Using a Time Capsule for Time Machine backups and as a data drive

Hi There....can I use my Apple Time Capsule for my Time Machine backups and as a drive I can put data on?

Yes, you can use your time capsule as a drive for data. If you create a disk image, you reserve a certain amount of space for that image. Time Machine will respect that space and leave the disk image alone even if there is a large amount of unused space on the image.
If you create a folder, it starts with zero space until you add data to it. The folder can be as large as you would like as long as the space is available on the TC.
So, each has an advantage. The disk image will reserve the space until you fill it up and the folder will not. But, the folder can be as large as you would like as long as the TC has space available.
Your next question might be can you change the size of a disk image after it has been created? I haven't tried this, but think you probably could.
For most users, I think the folder concept is probably simpler for them to use and easier to understand. But more advanced users may favor the disk image concept if they feel that space will be at a premium on the disk.

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Can I use Time Capsule for Time Machine and a place to put my iPhoto Library

Can I use Time Capsule for Time Machine and a place to put my iPhoto Library?

Only if you partition the Time Capsure into two partitions, one for TM and one for the iPhoto LIbrary. But you won't be able to backup that library as it will be on the same drive as the TM backups.
It's not recommended. An alternative solution is to get another EHD, move the library to it and run it from there. Then TM can backup both your boot drive and the working EHD drive.
OT

I used an ethernet cable between my iMac and Time Capsule for the initial backup. Now that initial backup is concluded, can I simply unplug the Time Capsule from my computer?

I used an ethernet cable between my iMac and Time Capsule for the initial backup. Now that initial backup is concluded, can I assume I can simply unplug the Time Capsule from my computer without any glitches and Time Capsule will then run wirelessly. Is this assumption correct?

can I assume I can simply unplug the Time Capsule from my computer without any glitches and Time Capsule will then run wirelessly. Is this assumption correct?
Yes, if the computer will be able to receive a strong wireless signal from the Time Capsule.
I did not disable wireless. So I assume the backups are occurring both with the ethernet and wirelessly.
It is inot possible to have both an "active" Ethernet and "active" wireless signal simultaneously. If an Ethernet connection is established, your computer will default to the Ethernet connection. If the Ethernet cable is unplugged, the computer will revert to the wireless connection.
I also show 2 wireless networks available through Airport. Shouldn't there only be one now?
You have a simultaneous dual band Time Capsule. That means that it will always be providing both a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz network.
I named my new network the same name as the old network. This enabled all of our devices to continue with their connection without entering the new network and/or passwords; however, I am afraid this may pose problems in the future somehow. Any input on this issue as well?
Things should be fine. Devices will connect to the best signal.....either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz....based on their capabilties and location in relation to the Time Capsule.

Sizing Time Capsule for Time Machine

Want to us a TIme Capsule for TIme Machine use (backup): What size Time Capsule would I need for a 320G, 680G, and a 1T hard drive?

It was my understanding that I needed a Time Capsule at least as large as my HD. Are you saying that I could use a 500G TC for a 1T HD?
Yes. Unless your current 1 TB drive is completely full and you want to backup the entire drive, you should be able to get by with the 500 GB model. Again, remember Time Machine will use sparsebundles to store the backups on the Time Capsule. As mentioned before, Time Machine will purge the oldest backups to make room for the newest ones ... so theoretically your Time Capsule will never run out of space. It really comes down to how far back in time is the data you need to keep.
Finally, you have two other options with the Time Capsule. Add an external USB hard drive to archive Time Machine backups ... or use the external hard drive, instead of the internal one, for Time Machine backups. For example, you can add a 2 TB external drive, use it for Time Machine backups and use the internal drive for NAS ... or vice-versa.

I recently moved my Aperture Library file to an external hard drive. Can I now create a vault to be saved on my Time Capsule for the Aperture library on this external hard drive?

I recently moved my Aperture Library file to an external hard drive. Can I now create a vault to be saved on my Time Capsule for the Aperture library on this external hard drive?

One thing to bear in mind, if you are using Time Machine on your Time Capsule and have it set so the TM backup includes your external drive, you will effectively be backing up your Aperture library twice on the same drive, once with Time Machine and once with the vault. This isn't a problem unless you start to run out of space.
Another thing to note, vaults on network drives used to be flaky (i.e. not really supported) and required workarounds to be able to use them. I'm not sure if this has changed, but I just managed to create a vault on my TC ok.

Using time capsule for time machine and as a HD

I'm debating if buying a time capsule is the right choice for me. Now that my HD on my MBP is almost full, I have to decide quick. At the moment I have my whole itunes library on the MBP HD but I was told the time capsule is a great device which works great with the time machine options.
My question is, Can I use the time capsule for the time machine option and as a HD to keep my itunes library?
Thanks

Can I use the time capsule for the time machine option and as a HD to keep my itunes library?
In theory, yes. But, you might want to consider that the idea behind having a backup is that you have a copy of everything that is important to you on a separate drive, so that when...not if...the drive fails, you have another copy in a safe place.
If you place the iTunes library on the Time Capsule, +you will have no backups for the library+.
A far better strategy would be to attach a USB drive directly to your computer and use that for the iTunes library and also add the Time Capsule as well. Then Time Machine will backup both the drive on your computer and the attached drive, so you'll have copies of your computer and your iTunes library.

