Timemachine problem ?!?

Yes, you ca use the HDD for storing other data than the TM backup too.

 

But you really wouldn't want to.

Keep you backup HDD specifically for backing-up. If you lose this external, you will lose any extra files you store on it. You will still have the files that you 'backed-up' in their orginal form/location on your internal drive(s).


The only thing you should lose from a TM hard drive crash is the ability to pull older versions of files and deleted files from the last few months of backups.

Storing other files on there is asking for trouble. None of your data should exist without a backup unless it is truly data and files you can do without.

 

It will work fine.

If you want to add a little organization to your disk, create a folder for your backup mount point (call it "backup" or "TimeMachine" or whatever you like), then point Time Machine at that folder and it will keep your backups in that folder. This is especially handy if you use your computer as a backup server for other Macs in your household.

As above, I would hope your music and videos stored on an external disk are also available at least in original source format, otherwise they need to be backed up as well. I think with the backup folder I mentioned, you can tell Time Machine to back up the external drive but exclude the "backup folder" you set up. If that isn't possible, simply partition your large drive and put backup on one and media storage on the other. This is only for accidental deletion of a file.

NOTE: THIS WILL NOT HELP IF THE DRIVE ITSELF FAILS ... YOU WILL LOSE IT ALL!
You must have the original media to protect against total loss ... you can always re-rip it.
If you don't have the originals, get another separate drive and include it in the TM backup.

-howard

 

I don't recommend using your backup for storage as well, but, hey, it's your data. When considering if a drive you have is suitable for backing up with Time Machine, Apple recommends you use a drive at least twice as large as your internal hard drive. So if you have a 500 GB hard drive or less you're set. This is to allow for more backups before the drive fills and has to start deleting your oldest backups.

 

What I did is partition my external into two partitions: a small one on which I installed OS X and some maintenance utilities, and a big one for Time Machine. The reason for creating partitions is because otherwise Time Machine will expand to fill up the drive.

Now whenever friends want me to bring over a movie, large file, photos, whatever, I copy it onto the small partition and bring the drive. I'm sure backup purists would be aghast at this but I don't have anything truly irreplaceable on my Mac and besides, if anything happened to the external then it's really ok as it is only a copy.

And it's nice being able to boot up under the external to run Disk Warrior.

So bottom line, is it possible to do what you asked? Yes. Is it considered good practice? Nope.

 

Call me a 'backup purist' LOL

Why not buy a flash drive to carry movies/large files over to a friend's house?
Heck 64GB drives are now running around 50-60 bucks. Even 16GB would probably be enough and those are 20 dollars or less.

Lugging around an external hard drive for your purposes is kind of odd. It's like taking your entire BluRay player to your friends house when you can just take the disc.

 

Haha, true. I don't really use it much anymore. This was a couple years ago, I already had the extra drive, and large capacity flash drives were more expensive.