Time machine + external HDD question.

[SOLLERBOY]

Hi, I currently have a mac mini acting as me media/work server to an imac and macbook, Is it possible for me to connect an external hard drive to the mini and use time machine from the imac and macbook if I connected wirelessly and partitioned the drive??

Thanks.

 

[macuser154]

If you are talking about backing up to the Mini from the iMac and MacBook then yes I think you can. You will need a Preference Pane called Secrets (I don't have a link right now) and from there you can enable Time Machine to backup to unsupported network drives. Then just mount the drive on your iMac and MacBook and you should be able to backup to it.

Edit: You can download Secrets here

 

[SOLLERBOY]

Thanks, Is there no way to do it without messing around with stuff just by sharing? I want to back up to the external HDD that is connected to the mini. I might just have to do it manually?

 

[macuser154]

I don't think there is. Time Machine is picky about the drives it backs up to, so I guess if you don't want to mess around then yeah you will have to do it manually.

I'll just say that telling Time Machine to back up to an unsupported drive with Secrets is simply a matter of clicking a checkbox then selecting the drive in the Time Machine preference pane.

 

[SOLLERBOY]

I don't think there is. Time Machine is picky about the drives it backs up to, so I guess if you don't want to mess around then yeah you will have to do it manually.

I'll just say that telling Time Machine to back up to an unsupported drive with Secrets is simply a matter of clicking a checkbox then selecting the drive in the Time Machine preference pane.

Ok so I downloaded it and selected the correct option in the time machine section , I have partitioned the drive and enabled the file sharing but it won;t work. Any ideas?