HT3728 i want to use my time capsule for back-ups only and not connect it to the internet

I live in digs and with perfectly good wi-fi. Therefore, I simply want to use my Time Capsule for backing up my iMac. Airport Utility doesn't seem to want to let me do this and insists I connect the unit to the internet first.

I gave full info for how to do this setup in this thread with screen shots..
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4817218?tstart=30
Any of it you don't follow just ask.
The TC is really a complex thing to use, when you don't do it as Apple designed it.. and in fact on your iMac an external drive will be cheaper, faster and more reliable than a TC. But I guess you already have it so may as well use it.

Can I use my time capsule for time machine back ups and as an external storage device?

I have a time capsule and have set it up so that my time machine back ups are saved on it, but I would also like to use it as an external hard drive. Is this possible?
I know nothing about computers so please tell me in very basic terms. thankyou!

By external hard disk we usually mean one plugged into the computer by USB or Firewire or Thunderbolt.
None of those works on the TC.. it is plugged in by ethernet or use wireless connection.. that means it is a network drive.. not an external drive. The difference might not mean much to you.. but it is totally different to the computer. In the former case the computer has full control of the disk. In the case of the network drive, the disk is controlled by the TC firmware and the files are stored and accessed by network. This has large implications.
So here is my standard response.
Store files on the TC.
This is asked several times a day.. obviously people are struggling with their latest SSD being too small.
The TC is not suitable for network file server.. but many people having no choice press it into service as such.
Major issues.
1. No backup.. no way Time Machine can backup a network drive. No place to backup to.. So all your files will be at risk. And you will need to buy a third party like CCC to do backup.
2. The TC cannot be partitioned and mixing TM backups and data is not great. It was and is and ever shall be a backup device for Time Machine.
3. The drive is slow to spin up and quick to spin down.. there is no control. In fact the TC is so lacking in controls for even the router side.. that you cannot do more than the most basic of setups.
The following are controls on the hard disk side.
Reformat it. You can name the share. You can do a full archive of the whole disk. This will go at a speed of aprox. 30-50GB/Hr so calculate how long an archive of a full 2TB will take.
4. iPhoto in particular can easily corrupt its entire library with wireless networking causing a disconnection to one photo. Even if you do this;;; do not move your photo library... you have been warned!!
Even apple btw say don’t do it.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5168 Although mostly about FAT32 it adds network drives.
5. iTunes can constantly lose connection to the library. The disk is slow to respond.. itunes on the computer will constantly spit out errors. Even in the midst of streaming the TC can spin down the disk due to caching.
6. Do not use any live files on the TC no matter what else you do.. if you edit files in whatever program the file must be on the local hard disk.
7. The only suitable location for most libraries is a computer. You can plug in an external hard disk.
Read pondini for some work arounds.
Q3 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html

HT3275 I am received an error on my Time Capsule which states the backup disk image "Volumes/Data/MacBook Pro. sparse bundle? is already in use. so time machine couldn't complete the backup to time capsule - any suggestion

I've received an error message Time Machine couldn't complete the backup to Time Capsule, the backup disk image /Volumes/Date/....MacBook Pro.sparsebundle" is already in use. Any suggestions as to what I can do to fix it?

I've got mine working again by deleting a partial backup that was on the Time Capsule.
I mounted the backup sparsebundle, and then browsed the content and found a filestucture named <timstamp>.inProgress. I removed that and the followed the tip to disconnect described above. That did the trick for me.

Time Capsule for Time Machine and Photo Storage

Hi,
Can I use a Time Capsule to store my iPhoto Library and use it to back up my Mac at the Same time?
Thanks

My iPhoto Library is very large and I would like to put it on two or three separate external HDD's in Order to Save Space on my Mac and start fresh.
You have a question for the experts in the iPhoto support area. I would imagine that they will very strongly discourage this....even if it might be possible, which I doubt that it is since the library is a special package file.
iPhoto
Can I use a Time capsule to store Files at the Same Time as using it for Time machine?
Sure, but if you move an "original" file from a computer to the Time Capsule, then the only copy that you have of that file is now on the Time Capsule. You have no backup. So, I would only do this with data that you could afford to lose.
I would never put an iPhoto library on a Time Capsule unless it was strictly for backup purposes.....never for use as an "everyday" library.
if i have an external HDD Pfluges into my Mac when Time Machine is Banking up, will it Backup whatever is on the HDD?
Yes, as I already mentioned in the first response above.....
A much better and safer plan might be to add another USB or FireWire hard drive and connect it directly to your Mac. Move the iPhoto library (or other data) to the hard drive. Now, when Time Machine backs up, it will backup both your Mac and the iPhoto library. (on the attached hard drive).

