Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

bigjnyc

Suspended
Original poster
Apr 10, 2008
8,470
8,256
so i have an external HDD which i am currently using with time machine to back up my files by connecting the hard drive to my computers usb

I want to start backing up wirelessly by connectin the HDD to my newly acquired AEBS

so my question; can i use my current time machine backup file when i connect the HDD to AEBS and point time machine to use that drive?

or will i have to start all over and do the initial backup from scratch?

if i can use my current file whats the process? because once i connect the HDD to AEBS its like its a totally different drive and i cant see files that were added when it was connected as USB.

Thanks in advance and fyi i have a WD passport 250gb drive.
 
I don't know of any way to use your existing backup. When you back up over wireless, TM creates a sparseimage for the backups. If there's not one there, it makes a new one. You MAY be able to use Disk Utility to create a sparseimage out of the existing backup. You'd have to make sure you name the image properly, or it probably won't see it for your machine.
 
hi,
I believe you can keep your old backup. as it is still the same computers backup sparseimage..

If you attach the disk to your AEBS and then open the time machine preferences in system preferences, it might show up in the option to change disk. You may have to mount the disk in finder first to get it to recognize it.

I seem to remember doing it once, but the most recent time I did it I had to start from scratch again. It might just be mine but it is always a little temperamental at first ('seeing' the disk i mean). Once I did the first one it works flawlessly.
 
how do i mount the disk in finder, i connected it to airport last night but couldnt find it anywhere.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.