Format for HD for Time Machine?

[dawgfan]

Mid-2007 Black MacBook, new SSD installed, want to wipe old Seagate FreeAgent Go HD to use for Time Machine.

Choices in Disk Utility for Formatting includes:

MAC OS Extended - Journaled
MAC OS Extended - Journaled, Encrypted
MAC OS Extended - Case-Sensitive, Journaled
MAC OS Extended - Case-Sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted
MS-DOS (FAT)
ExFAT

Which would be best to use please?

 

[maflynn]

First one, and then from there you can decide to have the backup within TM encrypted if you so choose.

 

[dawgfan]

Thank you!

 

[MatsSkoe]

You can divide your Seagate in two partitions depending on the space available.

I use Time Machine for my 128 Gb MBA and my WD has the following partitions:

- 150 Gb MAC OS Extended - Journaled, Encrypted: Time Machine
- 170 Gb ExFAT: portable disk space for both Mac OS and (newer) Windows

If you never use Windows the second partition can also be the standard Mac OS Extended, Journaled. Use encryption if you want but the case-sensitive option is only a advanced option which you don't need.

 

[dawgfan]

Did the format in disc utilities, but it only took a few seconds. That can't be enough?

 

[MatsSkoe]

That is enough. It only writes the begin of the disk to say it's empty. If you want to be sure to wipe all the old data use the security options.

 

[dawgfan]

Yes

Wow

 

[gnasher729]

First one, and then from there you can decide to have the backup within TM encrypted if you so choose.

I would recommend encrypted, in case a burglar steals your hard drive. Especially if your MacBook is encrypted.

That is enough. It only writes the begin of the disk to say it's empty. If you want to be sure to wipe all the old data use the security options.

I bought a 3TB drive for backups, connected to the backup server through USB 2.0. About 30 MB/second. Would take slightly over a day to erase

 

[Oldmanmac]

quick followup question then:

If I decided to start encrypting from now ow, what about the previous backups?
Will they 'go away', or will I need to erase/delete them? How?

 

[Weaselboy]

quick followup question then:

If I decided to start encrypting from now ow, what about the previous backups?
Will they 'go away', or will I need to erase/delete them? How?

The previous backups will stay there and be encrypted.

Just go to TM prefs and click Select Disk then pick your existing backup disk and check the encryption box. It can take a long time for the initial encryption to finish.

 

[Alrescha]

First one, and then from there you can decide to have the backup within TM encrypted if you so choose.

Actually, if encryption is desired it is considerably faster to format the disk that way rather than turning it on later. By 'considerably faster', I mean seconds instead of hours.

A.