Time Machine Question...

[zepharus]

This may be a very dumb question but can I use an external for the time machine backup and also still use it for storage at the same time?

Thanks in advance..

 

[TodVader]

You pretty much need to use an external drive or else it wouldn't be a safe backup. If you get your computer stolen and your backup is on your computer, you're owned heh.

 

[jholzner]

This may be a very dumb question but can I use an external for the time machine backup and also still use it for storage at the same time?

Thanks in advance..

Kind of. You will need to partition the drive and use one partition ONLY for TM and the other partition you can use for storage. However, you can't use the TM area of a partition as storage. Also, if you set up the entire drive for TM, you can't use it for storage.

 

[notsofatjames]

you can use it for storage, but it wont be backed up!

use one partition ONLY for TM

not true

 

[theBB]

Kind of. You will need to partition the drive and use one partition ONLY for TM and the other partition you can use for storage. However, you can't use the TM area of a partition as storage. Also, if you set up the entire drive for TM, you can't use it for storage.

This is incorrect. There is no need for a partition. TM will put its own folder on the root level of your external, as long as you don't mess with that folder you can use the rest of the drive without any issues.

 

[tomd89]

Can a spare iPod be used with Time Machine?

 

[jholzner]

Sorry if I was incorrect. I took my response from the FAQs on Macrumors. I guess I just don't understand what "take over" means.

17) Does TM take over a backup volume?

Yes. However it will only take over one mounted volume, if you have a large disk that you would like to use for multiple backups you can partition it so each backup has it's own volume for TM. Another option would be to create disk images on the backup drive and have each machine mount/backup the the Image.