Do you have to have your external harddrive always plug into your macbook pro........

[techguy40]

Do you have to have your external harddrive always plug into your macbook pro to use time machine or only when you do the backup?

 

[billmister]

Do you have to have your external harddrive always plug into your macbook pro to use time machine or only when you do the backup?

you have the choice to keep it in there all the time if your macbook pro IS your desktop, or if you use it as a laptop you don't HAVE to have it plugged in all the time.. By standard it will back up your work every hour, but if you unplug it (make sure you eject properly) then next time you connect it back to your external drive it will back up again on any new changes.

 

[Spencer818]

what is the proper way to unplug an external drive? I have a gdrive quad and it has 2 partitions, one for time machine, one for storage. would I just eject both partitions, then unplug the FW800 cable, then switch the drive off?

 

[dal20402]

what is the proper way to unplug an external drive? I have a gdrive quad and it has 2 partitions, one for time machine, one for storage. would I just eject both partitions, then unplug the FW800 cable, then switch the drive off?

Correct. Option-Ejecting one partition in the Finder will automatically eject the other.

 

[heehee]

I dont have mine plugged in if I'm not backing up. There is a hang for a second or two when I open finder or opening a file when it's plugged in.

 

[Manderson]

TimeMachineScheduler = great app. backs up ever 12 hours.... usually 5 am and I'm always on the road at 5pm but once a day is more than enough imo.