I buy a time capsule, can I use it as regular external storage as well as backing up the air?

Yes, but all the copies of a file you want to keep shouldn't be on only one drive, as it may fail at any time.
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Can i use time capsule as external hard drive for both mac and windows

I have a mac book pro, ipad and iphone and ipod and a windows pc
Can i use time capsule as a external hard disk only for all of the above ( including windows ) without the back up activity for mac ?

You cannot access the TC from iOS devices without a browser. eg filebrowser.
Can i use time capsule as a external hard disk only for all of the above ( including windows ) without the back up activity for mac ?
Yes, with the following proviso.. the TC is not able to back itself up.. so if you store files on the TC without backups one day you will discover all your files are gone because of a hard drive failure of the TC. TM also cannot backup TC.. so you will need to buy a proper backup software.
It is also much slower than a real NAS..
And windows can be a bit painful.. especially windows 8.. other versions should work if you spend the time getting everything set right.

Using time capsule to upgrade hard disk?

I'd like to swap out my original 500G Macbook Pro (early 2009) drive with a larger model. I am currently backing that drive up to a Time Capsule 802.11n (the 2G model released this past summer.)
What is the best way to use my time capsule to move everything off my old drive and onto my new one?
One thing I'm worried about is that the original full back-up of my 500G drive took DAYS over wireless. I use this computer a lot, so I'm wondering how long it will take to do a full restore. Would USB be faster then ethernet for this?
Or maybe I should skip restoring the backup and use super duper (which I own)? If so would I then have to do a new full backup from the larger drive?
Any hints and experience reports are welcome.
Also any opinions about HD brands to buy for my larger drive would also be great.

You'll be much better off connecting the USB drive to the MacBook Pro to do the transfer. It will be much faster, as the data will go from the TC to your Mac to the USB drive. See #18 in [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html]
If the drive is connected to the TC, the data will have to go from the TC to your Mac, back to the USB drive via the TC.
Or, you could use the "archive" feature to archive everything on the TC's internal HD to the USB drive, then delete the copy of the iMac's sparse bundle from it. See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1281
Or, just start Time Machine fresh on the USB drive connected to the TC. After a month or so (when you're sure you don't really need the old ones any more), delete the old sparse bundle. If you need them in the meantime, you can view and restore via the +*Browse . . .+* option, per #17 in the FAQ.

Need to install clean OS on new hard disk for MacBook air

I have just installed a new hard disk on my MacBook air. How do I format and install OS?
What OS to install?
How to format?
The origin hard disk is dead!

Drive Preparation
1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.

Can i use time capsule as another hard drive?

Can I use time capsule as another hard drive?

You can, but it was not really designed for that purpose. Access to files will be quite a bit slower than a drive that is directly attached to your computer.
The Time Capsule's main function is as a back up device using the Time Machine application.
If you are using it already for Time Machine, it is generally not a good idea to mix Time Machine backups and regular files on the same drive as there will be struggle for space when the drive starts to fill up.

Can you use Time Capsule as a print server for printers connected via Ethernet or wirelessly?

Can you use Time Capsule as a print server for printers connected via Ethernet or wirelessly?
I know that it works marvelous for printers connected via USB, but I'd like to know if you can use it as a more general print server.

No, you can't, but what do you expect to gain by doing so?
The main advantage of the print server is to provide multi-user network access to a printer that typically only supports a single connection. Since, by definition, your printer already has a network connection and can be used by multiple users.

