What's the difference between Time Capsule and an external Hard Drive apart from the price?

I use Time Machine to back-up my imac on an external hard drive. Should i use Time Capsule instead or am i misunderstanding the purpose of TC?

after more searching in the communities i have found an answer. no need to respond!

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Accessing Time Capsule and linked external hard drive from other devices and copying to these drives

Hi
Please be gentle. I am not that technically able :-)
I have managed to set up my time capsule. Router working, external hard drive linked, time machine back ups working...
The last thing I am looking to do is to access files on my time capsule and also external hard drive (linked to it), from Mac, Iphones, Ipads, Apple TV, Windows laptops X2. Am I able to do that? Have read so many discussions but dont get the answer. Please be gentle :-)
Regards
Tommy

The last thing I am looking to do is to access files on my time capsule and also external hard drive (linked to it), from Mac
This should be automatic.. find the TC disk under shared in finder.. double click it and see under the data folder.. you can create new folders in there.
Note using the TC for data and TM backups is not the greatest of ideas.. please read pondini.
Q3 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html
The external drive is fine though..
Now it can have loads of issues if you run Mavericks.. so if you have trouble.. do not be surprised.. if you run Mavericks.. be surprised if it works without trouble.
Iphones, Ipads
iOS devices are not file based.. they are not intended to be used with a file device like TC and will neither backup to it nor open files from it.. of course what apple wants and what users want are different things so there are plenty of file apps to help you read and write files.
Filebrowser is the major one.
http://www.stratospherix.com/products/filebrowser/
You still cannot backup though.. iOS uses itunes to backup or icloud.
Apple TV
There is nothing you can do with AppleTV.. it is not a file device at all.. it is not even a media player.. it is a streamer. (Early model Gen1 and Gen2 can be jailbreak.. so they do actually have media player ability) Gen3 is tied to its mother's (iTunes) skirts with steel cables.. no JB.. no use really. If you want to play movies from a TC buy a WD Live TV.. it is a player.. !!
Windows laptops X2
You can access the TC from windows..
1. Make sure the TC naming complies with windows networking.. to put that simply.. all names should be short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric. Apple wizard will recommend a name for the TC, like
Fred Blog's Airport Time Capsule.. this is wrong on so many levels.
It will be a total pain on windows.. use FBATC or TC or anything you like.. as long as it follows the rules..
Short 2-20 characters.. less than 10 is better.
No spaces.
Pure alphanumeric.
All names must comply.. TC name and wireless name/s
2. Load the airport utility for windows into the computer.. you can download for up to win7.. apple haven't bothered with windows since then and are pretty out of date. The win7 utility will load on win8 with the usual voodoo and astrological help.
3. Windows must be set to home for location.. if you cannot open a command window and ping the TC by ip and name, then pull down the firewalls.
4. In windows explorer type into the address bar directly.
\\TCname or \\TCIPaddress (using, of course, the real name or real IP).

Backing up Mac HD with Time Capsule AND an external hard drive

I am sure that this question has been asked one way or another but I can't seem to find the exact answer.
I would like to back up my Mac HD with the Time Capsule AND another hard drive essentially to create two backups. Should one fail, I still have another copy as a precaution. The Time Capsule will be my primary back up because my external hard drive is usually switched off and will only be turned on from time to time to perform "less frequent" backups.
With Time Capsule AND the external hard drive on, will Time Machine just update the backup on the external hard drive without becoming confused with the other copy on Time Capsule? In other words, can Time Machine distinguish between two different Time Machine Backup files and bring them up to date accordingly?
I understand there is an archive function on the Time Capsule, which would also serve the purpose. However, I am wondering if there is another way.
Thanks.

Rheopaipo wrote:
I am sure that this question has been asked one way or another but I can't seem to find the exact answer.
I would like to back up my Mac HD with the Time Capsule AND another hard drive essentially to create two backups. Should one fail, I still have another copy as a precaution. The Time Capsule will be my primary back up because my external hard drive is usually switched off and will only be turned on from time to time to perform "less frequent" backups.
With Time Capsule AND the external hard drive on, will Time Machine just update the backup on the external hard drive without becoming confused with the other copy on Time Capsule? In other words, can Time Machine distinguish between two different Time Machine Backup files and bring them up to date accordingly?
I understand there is an archive function on the Time Capsule, which would also serve the purpose. However, I am wondering if there is another way.
I don't think it's possible to configure Time Machine to back up to two locations without modifying its settings frequently.
You might consider using that external drive to hold a bootable backup. You can create such a thing with either of the utilities SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner. If you pay the registration fee for SuperDuper! (~US$28), there's a mode where it will back up only what has changed, which makes the backup operation run quicker. (Carbon Copy Cloner may offer a similar feature.)

