Using external HD for backup with Macbook Pro

Hi. I've got a Macbook Pro 4.1 with a 300 GB primary HD running OS X v10.5.8. Am about to connect a 2.0 TB external drive in an OWC mercury Elite Pro enclosure via an eSATA controller card.
My partition scheme is as follows:
1st partition: 950 GB (for storage, etc.),
2nd partition: 600 GB (2X capacity of primary for TM backup),
3rd bootable partition: 450 GB (1.5X capacity of primary for Carbon Copy Cloner).
I know I can't boot the external through an eSATA connection, but in the event that I would need to boot up from the CCC partition, I would temporarily switch the connection on the drive to FireWire 800 for emergency boot up only and retain the eSATA connection which I understand is faster, for my normal day to day operations.
As I am currently restricted to using the one external HD, does the above sound like a reasonably workable and sound configuration?

Remember that whatever's on that 950 GB partition is not backed up. Personally I don't like too many paritions but one thought would be to split it into two with one acting as a backup of the other. This won't guard against mechanical failure of the drive but would help in a case of directory corruption or maybe a bad sector.

Similar Messages

External hard drive compatible with macbook pro 10.5.8

external hard drive compatible with macbook pro 10.5.8, i need a hard drive that will work with 10.5.8 to back everything up before upgrading to 10.6. a hard drive that is compatable with 10.5.8 has been impossible to find, a hard drive that works with both opperating systems is what i am looking for, any information that can help is appreciated

You can buy just about any USB2.0 hard drive and use it with your MacBook Pro. Many older external drives come pre-partitioned and formatted FAT32 for use on Windows. Your Mac can use that file system as well, but it has limitations on file sizes. You can always re-partition your external drive and re-format it as HFS+ (MacOS Extended Journaled) then your old Mac OS version and your new one should both be able to access it just fine. One thing to keep in mind is that many older OSes don't really handle drives larger than 2TB well, so you would probably want to try to keep your external drive to something smaller than 2TB...

Using Thinkpad Trackpoint USB Keyboard with MacBook Pro, Air, Retina (with pictures)

Using Thinkpad Trackpoint USB Keyboard with MacBook Pro, Air, Retina (with pictures)
The purpose of this discussion thread is to:
(1) Get community thoughts around using alternative and complimentary mousing approaches with MacBooks
(2) To share a current and searchable set of resources for those interested in leveraging a best-of-both-worlds approach for using a non-Apple Trackpoint Keyboard with an Apple MacBook.
(3) To level-set the fact that a Thinkpad Trackpoint USB Keyboard works with MacBooks automatically and instantly out-of-the-box.
Note: I created this discussion because I found that all the other discussion threads related to using a Thinkpad Trackpoint Keyboard with MacBooks were archived and therefore I could not post my thoughts there.
I have been using MacBooks for 3+ years now. Airs, Pros, Retinas etc. I LOVE the built-in MacBook Apple Trackpad. It is wonderful. Apple has no equal as far as Trackpads go.
In addition, I have been using the Thinkpad Trackpoint USB Keyboard with my MacBooks for ~2 years, and below is why I have found BOTH the Apple Trackpad and Thinkpad Trackpoint to be great.
The Trackpoint and Trackpad both have their sweet spots. Personally I use the built-in Apple Trackpad on my MacBooks when I'm using my MacBook for less than 1 hour, loosely speaking. If I am going to be heads-down for more than 1 hr writing, reading, surfing, graphic designing, programming, workshop facilitating, teaching, mindmapping, presenting, demoing, etc. then I pull out my "Lenovo Thinkpad USB Keyboard with Trackpoint (55Y9003) > https://www.google.com/search?&q=lenovo+thinkpad+trackpoint+usb+keyboard
I know many will laugh at me for using a Thinkpad Trackpoint Keyboard with a MacBook... Keeping an open mind, let's just agree that there is historical precedence for alternative mousing devices. If I could only choose one, I would use the Apple MacBook built-in Trackpad exclusively, however with alternatives come potential benefits. Keep in mind that Apple, Microsoft, Logitech and many other companies make millions of dollars each year providing alternative peripheral devices for computers, and mousing is no exception. Regardless, I just want to share my positive experiences using both. :-)
Why should you care? For *some* people the following is true and meaningful. The Trackpoint (the little red eraser head stick thingy) in the midle of the keyboard enables useful and unique dynamics/use-cases, including:
You don't have to take your hand(s) off the keyboard to mouse
You can independantly click without accidentally moving the mouse (Yes I know some people don't have issues with this)
You don't run out of finger-gesture runway when you're moving your mouse across the screen (I know this is a gray area for some people)
For mouse-movement-heavy applications (e.g. Graphics, drawing, etc.) the Trackpoint *is at times* more exacting
Below I share some pictures (which I know *look* ridiculous to some people, but none-the-less help demystify what this looks like. And, while ridiculous looking, it is actually quite thin and elegant once you get over the initial shock of seeing these two diverse technologies combined in this way.
Rest assured, the keyboard shown below (google "55Y9003") is VERY light, thin and fits in almost any laptop case/backpack easily so it is not a big deal to carry it, if you work on-the-go. In addition:
It is UNCANNY how well it fits on top of the keyboard space of all MacBooks.
It fits perfectly around the corners of the MacBook Pro/Air/Retina keyboard
Note: I took one of the 5 rubber feet/pads off the bottom of my keyboard, the one in the middle
Lastly, you can actually use the built-in Apple Trackpad at the SAME TIME as the Trackpoint Keyboard.
It is quite a nice best-of-both-worlds approach for people that like the benefits of the "Why should you care?" use cases above.
Please reply and comment with your thoughts and please let's keep it positive, constructive and friendly :-)
Pictures Below:
My two Retina MBPs, one with and one without the keyboard, so you can easily see the difference. (As if you wouldn't)
A slightly closer-up shot of just the RMBP with the Trackpoint Keyboard on top
Please reply and comment with your thoughts and please let's keep it positive, constructive and friendly :-)