Use Time Capsule as a Hard Drive via Ethernet for Time Machine

Hi Folks
To summarise a very very long story here goes;
- About 12 months ago my father in law buys a Time Capsule without really knowing what it is for and how it works (I know don't ask!!!!!)
- I set it up for him connected to his wireless router so he uses his router to access the internet and uses the Time Capsule to back up his iMac via wireless with Time Machine. (from what I can see he could have saved himself some cash and just bought an external Hard Drive and connect it via USB to the iMac for Time Machine, but never mind. He has 1 iMac and no other Mac's in the household. His printer is connected to his iMac via USB in the same room and he uses a wireless router to access the internet, since the phone point is in another room)
- All is well until Monday when he tells me he cannot access the internet. After much much trial and error I have eventually managed to get his internet back up and running, but he has somehow managed to erase his Time Capsule.
- I set his Time Capsule back up as it was previously and it starts performing the initial backup again. However at the rate its taking I think it will take well in excess of 24hrs to do that initial
backup. Also so far It has failed 3 times during this initial backup and I get an error message stating it's failed. The setup guide makes reference to performing the initial backup via ethernet as it's quicker.
I'm thinking the best way forward would be to just plug the Time Capsule into the iMac via ethernet and use it purely as a Hard Drive for use with Time Machine. I've tried just plugging in the ethernet cable from the Time Capsule to the iMac, but it doesn't recognise it. Bear in mind that it currently works via wireless, do I need to perform some sort of factory reset or how do I go about telling the the iMac to no longer use the Time Capsule wireless, but just connect via ethernet instead.
Of course I could just forget about the Time Capsule all together and tell him to get a 500gb USB External Hard Drive, plug that in and set up Time Machine with that instead.
Am I missing the point here and can the Time Capsule do a lot more for him, given his current setup.
Thanks

That is true but if you mix your files with the Time Machine backups, Time Machine will have trouble contril disk space when it gets low.
If you are going to do that it is recommended that you partition the drive. Since Time Capsule is not able to partition the drive that means you will have to remove it in order to partition it.
A simple solution IMO is to get another external drive and hang it on the USB bus in the Time Capasule.
Allan

Using Time Capsule as external hard drive

Hi. I have a Mac Book Pro, and external hard drive, and now, a Time Capsule. Since I don't have a Mac, all photos and music (occasional backups, etc.) have been stored on the one external hard drive. I got the Time Capsule to replace the external hard drive as primary (keeping it as secondary)–in addition to using the Time Machine.
If I'm understanding correctly, I open finder, open Shared>AirPort>Data–and then drag and drop all the files currently on the external hard drive onto this window? Is this correct? Will it COPY, and be accessibe, and not cause problems?
Will it mean, as I hope it means, that my MacBook and iPad will be able to open and use iTunes and iPhoto through this AirPort? (Instead of having to plug-in the external drive.)
I'd love to use the Time Machine as well. But can hold off, continuing to back up only occassionally, since this dual purposing may not to be advised?
Thank you for your guidance.

Will there be a problem running Time Machine in the back ground while using the Time Capsule's internal hard drive manually?
No.
Thus far, instead of using Time Machine in an automated mode, I've turned it on when I want to make a new back-up. Will it be necessary to run Time Machine in manual mode only or can I use its automated feature?
Or–I may be seeing the light–will running the two in tandem allow me to save each new back-up on both devices simultaneously, keeping both drives up to date?
I would suggest that you consider changing your backup strategy. Time Machine was designed to be an automatic "run and forget" operation that performs incremental backups of your Mac's internal hard drive. It will also backup an external hard drive attached directly to your Mac. Running it manually is not very effecient and you stand the chance of not getting a very recent (they run once an hour) backup when you need it.
For Time Machine I would suggest that you continue to use your external hard drive as is and dedicate your new Time Capsule for Time Machine backups. If you still need more external storage, you can always add additional external USB hard drives to the USB port on the Time Capsule.
Even better you will also want to include a second "full-clone" method to your backup strategy. This method will make a full copy of your Mac's internal disk drive that is bootable. Why do this? In case your Mac has a fatal hard disk crash, you can use the clone backup to boot your Mac back up and continue to use it within seconds. Without the clone backup, you would first need to install a new drive, then load a fresh copy of OS X, and then, perform a restore from Time Machine. This can take a while.
To perform these clone backups, I would recommend that you get another external USB hard drive with a capacity at least twice that of your current internal drive. I use Western Digital My Passport drives for this purpose, but any similar drive should do. To create the clone backup I would suggest using either SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner.
I would suggest that you create a new clone backup at least once a month or more often if your data is critical to you. Just connect a dedicated clone drive to any available USB port on your Mac and run the clone software to make the clone backup.

Using Time Capsule as external hard drive on a PC, and beyond...

