Time Machine on external hard drive?

Nope...it just won't do a Time Machine backup when the external is not hooked up. Also you won't be able to access Time Machine until you have the external in place. -GDF

I do this and it is fine.

SeanEE89 said:

I was just wondering if I would have any errors or problems with having Time Machine set up on my MacBook even though it will not always have access to the external HDD that I will be using for Time Machine to back up on to?

Click to expand...

That is the way TM was designed to be used.

I use a Passport external with my MBP. When I plug it in, Time Machine starts and does a backup. When done, usually a few minutes, I just eject and unplug. When I open the Time Machine preferences, the Next Backup line says: When Disk is Connected.

I have not had any problems using it this way. In fact when I converted all of my stuff from my Macbook to the MBP I just used Time Machine and it worked perfectly. I just make sure I just completed a back-up so it was up to date.

That'll work fine. I have a G-Drive external HD with my iMac, which I have to flip on/off, but it works very well.

you'll be fine.