Newer Bluetooth version of the ThinkPad External Trackpoint Keyboard available...
The new version is smaller, so you can use your MacBook Trackpad at the same time as your Trackpoint keyboard.
Here is the Lenovo model/Part Number# 0B47190
Here is a picture of what it looks like:
Note: Just like the older larger USB model keyboard, there is a rubbery footpad in the middle of the bottom of the keyboard that I just peeled off. Otherwise, it makes the "H" key press accidentally under-neath the keyboard. Once I took that off, it fit perfectly over and around the built-in MacBook keyboard, so I can optionally put it on top of my MacBook for easy typing. :-)

Whats the maximum resolution resolution supported @ 60 Hz on an external display for mid 2014 macbook pro retina 13 inch ?

whats the maximum resolution supported @ 60 Hz on an external display for mid 2014 macbook pro retina 13 inch ?

I don't know where you found 1920x1080, but that isn't the max. The INTERNAL display can even support more than that.
The maximum resolution is really hardware based, and since Thunderbolt 2 has a Mini displayport connector (Mini Displayport 1.2), the max resolution for Mini Displayport is 4k (3840x2160).
PLEASE NOTE: Not all adapters can support that resolution, most monitors that can run 4k @60Hz have Displayport 1.2 (The most recent revision), Mini Displayport 1.2, and HDMI 2.0. DVI dual link can run 4k, but only 24-30Hz, depending on the monitor.
Hope this helps!!

Can I use Dell AOI 922 printer with MacBook Pro?

Can I use Dell AOI 922 printer with MacBook Pro?

Cisco:
Very helpful! My set up was Mac/ Lion trying to Print off a Dell Photo A10 922
Lion does not store any Lexmark, nor dow Apple, but I went to the lexmark site, and found this-
http://support.lexmark.com/index?productCode=LEXMARK_X5270&page=product&locale=E N&userlocale=EN_US#1
Downloaded that, then hooked up the printer, Cmd-P, and the Mac found the drivers I had loaded.
Works fine. Now when I go to my sisters, I can print!
byw, I'm probably just a Level 2 "GIYF"er, but your the only one ( of MANY folks) who thought to search Lexmart. I've seen posts by MANY geeks saying a Mac could not print to ANY Dell printer.
Nice job,
Rich

Is there a way to use Time Machine to backup my Macbook Pro to an external drive connected to my iMac?

