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

How the OS sees a new Hard Drive?

LeandrodaFL

LeandrodaFL

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 6, 2011
973
1
In Windows, if you add a second volume, its files are idependent from the first volume. for example, if you have a drive C with the OS on it, it doesnt matter if you add a second HD, your desktop folder will have space limits according to drive C capacity.

Is it the same for Mac OS?
 
thanks, so adding a second volume to my macmini wont matter, regardless of where my files are stored.
 
LeandrodaFL said:
thanks, so adding a second volume to my macmini wont matter, regardless of where my files are stored.
Click to expand...

It's just the same as in Windows, there will be a second volume there that you can store files on but it's space is independent of the existing one and shows up as a second disk (they are two physically separate entities). You can mount the new volume in a folder of the old one just like you can on Windows so that they appear to be a single file/folder structure, but that doesn't merge the space together, each volume still has it's physical capacity and will be constrained by that, they just look to you like they are a single disk.

If you want both disks to appear as a single lump of disk space then you'd need to make a spanned volume (aka RAID0 stripe). Both Windows and Mac OS X have software RAID capabilities and can create striped volumes, though I don't believe either can use a striped boot volume, so it'd probably mean repartitioning or at least shrinking the boot volume. You can have a striped boot volume if you have a RAID disk controller.

However, I wouldn't recommend anyone put valuable data on a striped volume as you effectively double your risk of data loss (the failure of either disk will result in data loss).
 
Ok, that RAID option sound promising. Howerver, as stated, My Macmini only accepts 1 hard drive, RAID is not suported on it, as it also has a superdrive built in.

I was just curious, I tought that maybe a Unix system would "spread the folder tree"

My next swap in HD will probably be in order to install a SSD. thanks for the answers
 
You just have to learn how to properly use folders to organize your stuff.
Most people don't save anything but temporary stuff on the Desktop.
There in Windows same as OSX setup folders for music, documents, movies...
In Windows is actually much better than OSX in finding files again and organizing stuff over multiple volumes.

If you are in Explorer if you enter some random folder (which isn't already in a library) there is usually a big button that says include in library. It drops down and you can click one of your libraries.
No matter where this folder is you can find it by clicking on this library from now on. It works not just if the folder is on a different drive but it can be on a network drive or just about anywhere with access.
You can also create custom libraries, like work projects or home finances. Just click on libaries (where you see them all listed in the big window) and there is a button for new library on the top.

OSX doesn't have anything as easy and useful. There are Spotlight searches and symbolic links but neither is really a decent file organization tool.

The Desktop is a place where you might throw some stuff that you need today but move to a organized folder tomorrow or delete it. It is used for Shortcuts too. You can put a short cut to your libraries but the actual folders should be stored somewhere else.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back