Problem with Time Capsule and an External Hard Drive.

I want to Back Up a new WD External Hard drive with Time Machine to My Time Capsule. It is formatted to FAT32, as I read here that it should be. It is excluded in the Time Machine Settings Settings and I try to delete it with the Minus Sign, but for some reason it won´t let me. I tried to add and delete a few folders from my Mac Book, and it works every time. It just won`t work with my External Hard Drive and it is not being backed up. What should I do?

Adrain
I agree with Kenichi, MS-DOS FAT-32 is great for sharing files between windows and Mac, but even it has a single file size limit of 4GB.
See > http://www.macworld.com/article/51972/2006/07/ww_drives.html
For the External HD to work as a Time Machine backup the drive needs to be Partitioned and Formatted as he suggests, GUID Partition Table/Mac OS X Extended (Journaled)
For some great help Partitioning and Reformatting an External Hd, check out the following article by Ken Stone:
See > http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/partitioningtiger.html
Dennis

HT201250 Can you use something as a time capsule AND an external hard drive?

I just bought a 1TB external hard drive for my mac. I am wondering if I can use this as a time capsule as well as an external hard drive for school related files? I know how to partition it but I don't want time capsule to not let me save files seperate to time capsule.
Thanks

Yes, but it is a bad idea.

Time capsule and Seagate external hard drive, Time capsule and Seagate external hard drive

I have Mac Book Pro with Retinal Display Mac OS X 10.8.2 connected Time Capsule 1TB using wireless network. I recently purchased Seagate Backup Plus 3TB and I connected to TC. However, I cannot find the Seagate drive on the network or via Aiport Utility. I used to have Western Digitial My Book and was able to detect the hard drive on TC. I changed to Western Digital Passport 2TB and it did not work. I wondered why it is the case. Please help me to hook up Seagate Backup Plus. Thank you!

Make sure that the hard drive is formatted in Mac OS Extendeded (Journaled)
The USB port on the Time Capsule is under powered, so it is often necessary to use a powered USB hub with a hard drive.....even if the hard drive has its own power supply
If you have the correct format for the drive and sufficient power, the drive should appear in AirPort Utility

What's the difference between time capsule and time machine?

What is the difference between time capsule and time machine?

See Using Time Machine with a Time Capsule.

What's the Difference between Time Capsule and OS X Server?

The only thing i know is that both of them can share and backup files among different computers.
is that correct?
I'm still not quite understanding the exact functions of them
so your help and explanation will be highly appreciated.!!
Thanks!

Did i do something to cast your anger upon me o mighty Camelot, backed up bypterobyte?
Not at all, Mark - at least not in my case. I'm sorry if it came over that way. I was just saying that there's a slew of differences between Time Capsule and Mac OS X Server - it's almost unfair to put them in the same bucket.
Yes, Mac OS X Server can act as a backup destination for Time Machine clients, but it can also do a lot more than that. To be fair, it wasn't clear from the original post whether the focus was on backups alone (in which case the two are reasonably similar), but my point was that Mac OS X Server is a whole different animal. It's like comparing a Smart Car and an RV - both will get you from point A to point B, but the RV has bathroom, shower, beds, satellite TV, a kitchen, etc.

Windows not recognizing my time capsle - I just purchased a new computer that runs windows 8 and it doesn't want to recognize the time capsule as an external hard drive (ie doesn't show up under my compter). I've downloaded airport utility...

I just purchased a new computer that runs windows 8 and it doesn't want to recognize the time capsule as an external hard drive (ie doesn't show up under my compter). I've downloaded and run airport utility, but it seems to have a hard time finding the time capsule...maybe one out of 10 times it will find it.
What's more, when I look under network infrastructure under the control panel, it shows my Broadcom ADSL centurylink Router...so I'm wondering if my modem/router combo is overriding the router function on my timecapsule and the time capsule is not being used as a router...
Any help much appreciated!

In this case the TC should be in bridge mode.
Win8 is still problematic. Try using ethernet instead of wireless. I think the drivers are poor still and it is well worth having a try via ethernet if you haven't already.
Otherwise you will need to wait for apple to release bonjour for windows 8 and airport utility.. which is not out yet.
Also make sure the windows is set to home, not work or public.. even turn off the firewall.
Open windows explorer and type the TC ip address into the address bar.. (none of which is perhaps the same.. I gave away windows at vista.. shudder)
\\TCIPadderss.

Is there a way to use the time capsule as an external hard drive only and disable the wi-fi function ?

Is there a way to use the time capsule as an external hard drive only and disable the wi-fi function ?

Yes.
1) Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <--> ports on your existing wireless router to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule
2) Go through the standard configuration suggested by the setup "wizard"
3) Then manually turn off the wireless function using AirPort Utility

How can i use the airport time capsule as a external hard drive?

how can i use the airport time capsule as a external hard drive?

