Time Capsule hard drive size & user folder

[808?]

I have an original 500GB TC and would like to upgrade the 3.5" internal hard drive to something larger.

1. What is the maximum size drive the this model Time Capsule can support at the moment - is it 2TB or 3TB?

2. Can I move my user folder (or parts of it: photos, music, movies) over to a partition on this larger TC drive? (Assuming I continue to access it via ethernet)

 

[Brian33]

I've upgraded my original 500GB TC to 2TB and it's been great! Hope your upgrade goes as well.

1.) Good question. If you can, try the 3TB and let us know! I can only remember reading one post where someone tried it, and I seem to remember he had some problem, but I could be mis-remembering. I also found this MacRumors thread which makes it look like a 3TB might work in a 1st or 2nd generation TC but not in a 3rd gen.

2.) You can move data over to the TC drive, but, you cannot partition the drive while it's in the TC. So if you want partitions, connect the drive to your computer first for partitioning, then install it in the TC. From what I've read, then Time Machine will let you choose a partition for the backups and you can use the other(s) for whatever you want.

There are other workarounds to the partitioning problem by limiting the size of the backup's disk image or creating your own disk image on the TC disk for personal storage. See Can I use my Time Capsule for backups AND other data?.

Regards,
Brian33

 

[808?]

Thanks Brian33,

I went for a 2TB drive, which I divided into 2 partitions, 1 500GB (to match the original) and the other 1.5TB. Now using Carbon Copy Cloner to clone the original TC drive to my new 500GB partition. Once that is all done I shall install the new drive into the TC and let you know how things progress.

CCC seems very slow, I have my new 2Tb drive in a USB dock and it has been running almost a day now and only cloned about 400GB so far, but I shall let it run its full clone and test the results.

 

[Brian33]

I think partitioning the drive was a good move, though I'm surprised you only want/need 500GB for the Time Machine backup partition. One thing to remember: any files and folders you put anywhere onto the TC drive will not be backed up by Time Machine. You have to make sure you keep backup copies of them some other way!

I guess you're cloning your original TC drive because you want to save all the backup history of old files. I didn't do that, I just started anew. Does seem awfully slow, but suspect it's the TC being slow, especially if your connection is wireless.

Regards,
Brian33

 

[808?]

No joy after more than a day and a half of running CCC.

I swapped the drives in the TC and booted it up, then it showed there was some error with the new drive name. (It wanted to name the 2 new partitions the same name)

OK - should I use Airport Utility to setup the drive again and start from scratch, just using 1 partition?

I would like to store most of my user files on the bigger TC drive photos, music and so on.

 

[Brian33]

Ugh.

I was sure it would work, but maybe I've given you bad information. Maybe the problem is not the partitions, but the CCC copy of your backup that you put on there. I *think* I saw somewhere that there was some hidden file that CCC didn't copy (when copying Time Machine backups), and the poster had to use rsync (a Terminal command) instead.

How important is having your backup history? Before you go back to 1 partition, could you erase the backup partition and see if TM will start anew?

Regards,
Brian33

 

[808?]

How important is having your backup history? Before you go back to 1 partition, could you erase the backup partition and see if TM will start anew?

Regards,
Brian33

The backup data is not important, as I have a backup of the backup, so I can always restore from my other backup if needed.