I recently purchased a Seagate Goflex Desk 2TB and I've already used Time Machine to backup my iMac running 10.5.8 to the drive. Is there a way to backup my Macbook Pro running 10.6.8 to the drive using Time Machine while the drive is still connected to my iMac? Any help is appreciated!

Choose Connect to Server from the Finder's Go menu, provide the first computer's IP address, log in, and set it up in the Time Machine pane of System Preferences.
(59008)

New External Monitor for Logic on MacBook Pro - Suggestions

I'm in the painful process of updating my studio and now my large screen external monitor has started failing.
I know if this a pretty general question more suited to the MacBook Pro forum but I'd like some input from folks used to working with an application like Logic in a home studio environment.
I guess the issue for me is that I'm not getting any younger and my eyesight isn't what it used to be. One of the things specific to Logic and music software in general is that there are LOTS of very detailed dialog boxes with text that is not always height adjustable (yes I know about zooming and indeed I do lots of that but it gets quite distracting). The other factor is that I'm often recording and engineering myself which means I'll be sitting with a guitar in my lap or at a keyboard and can't always lean in too close to the monitor.
I solved this by buying a large 26" Acer which sits on my desk behind the Mackie MCU. To my left I've got the MacBook 15.4" Pro on a keyboard stand above my MIDI controller at a 45 degree angle to the desk.
It's worked quite well until the Acer seems to have become haunted. It will mysteriously reboot itself intermittently, going blank for a second, then showing the Acer logo and going back to picture. It will also turn itself on spontaneously when the computer is off (the status light is off and then turns itself on). It seems to detect when I'm in the middle of a really good session and starts resetting itself every 30 seconds or so. Then it will work fine sometimes for days or weeks at a time. I've checked it on 4 different computers, it malfunctions on all. I believe in may be a problem with one of the capacitors or the inverter, I'm not sure, but it's driving CRAZY at this point.
And of course now it's 3 months out of warranty and may be more expensive to fix than buying a new one.
So my issue is what monitor to replace it with. I've considered buying an Apple monitor, since the display is lovely to look at but there are a couple things that are deal breakers.
It's expensive. Very expensive.
Oddly you have to choose between a 24" and a 30", with nothing in between. Don't want to sound like Goldilocks here, but the 24 is tooooo small and the 30 is tooooo big.
Yeah I know bigger is usually better but since they bumped the native resolution of the 30" up to 2560x1600 it's really sharp but things like the menu text get really quite small. Yes you can reset to a lower non native resolution, but then you loose the sharpness. I tested Logic in the store on the 30" and it did look great but I found I actually had to move my whole body around to see things at the top and bottom of the screen.
Oh and did I mention that it's expensive? Jeez.
The 24" now seems to look a bit small to me after using the same resolution (1920x1200) on the Acer's 26" screen. (Ok, I think it's actually 25.5 but hey that half an inch can make a big difference and I will avoid making any bad jokes here).
And did I mention the Apple monitors are expensive? The 24" is almost 3 times as expensive as a cheaper alternative.
I also still have a PC here that I use (sorry) and the Apple monitors have very limited connectivity. So I think unfortunately the Apple monitors are out for me.
So I;m down to a couple other non Apple options. I will not buy an Acer again since I believe now that their quality control is not good and their support is absolutely atrocious. Shame I used to be a big fan of Acer PC's, but after owning a couple I'm steering clear.
My biggest issue right now is that most of the new budget monitors are geared toward 1080p HD uses so they are they are maxing out at 1920x1080 (16:9 aspect ratio instead of 1920x1200's 16:10). So the tradeoff here is that HD movies will look better in 16:9, but 16:10 gives you "squarer" pixels and more vertical resolution for screen hungry apps like Logic.
Any opinions on this? I'm a bit new to the Mac so I don't know if I'm really better off going with a 1920x1200 screen like the Apple monitors.
Also, I know this may just be a bug in the Acer's scaling, but if I switch to 1920x1080, I lose the menus off the top of the screen or if I adjust the vpos I lose the dock at the bottom. Downscaling to 1600x1050 or even 1024x768 works fine. If I get a 1080 screen and set the resolution appropriately will it work correctly and without too much distortion?
I'm also curious what is the best way to hook up the monitor? I'm currently using the DVI to VGA adapter that came with the MacBook. My Pro is the slighter older silver keyboard model so it has the standard DVI out. Will I see any real improvement by going over to using DVI directly?
Also I'm wondering how people feel about glossy vs matte for music. My current displays are the non-glossy and I do think I prefer them for detail work.
The candidates right now are
Hanns-G HH-281HPB 28" @300$. It's one of the only budget monitors that uses 1920x1200. All the right inputs (DVI, VGA). I'm just afraid this might be a bit too good to be true. It's really cheap and after having problems with a "cheap" Acer (although it wasn't so cheap 3 years ago!) I don't want similar problems. Stand has no swivel or tilt (a big problem for my use). Also that resolution on such a big screen might be good for me or it might look grainy I don't know I haven't seen it. Anybody have any experience with these?
Samsung P2770H 27" @339 Looks nice, good color. Sadly only 1080 native resolution. Stand doesn't swivel, but does tilt. No VGA input, so won't work with my old PC (although strangely it says it comes with a VGA cable). They get generally good reviews and I know Samsung makes very good flat panel TV's.
ViewSonic X Series VX2739WM 27" @350. Once again maxes out at 1080. It's fast (1ms), has VGA input. I've never been a big fan of ViewSonic but they do seem to have gotten better color-wise. Tilt no swivel and it's anti-glare (not sure this is a plus).
There are also similar options from HP, Asus, LG and Sceptre but they are all 1080. In fact outside of the Apples, the Hanns-G and a few expensive monitors from NEC they all seem to be 1080. So if I really want the 1200 the Hanns-G seems like the only way to go.
Any input here would be greatly appreciated.