Why do you recommend not place things like iTunes libraries or photo libraries on the drive? It was what I am looking for...
I suggest that you ask the experts over in the iPhoto Support Community about their opinions on placing an iPhoto or Aperture library on the Time Capsule....even if you plan to use a wired connection for your Mac and the Time Capsule.
But, if Terrence Devlin answers, be prepared for a lecture about why you should not ever do this.
If you place the iTunes library on the Time Capsule, be prepared for iTunes to give you messages about not being able to find the library.
In addtion, LaPastenague has the answer for you in a nutshell......corruption problems.
Bottom line....the Time Capsule is for your backups.....not "everyday" files and especially not libraries.

HT201250 i am using for first time the time machine and an external hard drive because I want to erase my macbook and start from zero files. do i keep my files in the portable hard disk when I connect it again with the macbook or the time machine will era

i am using for first time the time machine and an external hard drive because I want to erase my macbook and start from zero files. Am i keeping my files in the portable hard disk when I will connect it again with the macbook or the time machine will erase all?
I would like to know if after I erase all my data, empy hard drive inside the macbook, the time machine will erase all my files that I have saved in my "WD "My passport" external hard drive

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Time Machine has to erase the external disk in order to make backups. Before setting Time Machine up, copy the files of your external disk to the hard disk of the Mac in order not to lose them, and then, set up Time Machine. The first backup will start automatically.
If you want more information about Time Machine, read the Pondini's site > http://pondini.org

Can I use my time capsule as a external hard drive as well

I want to use my time capsule as a external hard drive as well as a back up disk. Is that possible?

You Can!! But Should you??
Can and Should are different.
Here are the issues.
Store files on the TC.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/24380694#24380694
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.
It cannot be partitioned. It was and is and ever shall be a backup device for Time Machine.
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.
3. The drive is slow to spin up and quick to spin down.. there is no controls.
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!!
5. iTunes will constantly lose connection to the library. The disk is too 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

Time capsule vs. External hard drive for periodic back-ups

Hope this is the right forum. At home I have the old "Back-Up" program that I use for quarterly back ups of certain files as scheduled. Love it. Was gonna set that up on our new(er) Macs here at work only to discover that program was replaced by Time Machine. Time Machine won't let me even in to see how it works without a Time Capsule or other External Hard Drive to connect to...
What I'm trying to do: Schedule monthly (or quarterly) back-ups for settings, certain important files and possibly certain programs from 4 office computers (3 iMacs and 1 Powerbook). Would love to back up to Mobile Me but can't seem to figure out how (Time Machine certainly won't let me). But then want to store the backups either online (like Mobile Me) or in a fire safe...
What I'm looking at: Possible options I've thought of include DVDs (which is really impractical), a 32 GB flash drive (but only would know how to get certain files on there), an external hard drive or a time capsule. But if I get either of those we'd only want to use it once a month and then keep it in the fire safe. Now I know Time Capsule is designed to do regular (daily, weekly, etc) backups... but can I use it to select what is backed up only at certain times and how hard/easy is it to plug in and out if I'm doing it that way. Or would it simply be better for what I'm looking for to get some other external hard drive?
I'm not very good at backing up info - but have to be responsible to at work (plus my brother just had a fire and he lost all his computers and info)... so simply not sure what is best suited for my needs?

Mongul Sec wrote:
At home I have the old "Back-Up" program that I use for quarterly back ups of certain files as scheduled.
Where has your "Back-Up" program been writing those backups?
What I'm trying to do: Schedule monthly (or quarterly) back-ups for settings, certain important files and possibly certain programs from 4 office computers (3 iMacs and 1 Powerbook).
Can you really afford to lose a month's worth of work on those computers?
What I'm looking at: Possible options I've thought of include DVDs (which is really impractical), a 32 GB flash drive (but only would know how to get certain files on there), an external hard drive or a time capsule. But if I get either of those we'd only want to use it once a month and then keep it in the fire safe.
In that case I'd use an external disk drive. Time Machine isn't really intended for what you want to do.

Time Machine stalls when trying to back up to Time Capsule or an external hard drive.

TIme Machine stalls when trying to back up to Time Capsule or an external hard drive. Time Machine shows a message such as "Backing up 4MB of 9.00GB" but nothing happens for hours.

Are you really running 10.6.4 OS?
What model TC and what firmware?
Wireless or wired?
How is the TC setup?
If TM can work to neither a TC or external hard disk it is more likely the computer is faulty hard disk..
Do a verify of the disk.
See A5 here.
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html

What's the difference between Time Capsule and an external Hard Drive apart from the price?

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