I have a macbook, and it only has 2 USB ports. My SuperDrive broke, so I have to use an external since I'm still a student (so I have an extremely tight budget). I have to use it to boot from the Mac OS X install dvd, so that's both my USB ports gone right there. And my Time Machine backup requires another USB port (since a Wifi drive is too expensive for me). Any way to have both of them running at the same time? I'm kind of a n00b at this.
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Not enough USB ports for Time Machine?
- Thread starter Zach808
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Huh? How is this both of your usb ports? The external superdrive only needs one usb port and that's the same port you would use if you needed to boot from the install DVD. And normally you don't use the install DVD that often anyway.
So for normal running, you could have the external superdrive plus the time machine USB, which adds up to 2 usb ports. Where would you need another?
The second USB port is only needed to provide additional current. Check if the drive has a power inlet for a power adapter instead.
There are several things you could do:
1. Buy a cheap USB hub.
2. Instead of plugging the external disk drive into 2 USB ports, only plug it into one and use a normal power soruce for the 2nd one.
3. Swap between the time machine and external drive when your not using one of them.
1. Buy a cheap USB hub.
2. Instead of plugging the external disk drive into 2 USB ports, only plug it into one and use a normal power soruce for the 2nd one.
3. Swap between the time machine and external drive when your not using one of them.