Can I use my time capsule for back up only and not as a router?

I have been trying to set up my time capsule as a router but have not been successful, the dsl I am using is not responding. Can I just use my time capsule as a back up device and not as a router? if so how can I do this?

Yes, you can. Simply plug the TC via Ethernet into the current router and set it up in bridge mode.

I want to move my iTunes library to my Time Capsule for both my Mac and my husbands PC to access

I have a Mac, with various iPads and iPhones in the family and a family network running from a Time Capsule. I wish to move my iTunes library (which is home shared and connected to iTunes Match) from my Mac to my Time Capsule as it is using a large portion of my hard drive. I then want my husbands/childrens PCs/laptops to also connect to this one iTunes library.

The library is working in its new location? You moved it by copying the whole iTunes folder and not by changing any preferences settings?
I haven't done anything with library sharing so I'm no expert, but you will probably want your setup so each person has their own library but you use a common source of media. One major issue is if you are using the library on your computer, nobody else will be able to use it because the library files can only be open by one iTunes application at a time. Some of this might be possible with Home Sharing, or you can simply keep a common pool of media and trust each other not to accidentally delete a file everybody else is using.
Another item of concern is putting this on the Time Capsule drive. Normally that is used for backup purposes and if you have you media on there too then you have no library backup. Yes, you can use Match but it isn't really a backup service. E.g., if you have media stored as lossless on the computer, match doesn't store it as lossless but in reduced quality. It also won't back up the other things in your library such as playlists.

I have just converted from PC to iMac. Yay. But pls be nice to me; I am back to newb! Running Lion. Have connected a Time Capsule as both a backup and WAP. I want to be able to join the network with my iPad, iPhone, iPod to print. How can I do this?

Can I do this using the Time Capsule. I am not tech, so bear with me. Can I get the iPad to connect wirelessly to the TC, which connects wirelessly to the Canon MP495? Or, can I connect/network the iPad to the iMac to print?
Either way, or if there is any other solution, I would appreciate if someone would walk me through it, or point me to a plain-speaking resource.
Thankyou.
Actually, one more: I would like to connect my HP laptop as well. I have heard this is not simple, but possible.

You can create a wifi network with your TC, and you can join this network with your iPad. However, your printer does not support the AirPrint protocol, so you will not be able to print from your iPad, unless you load additional software.
These are the steps:
1. (You may have completed this step already) Set up your TC to create a wireless network. You can do this from AirPort Utility on your Mac or from the AirPort Utility App on your iPad (free download from the App Store).
2. From your iPad, go to settings / wifi and join the network.
3. Download the Canon iPhone App from the App store on your iPad
4. You can now print photos from your iPad to your Canon printer.
If you want full functionality, (not just photos), there is software for your Mac that makes your printer available to your iPad through AirPrint (Printopia). The downside is, you have to purchase it, and you have to have your Mac running when you want to print from your iPad.
Good luck!

Time Capsule as a Standalone Backup and Printershare device?

Hello All!
My current setup is as follows: DLink modem accessing the 'net, hooked up to an airport express to provide wireless connectivity and also airtunes for the attached speakers (all in living room).
Question: I would like to stick a time capsule in the study, both to attach the printer to (one less usb cable) and to start backing up wirelessly (two less usb cables). I don't want to use the TC as a base station though. Is it possible to get the TC to hook up to my existing wireless network?
Ideally the TC would have AirTunes access....sadly it doesn't. Come on Apple!
Cheers for any answers.

you can add it to your current network, its all in the setup wizard.

I have a current 2TB Time Capsule. I would like to add more ethernet ports for needed expansion. Will an Airport Extreme conflict with the Time Capsule for needed ethernet ports and will wireless from both units conflict?

I own a current 2TB Time Capsule and I need to expand my network system to include more ethernet (wired) ports. I am considering an Airport Extreme that would give me enough wired ports. Will the wireless capabilities of both units conflict with each other? I only need one wireless network. Thank you for any help.

While you could certainly add an AirPort Extreme to provide additional Ethernet ports, you could also save about $150 by purchasing an inexpensive switch, such as one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DGS-1005G-5-Port-Gigabit-Desktop/dp/B003X7TRWE/
http://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Unmanaged-GREENnet-Auto-Negotiation-Auto-MDIX/dp/ B001QUA6R0/
Consumer grade Ethernet switches typically come in five and eight port configurations. Just be aware that a five port switch only conveys the ability to add three additional devices. An eight port switch conveys the ability to add six additional devices.
An 8 port switch provides twice the capacity of a 5 port switch for considerably less than twice the cost. The price difference between the two is often only $10 or so.
I just checked, the 8 port version of the Trendnet switch above costs exactly $4 more.
An AirPort Extreme is a very flexible full featured wireless router, and would provide three additional LAN ports for wired devices. If all you need is a few more ports though, it's overkill.

Using a Time Capsule for Time Machine backups and as a data drive

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