I need to achieve two separate things with my new 500GB TC. The first is to send it to a friend on the other side of the country for her to use Time Capsule with her PC as an external hard drive.
I then want to take those files (once sent back to me from CA), and put them on my computer. After that I just want to use Time Capsule with Time Machine, but I'm pretty sure I can figure that set-up out.
My question is, is this possible? And if so, what is the easiest process to tell my PC friend in order for her to connect Time Capsule as an external?
The reason I am attempting to do this is because I didn't see a need to buy an external and TC as well. The guy at the Mac store said it would be easy to do this, but I'm rather computer illiterate.
That being said, I apologize for my ignorance in regards to the use of Time Capsule, but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Brody M. Nasse

Well, you just hook the Time Capsule up (either wirelessly or wired via ethernet) and for the PC you will want to install AirPort Utility, run it, and then she will be able to copy files to it. Then when it gets back to you you can run AirPort Utility (it is located in Applications/Utilities) and then access the files she put on your Time Capsule.

Can I use time capsule as an external disk only (not as a wireless router)

how can I use my time capsule as an external disk only. I have had problems with time capsule as a wifi router.

Sure.. but it is still a network drive and must use wireless or ethernet.. the best way is plugged into the main router in bridge mode.. but you can use it in secondary network.. although the setup is more complicated.
It is also less good than a simple external drive.. which is cheaper, faster and more reliable. Consider if the TC doesn't suit your needs get rid of it and opt for simple external drive.

Time capsule as a hard disk

HI can I use my Time Capsule as a hard drive as well.
What I want to do is have two of use it as a hard drive like one that you plugin but share it wirelessly.
Can this do this?

Yes, you can just copy files to the TC.
Create a new directory in the root of the TC.. do not copy files to the sparsebundles created by TM.. if you are using it.
If you want to mix data and TM backups please do read the instructions.
Q3 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html

Using time capsule to migrate to a new macbook

i just purchased a new macbook (see specs below). i used time capsule to backup my old macbook which i am now selling. two questions... can i use time machine in migration assist to transfer all the info from my old mac to my new one? if so how? thanks for any help you can give me.

Yes. Or you can simply connect the two computers via Firewire cable and boot your old computer into Target Disk Mode. Use Migration Assistant to transfer your files.
Note that your old username/account name and the one on the new machine cannot be the same if you plan to migrate the entire Home folder.
Also note that the new machine will have Leopard, not Tiger. Do not attempt to migrate the operating system. Restrict your transfers to the Home folder and third-party applications.

Recommended external hard disks for macbook??

Hey all,
I am in need of an external hard disk for my macbook, preferably one of decent size cause I wil be traveling in Europe from Sept to Dec. I was looking at the smart disk one.... ideas on what ones to look at and where to buy?
thanks!
erik

I heartily recommend the Mercury drives from OWC. They are small, bus powered and very reliable due to the use of the Oxford chipset.
If you do not mind carrying around a power adapter, then the Mercury Elite Pro drives found HERE come pre-configured up to 500GB and if you want you can buy the enclosure only and add a 750GB drive.
That's a lot of storage!

How to install newest version of OSX on a new hard disk in macbook air

how to install newest version of OSX on a new hard disk in macbook air

Hold down command-R to boot into recovery mode and then install the OS. You need an Internet connection.

2TB Time Capsule or External Hard Drive for use with Mac MINI and AppleTV

Hi,
My current setup is I have a 1TB Hard Drive linked to my intel Mac Mini via FireWire 400, the Mini shares my music and films through iTunes so that my AppleTV can pick them up.
All devices are connected to an AEBS 802.11n (early model) via Cat6 Gigabit cables.
As I have run out of space and am looking for a bigger drive, I wanted to know if I would be able to use the 2TB Time Capsule to hold my films and be able to stream them to the Mac Mini so that it may stream them through iTunes to the AppleTV.
The theory of if should work, as the devices are all Gigabit capable and connected by high quality Cat6 leads their shouldn't be network bandwith issues, I am just unsure of how quickly the TimeCapsule can read stored data from a hard drive and transmit, some of my films are HD and run 4GB plus.
The obvious answers is just to buy a bigger hard drive with FW400, however I would like to reduce the number of boxes I have under the TV, I plan to upgrade my AEBS to the latest one anyway so just thought it made sense to explore this option.
looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

Hello,
It should work in theory, but the disk access time of the TC is much slower. I was setup like you are with an external drive connected to a Mini via FW and I had true Gigabit transfer between computers.
When my hard drive failed I sold my Linksys gigabit router and bought a TC to reduce the number of boxes, but I soon learned that the read/write speed on a TC is a little bit faster than on a thumb drive! Not that great. All my machines are also connected with Cat6.
It's still OK to watch a movie though, but transferring 10+ Gb is a pain.

Use time capsule as a hard disk for macbook air

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