Question about iPhoto and external HD

[sportguy0913]

I have purchased an external Hard drive to move my grandfather's iPhoto library from his iMac's internal to it (so that it can be accessed by both of my grandparent's accounts instead of just one since they share the same camera), and was wondering if moving it to the external would be enough of a back up or if it should be backed up again? the drive will be partitioned so that there is 400gb available for time machine and 100gb available for "everything else", like the iPhoto library for example. I partitioned it so that time machine backups don't squeeze the iPhoto library space down to 0.

Is it nonsensical to have the library back up to the other partition as well since it is on the same drive, or would that in fact be a good idea? I don't know so that's why I'm asking

Thanks!

 

[Le Big Mac]

The main point of a backup is in case the hard drive fails. So if you have the original and the backup on a hard drive, you're SOL if it fails. Put differently, your plan is not a good one for backing up.

Buy two separate drives.

 

[sportguy0913]

The main point of a backup is in case the hard drive fails. So if you have the original and the backup on a hard drive, you're SOL if it fails. Put differently, your plan is not a good one for backing up.

Buy two separate drives.

Thanks for setting that straight. Since this is going to be a +1 external drive to their current set up with no external drives, I think that it will be just fine. Thanks

 

[talmy]

If you are "moving it to the external" as you said, then there is no backup. If it is a copy on the external on what is on the Mac then it is a backup. HOWEVER if the external drive is kept with the Mac, then everything could be lost in case of theft or disaster, so still another (offsite) backup is desirable.

 

[sportguy0913]

If you are "moving it to the external" as you said, then there is no backup. If it is a copy on the external on what is on the Mac then it is a backup. HOWEVER if the external drive is kept with the Mac, then everything could be lost in case of theft or disaster, so still another (offsite) backup is desirable.

That would be great but is not practical at the moment. Thanks for all of your help!