No doubt, the Apple displays are gorgeous. The first time I saw the 30" display wow, I wanted one BAD and it's actually what prompted me to buy a "big" monitor. The colors are great with a rich wonderful saturation level and as usual for Apple the form factor design is stunning. You know for that picture quality I could even get over the sticker shock and save up for one.
Which is why I was so disappointed when I actually sat down in the store and started to use Logic on one. I imagine for doing video work, graphic design or darn near anything else, it would be great. But for Logic I just found myself bending and twisting trying to look at toolbar at the bottom and then up to look at the menus. And instrument or plugin displays that were hard coded to look OK at lower resolutions looked really, really tiny to me. For me and particularly using Logic having 2 slightly smaller displays at a 45 degree angle makes more sense.
And once again the 24 seems just a bit small. I don't understand why they have a 27" iMac but you can't buy a 27" display. So iMac 27" starting at 1699, subtract out the cost of the CPU and drive ie the Mini and I'd really buy one. Strangely you can buy a 21.5" or a 27" iMac. Or you can buy a 24" or 30" display. Hmmmm.
So don't get me wrong I'm not bashing Apple for being expensive. They put a lot of money into R&D and into really thinking about the form and the function of their products. As a recent convert from being a PC developer for 25+ years, hey I've more than sipped the Kool-Aid here, I've guzzled it. They make great products and yeah they're more expensive, because they ARE better! I've now got 2 MBP's, 2 iPods, I'm about to get an iPhone (silly "death grip" or not) and I really want an iPad. Heck I'd really love an 8 core MacPro if I could afford one (alas I can't).
I guess my only gripe here is that there always seems to be a little less choice in the Apple world. Yeah, I know they do a lot less volume than the PC clone world I just think that they always seem to have a big gap between the high end and low end with not enough in between. So you can choose between the lower end and one piece units with no expansion boards (the mini or the iMac) or go straight to monster tower MacPro (way over 3K with display). You can get a MacBook but then you have to put up with a small screen or go with MacBook Pro, which let's face it is a lot of computing power for someone who just wants to web surf and write some email without squinting.
So here I am stuck in the middle. I don't want to buy a HannspreeQG or another piece of junk that's going to last 3 years and 3 months because of a crappy $2 capacitor that no seems to able to fix or care about fixing. I'd like to buy a really nice Apple monitor, I just want a big monitor, not a huge one and not a "medium" one (I know I'm spoiled but 24" seems "medium" these days).
Sorry about the rant here but my monitor is shutting down every 30 seconds and I'm about to go completely insane and toss it out the window!!!
Really glad to hear about that 84' VGA cable. I never imagined such a thing existed or would work without some sort of signal boost on the way. Very cool for me. My electronic drum kit is in another room and I would love to have a small cheap monitor next to it for sequencing. I had my laptop on a stand next to it for a while but I began to get terrified that I'd let a drumstick slip and destroy my laptop screen. That would be a very bad thing. Thanks for the tip.

