Comments on: MacMost Now 231: Choosing a Time Machine Backup Drive

By: Tracey

Tracey — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:14:52 +0000

I just wanted to say thank you for posting this video. It was unbelievably helpful in helping me learn more about both external backup and Time Machine. Just what I needed. Thanks again!

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:58:15 +0000

Very hard to tell why that could be happening. Just try checking and double-checking all settings in both places.
But what I am saying about using one machine to back up another still stands — I don’t recommend that. A cheap external HD would be much better. I’m just trying to help with some good advice.

By: Dent

Dent — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:21:45 +0000

I have it working, without a full understanding yet, so to date: Both systems were wireless. Moved the Lion system to wired and everything went well. I will look further into this and post any info I have.

By: Dent

Dent — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:56:23 +0000

That’s a non-solution for me and doesn’t address why my Leopard Time Machine doesn’t see Lion.

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:04:55 +0000

You say you want to back up your Leopard system to your Lion Mac? That’s what I mean by “back up to each other.” Just get an external HD and back up to that.

By: Dent

Dent — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:02:42 +0000

No I am not trying to back up to each other. I only illustrated the connectivity that I have. I want to backup my Leopard system to the Lion which is the one I can’t have time machine see.

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:49:39 +0000

So you are trying to back up each machine to the other? Bad idea. Just get an external drive for each machine, or a Time Capsule router to do it.

By: Dent

Dent — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:35:09 +0000

I have a MacBook pro with Leopard and a new Mac-mini with Lion. From finder each system can see one another and connect. On the Lion Time Machine I can choose the Leopard system for backups but the Pro Leopard version cannot see the mini Lion system in Time machine. Very new to Macs so any help would be appreciated.

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:31:10 +0000

I’ve got a few more, including this one. See http://macmost.com/tag/backing-up
Also see: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427

By: Mr Anthony Cotton

Mr Anthony Cotton — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:02:53 +0000

Can you do a video on how to use Time Machine. I have never used it,and from all the tech jargon in other peoples questions has got me lost off. When you find the time. Thanks Gary

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 17:39:39 +0000

So one Mac sees the network drive, the other doesn’t. Just check your settings in File Sharing for both Macs, make sure they are both connected to the network, etc. Just troubleshoot. Hard to advise on this because there are so many factors.

By: John Kubler

John Kubler — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:34:58 +0000

I have a MBP and an iMac connected to an Airport extreme through wifi. I am trying to setup the two pcs using TimeMachine. The MBP sees the external HD connected to the USB port of the Airport Express, but the iMac does not. The iMac sees the external HD connected through the firewire to the iMac.
What do I need to change so that I can use the external HD connected to the Airport Extreme as backup for both pcs?
By the way, I really like your videos on the various issues. They are very helpful and easy to understand.

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:49:16 +0000

Just use standard formatting. (Mac OS X Extended, Journaled)

By: Brendan

Brendan — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:47:43 +0000

Gary. Thanks for that. In essence i need an archive drive as you said. HowD would you suggest I format the HD for archiving Iphoto and especially Imovie? EG MAC with journaling? (I think)

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:39:05 +0000

Not sure what you mean by “knowing the difference between the 2 users” — the TM backup should backup both users.
Do NOT treat the TM backup as an archive. If you delete something from your internal drive, then TM will eventually get rid of it too. It is a backup, not an archive. A backup is for emergencies and mistakes, not for storage. Get a second HD and transfer files you no loner need to that drive for long-term storage.

By: Brendan

Brendan — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:50:44 +0000

I have a macbook pro with 2 user logins. Can i backup to an external HD with time machine knowing the difference between the 2 users? Also, to keep my macbook HD as empty as possible, can i then delete the files on the macbook only retaining the files on the external hard drive? Lastly, can i then select any file from the external HD to copy back to the macbook is so desired. Thank you

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:50:57 +0000

Yes, you can use it. But is it a large enough drive? I’d recommend something about twice the size of your internal drive that you are backing up. When you set it up as your TM drive it will reformat it and all previous data will be erased.

By: Gloria

Gloria — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:15:35 +0000

I have an external hard drive that I previously used for a pc. Can I now use this for my Time Machine backups? Will my MacBook automatically re-format the external hard drive for Mac use and will the former pc data be lost.?

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:02:12 +0000

Only for those hours that it can connect with the hard drive.

By: Camille Kander

Camille Kander — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:56:16 +0000

But does it create the hourly “versions” of my Mac ?

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:59:35 +0000

It simply shows a exclamation point in the TM icon in the menu bar, and a message in the menu that it couldn’t connect to the drive. Then it will resume backups when it finds the drive attached at the next scheduled backup time. This is a very normal way to use TM if you have a MacBook.

By: Camille Kander

Camille Kander — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:52:56 +0000

Hello,
I would like to know what does Time Machine do when the backup drive is not plugged in. Like for instance, if I leave the drive at home, and go to work with my MacBook Pro, how does it do the backup at the end of the day when I come back ?
Will I be able to access hourly backups as if the drive had alwas been plugged in, or will I end up with one backup for the whole day ?
I don’t know if I’m making myself very clear here ^^
Anyway, thanks in advance.

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:06:04 +0000

You would only be able to do this with a Mac Pro, as it is the only Mac capable of having more than one internal drive.

By: Arthur Price

Arthur Price — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:02:47 +0000

I have just purchased a new 15 in. Mac Book Pro.
Watching your Video on backups you said I can use a second internal drive for my time machine;.
Is this correct and if so how do I do this?

By: Gary Rosenzweig

Gary Rosenzweig — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:26:57 +0000

Hello Dean. What sort of task would you like to see Automator do? It is an interesting tool, but hard to do a tutorial on because it can do such a wide range of things.

By: Dean Kutzler

Dean Kutzler — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:25:55 +0000

I would love to see a podcast on how to use Automator.