Hardrive Dilemma

[6Jetwrangler]

Ok heres the scenario I have been playing around with.
The List:
250 GIG (upgrade) internal macbook (HSF+)
500 GIG portable for movies (FAT32)
1TB External for music (FAT32)
1.5TB External (new) 2 partions (HSF+)

I want to backup everything on the 1.5TB
Should I put 3 partitions(HSF+) on the 1.5TB
Copy everything to the 1.5TB, if possible???
Reformat the 1TB and 500GIG to (HSF+)
Copy everything back to there respectable drives, and then use Carbon
Copy Cloner to keep all 3 backed up on the 1.5TB.

IDEAS?????

 

[Matthew Yohe]

Ok heres the scenario I have been playing around with.
The List:
250 GIG (upgrade) internal macbook (HSF+)
500 GIG portable for movies (FAT32)
1TB External for music (FAT32)
1.5TB External (new) 2 partions (HSF+)

I want to backup everything on the 1.5TB
Should I put 3 partitions(HSF+) on the 1.5TB
Copy everything to the 1.5TB, if possible???
Reformat the 1TB and 500GIG to (HSF+)
Copy everything back to there respectable drives, and then use Carbon
Copy Cloner to keep all 3 backed up on the 1.5TB.

IDEAS?????

Uh, you didn't really say where data is located that you need to save. You listed the capacities but not the size of your files.

What's your goal here? You want to backup everything to the 1.5. Okay. You don't need 3 partitions for this by the way.

Why are you backing up just to wipe it and put it back? You're either missing something here, or just doing more work for no reason.

 

[6Jetwrangler]

Uh, you didn't really say where data is located that you need to save. You listed the capacities but not the size of your files.

What's your goal here? You want to backup everything to the 1.5. Okay. You don't need 3 partitions for this by the way.

Why are you backing up just to wipe it and put it back? You're either missing something here, or just doing more work for no reason.

In short:
1. MP3, AVI(and all other video type files), every file on my laptop.
2. Goal is to have the 1.5 come out of a fireproof safe once a month backup my laptop, music, and movies. ALOT OF MONEY WORTH OF DATA.
3. I would wipe and put it back so it would be on a HFS+ format instead of a FAT32 unless you can flip a switch with the data on there and go from FAT32 to HFS+ without removing the data, which my minimal understanding leads me to believe you CANT.

I guess the question is what should I format the 1.5TB to accomplish this.
Secondly, as far as the 1TB and 250GB go how or what do I use to backup and not make a complete copy every month. I thought if I made 3 partitions I could set up CCC to carbon copy them and they would only add the new files (to do that I have to have everything HFS+). Or make as few changes as possible, so it wont take as much time. Im open to any and all suggestions.

 

[GGJstudios]

Ok heres the scenario I have been playing around with.
The List:
250 GIG (upgrade) internal macbook (HSF+)
500 GIG portable for movies (FAT32)
1TB External for music (FAT32)
1.5TB External (new) 2 partions (HSF+)

You don't want FAT32 at all, especially not for movies, since it doesn't support files sizes greater than 4GB. HFS+ should be fine for all your needs.


FAT32 (File Allocation Table)

• Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X.
• Maximum file size: 4GB.
• Maximum volume size: 2TB

NTFS (Windows NT File System)

• Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
• Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
• To Read/Write/Format NTFS from Mac OS X: Install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free)
• Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx 33USD).
• Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard, but is not advisable, due to instability.
• Maximum file size: 16 TB
• Maximum volume size: 256TB

HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended)

• Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
• Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner backups of Mac internal hard drive.
• To Read/Write HFS+ from Windows, Install MacDrive
• To Read HFS+ (but not Write) from Windows, Install HFSExplorer
• Maximum file size: 8EiB
• Maximum volume size: 8EiB

 

[6Jetwrangler]

You don't want FAT32 at all, especially not for movies, since it doesn't support files sizes greater than 4GB. HFS+ should be fine for all your needs.


So now the question becomes how to put all this together.
Partition the 1.5TB into 3 HFS+ formated sections so I can clone all drives? Necessary or not?
Make sure all data is moved to 1.5TB (HFS+) Should I use a program to do this or simply drag and drop contents?
The big question is how to move all data successfully on to 1.5TB allowing me to reformat other drives and how to continue to backup data once saved to 1.5TB without having to copy every file with every backup (only saving new files).
Thank you all for your help, FAT32 was a wrong move with now 380GB of music and almost the same in movies.

 

[GGJstudios]

So now the question becomes how to put all this together.
Partition the 1.5TB into 3 HFS+ formated sections so I can clone all drives?

I would partition one 250GB drive on the 1.5TB as HFS+, to use for CCC cloning a bootable backup of your internal HD. You don't need to have separate drives or partitions for music and movies. They can coexist fine on a single partition. You can simply drag and drop music and movies onto the 1.5TB drive. That would still leave about 250GB free on the new drive, so you could reformat your 1TB drive HFS+ and use it as an additional backup for everything.

I would format all as HFS+, unless you have a need to regularly share data with multiple random Windows computers. In that case, I'd recommend NTFS.

 

[MacTribe]

Software wise, carbon copy is good but it takes a lot of space (kinda like time machine..) Check out crashplan too.. its also free.

 

[GGJstudios]

Software wise, carbon copy is good but it takes a lot of space (kinda like time machine..)

That's not true. Carbon Copy Cloner only takes as much space as the data you're backing up. It doesn't work like Time Machine. Plus, it can make bootable backups, for use if your internal drive fails.

 

[6Jetwrangler]

Software wise, carbon copy is good but it takes a lot of space (kinda like time machine..) Check out crashplan too.. its also free.

Thats the reason I have so many drives is the ability to back it up, on my own. CCC is wonderful quick easy and free. Crashplan costs money, 30 day free trial. Plus I relinquish my data to someone else's hands. If they want what cost me they have it free. CCC allowed me to change internal HDs in a matter of minutes and schedule backups. The next software I need is something that intuitively finds NEW files in my "MUSIC" folder and "VIDEO" folder without having to copy the complete thing over again????

 

[GGJstudios]

The next software I need is something that intuitively finds NEW files in my "MUSIC" folder and "VIDEO" folder without having to copy the complete thing over again????

CCC will do that, if the music folder is on your internal drive. Just select "Incremental backup of selected items". I haven't tried it backing up an external to another external.

 

[6Jetwrangler]

CCC will do that, if the music folder is on your internal drive. Just select "Incremental backup of selected items". I haven't tried it backing up an external to another external.

External to External is exactly what I am dealing with.
Huge amounts of data. It took all day to move them back and forth. 5 hours one way, had to do that twice. Almost everything is HFS+ now.

 

[GGJstudios]

External to External is exactly what I am dealing with.
Huge amounts of data. It took all day to move them back and forth. 5 hours one way, had to do that twice. Almost everything is HFS+ now.

You might try it. CCC has always been pretty fast for me.