External isight not working with Macbook Pro early 2008

My external isight is not working with my Macbook Pro early 2008 (2.4 GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo, 6 GB RAM, OSX Lion). It goes warm when plugged into the firewire port but is not recognized in system prefs (lists as "unknown device" and also does not turn on (green light. I tried resetting PRAM and all the other stuff as suggested here but no luck. It used to work fine on a 1st generation Macbook and I remember that one of the first times I tried it with this machine here it turned on for a few secs (green light) but then it just simply stopped.
Unfortunately, I have no other firewire device to check the port.
Any ideas, dear community?

Our (old) external Firewire iSights can be sensitive to dust, shock, vibration, humidity, and other environmental factors in storage. (I store my spare in its original plastic shipping case with a new desiccant pack on a solid shelf - never in a desk drawer or other container that moves.)
You have tried several good things and may be finding that your old iSight needs work.
Here are the alternatives I can offer. Consider any you have not tried in any order you like:
(1) You can try Apple's suggestions from http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090
Test in more than one user account and with more than one Apple softwre application.
(2) My expanded suggestions here: http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/EZJim/EZJimpage4.html
(3) Reset Firewire ports using the info from this old archived Apple article: http://web.archive.org/web/20090331211534/http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1317
(4) If you have no local Apple Authorized service Provider who can help you, other service options are here: http://www.apple.com/support/isight/service/
(5) Consider a new USB cam with current warranty such as one of these: http://www.mac-compatible-web-cam.com/
Message was edited by: EZ Jim

External hard disk compatibility with Macbook Pro

I am a PC user and I am thinking of getting a Macbook Pro but have some reservations regarding the following:
Will my existing USB external hard disk drives continue to work with MBP?
Will I have any folder sharing issues between my PCs and MBP?
Or, should I really need to dual boot or virtualize Windows 7 to avoid these issues?
Any tips on how to dual boot or virtualize Windows 7 in MBP would also be much appreciated.
Thanks!

Will my existing USB external hard disk drives continue to work with MBP?
There should be no problem. Can you tell us how the drives are formatted?
Will I have any folder sharing issues between my PCs and MBP?
You shouldn't have any issues it's very easy to set up. Read this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1812?viewlocale=en_US
Or, should I really need to dual boot or virtualize Windows 7 to avoid these issues?
That's up to you. If all you want to do is file sharing then there is no need to dual boot, simple networking will solve that problem.
Any tips on how to dual boot or virtualize Windows 7 in MBP would also be much appreciated.
You can use Boot Camp or Vitualization using Parallels or VM Ware Fusion. All three will allow you to run Windows on a Mac. If you go the Boot Camp route you have turned a partition of your Mac into a PC. If you use Fusion or Parallels this allows you to run MS Windows inside OS X. Performance for most tasks is excellent.
I would also suggest you study both:
Switch 101
Mac 101
Roger

Time Machine backup with MacBook Pro 10.7.5 and Seagate Backup Plus Drive?

Anyone have any suggestions for a successful backup using Seagate Time Machine Backup Plus 1TB hard drive and 10.7.5 MacBook Pro?

