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Jetheat

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 13, 2008
247
2
I bought a Toshiba HDD and connected it with my Macbook Pro.
It started to use it as a Time machine and it backs up everything at regular intervals.

But what if I want to store some old files on the external HDD and delete them from my Macbook Pro. Is this possible?

That way, I can free up some space on my laptop while keeping old important files safely backed up on the external drive.
The way it's using the drive at the moment, I don't think this may be possible.

Any ideas?

JH
 

0128672

Cancelled
Apr 16, 2020
5,962
4,783
I do that on three external drives; two are HDDs and one is SSD. All are formatted as APFS as Time Machine requires. Simply create a new volume (not a partition) using Disk Utility using the Volume +/- button in the top of the window. Both volumes will mount and when you drag to the trash to eject, you'll be prompted whether to Eject the one you dragged or to Eject All. For my drives I don't specify the volume allocation because I don't care to manage that piece manually.

 
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Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
29,233
13,301
OP wrote:
"But what if I want to store some old files on the external HDD and delete them from my Macbook Pro. Is this possible?"

Then you're moving from the concept of "backup" (where the external has files that are on the internal) to "archiving" (where you move files completely OFF the internal drive to external storage).

My advice would be to get ANOTHER external drive, to become your "archival" drive.

I speak only for myself, but I DO NOT MIX backup drives with archival drives.

But now there's something else to take into account:
If you create an archival drive (and the files are no longer on your internal drive), then your archive drive isn't "protected" unless you BACK THAT DRIVE UP as well. Your data is NEVER safe if it's only on one drive.

That means TWO backup drives:
- one for your internal drive
- one for your archival drive

Don't worry -- it doesn't get any better.
You'll soon have backups all over the place... :cool:
 

Jetheat

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 13, 2008
247
2
I created a new volume on my external HDD.
Now, how do I use the first volume as a backup (whenever it is connected to my MacBook), and how do I use the new volume to just store stuff permanently?
What do I need to know in order to do this?

JH
 
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