So how exactly does one use an external HD?

Sounds like a dumb question but I could use some guidance.

Scenario - MBP with 20 gigs left. Just bought this "Western Digital My Book Pro Edition 500 GB External Hard Drive with Triple Interface" to use as a backup and storage.

I do NOT plan on using Leapord even though time machine would work great for what I want to do. Just not enamoured with the interface, spaces doesn't look like something I could use etc ...

What I want to do ...

1. Backup my HD (duh), as a 'clone' or mirror image that saves my settings, applications programs and files.

2. Use it as an external drive for big files I download, create or upload from my camcorder

3. Have itunes point to the external drive to store my music instead of on my machine. I'll keep some essentials on the laptop to listen to and use it as a iphone filter with about 6 gigs.

4. Same with iphoto - keep the majority on the external and just my iphone photos on my laptop.

I saw this program called super duper that could solve number 1, but then, do I need to have two sections, one for super duper, one for normal files, or does the super duper clone just have a file name on my HD and I use it as a normal drive to save other files.

Sorry for the convoluted and dumb question, I've never used an external HD before

eV

notsofatjames said:

You dont need super duper to do any of this. Use disk utility

You'll need to create 2 partitions on your external.
Then restore your internal HD to one of the external partitions to make a bootable backup.
Then for your files you have the second partition. iTunes is easy, just open preferences select your external drive as its folder, then consolidate library. Im not sure about the other iLife apps.

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Hey, that sounds fairly straightforward. A bootable backup means that IF I have failure, I just access that bootable thing from either my machine or another and boom ... i have my old disk image back right?

Since you mentioned iTunes, is it possible to have it use the external as the folder but have a small amount on my main hard drive that I can listen to at work etc and synch to my iphone or would that be too complicated?

notsofatjames said:

You could, but then you'd have to manage your music manually, which can be a bit frustrating, when you move something and iTunes cant find it.

Bootable back ups are great, since if you've got a problem with your main install, you can trouble shoot from the backup. Thats my only problem with time machine, that you cant boot from it, so you have to restore the whole thing to repair any system damage on your main drive

Click to expand...

I guess I can live without having music on my main laptop. I'll use a workaround, maybe copying some files over and playing via a different program if I have to.

I'm assuming I can format the new drive and partition it using disk utiity once it's connected?

Thanks for all your help!