Is it something like this? If so, then it's likely already formatted for use with OS X - "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)". Just connect the drive, make sure that it mounts, and turn on and setup Time Machine in System Preferences.
The first backup may take awhile, but hourly backups should be quick. Don't worry about keeping the drive plugged into your Mac all of the time - when your on battery Time Machine will make local snapshots on your internal. Just plug it up when you're ready.
For a good introduction to Time Machine, see http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html.
Good luck,
Clinton

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ISSUES WITH MACBOOK PRO 13"

My new macbook pro 13" is unable to read my new Toshiba Canvio 3.0 plus 1 TB hard drive. I have the new OS Lion that came with the computer. The computer is up to date. I am not sure what is causing this issue. Is this problem caused by a software issues or is my new Macbook deffective. Please some one help me or give me some advice. I am thinking about turning my MacBook in for a new one.
Clem

Did you format the external drive for use with OS X?
Open Disk Utility. Does Disk utility see the connected drive?
Format it to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

How do I use a usb web cam with MacBook Pro

How do I use a web camera with a MacBook Pro? I want to run it through my laptop so I can project it on a screen for teaching a class.

b. todd wrote:
Can I record directly into iMovie with a usb web cam instead of iSight?
You can try it, but probably not.
This Apple article http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2134 explains that a Firewire-connected, tape-based camera or camcorder mode will work.
If you don't have access to one that works, a simple workaround is to record your video with QuickTimeX Player (the v.10.x one from Lion). You can import that recorded video into iMovie for editing.
If your Mac OS is earlier than Lion whose QuickTime does not offer movie recording as installed, use QuickTime7 Pro for recording.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.7.3

Need advice for external display for my retina Macbook Pro.

I got my 15-inch retina Macbook Pro (Mid 2014) two months ago. It’s a fantastic machine but I am having some regrets concerning screen size. I want to be able to enjoy movies on my computer but 15-inch is just too small. So I am considering purchasing an external display for my Macbook Pro. I am thinking about a 25’’+ monitor (or TV) which can offer me closest experience to the retina one on my Macbook. I don’t want 4K monitors though, as most of the contents I consume are full HD 1080P. But I do care about PPI a lot (for browsing).
What kind of display can help me obtain this similar experience I get on my Mac? Any recommendations? Thanks.

I have the 15" MacBook Pro, Retina, Mid 2012 also, same exact model. Kind of the same thing is happening with me. I will intermitentyl get a flickering on the bottom 1/3 of the screen, all the way across. It flickers/flashes on and off on the bottom half or third of the screen, when I am typing or when I am perfectly stil, doen't really matterl. Only happens for a split second, but can do it multiple times, or sometimes not at all. I can go tens of minutes without i hapenning, but I can also go tens of seconds with it happening multiple times.
It never goes black or grey or "out" at all, just randomly flickers throughout the day.
I do get burned-in images all the time, but they disappear within seconds. But this flickering is definitely worrysome. I did get the the Apple Care, so I am not too worried as Apple is usually good about this kind of thing, but I do have a similar problem to you and wanted to document this. I didnt find many other people oiut there with this problem, so let me know what has gone on since your post on the New Year. Any solution? Did you call Apple?
Thanks webrian.
2012 Retina MacBook Pro
15"
500GB Flash Drive, 16GB memory
2.6 Ghz Intel Core i7

2012 27" iMac as external monitor for mid-2009 Macbook Pro

I have a 13" Macbook Pro (mid-2009) with an adapter that I have hooked up to the VGA port on PC external monitors in the past. I just bought a 27" iMac (2012) and was wondering if there was any way to make that an external monitor for my Macbook Pro?

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Purchase a Mini DisplayPort cable and press Command and F2 keys in the iMac

How can I use AirPlay Mirroring or equivalent with MacBook Pro 5,5?

Hi!
I have a MacBook Pro 5,5 (mid-2009 13"), which I recently treated with a RAM bump, an SSD drive and a shiny new battery.
I'd like to buy an Apple TV in order to use AirPlay Mirroring. I understand that only the MacBook Pro laptops that have been released in 2011 or later are compatible with the feature, but I know that some third party apps (like AirParrot) offer a decent workaround. Unfortunately, it seems that the MacBook Pro 5,5 (i.e. my laptop!) isn't compatible with AirParrot.
Does anyone have a solution for me?
Thanks!!
Paul

Using AirPlay
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4437
Troubleshooting AirPlay and AirPlay Mirroring
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4215

Using external HD for backup with Macbook Pro

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for