Time Machine - put all backups into a subdirectory?

[slapple]

I just got a 2TB external hard drive, and I want to use it to backup my 3 Windows computers and my MacBook Pro. If possible, I would like to create 4 subdirectories on the external drive - one subdirectory for each computer. Can I tell Time Machine to put my MacBook Pro backups into one subdirectory, so that it doesn't affect any of the other stuff on the external drive?

BTW, I will be installing one of those NTFS drivers for Mac OS X, so that it can write to the NTFS-formatted external drive.

 

[Weaselboy]

Yes, you can point Time Machine to a folder on a drive, but the problem with your idea is Time Machine external drives need to be in the Mac OS Extended (HFS+) format and Windows is not going to be able to use that for backup.

What would work better is to use Disk Utility to partition the external with a HFS+ partition for your OS X Time Machine backups and then a separate partition in a compatible Windows format like exFAT or NTFS.

 

[slapple]

Oh I was thinking about using one of those third-party NTFS drivers to let Mac OS X write to the drive.

But I will look into multiple partitions, thanks.

 

[Weaselboy]

Oh I was thinking about using one of those third-party NTFS drivers to let Mac OS X write to the drive.

But I will look into multiple partitions, thanks.

Paragon and other NTFS add ons will let you write to a NTFS drive, but Time Machine still will not. It requires HFS+.

 

[Damo01]

Time Machine isn't design to backup any other operating systems other than Mac OS X. Better off looking for something else to back up your stuff from Windows.