Using an external drive for time machine and medai storage

Discussion in 'Mac Accessories' started by gametime, Feb 28, 2009.

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  1. gametime, Feb 28, 2009

    gametime macrumors newbie

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    Feb 28, 2009
    #1
    Firstly apologies if this is a ridiculous question but storage is not one of my strong areas!

    I have recently brought a new hard drive which I am about to split into 2 partitions, one for time machine and one for storing movies which i will access through itunes. My question however is what will happen if i am watching a film from one partition of the hard drive and then time machine attempts to do an hourly backup to the other partition? will the result be unnoticeable and my film continue to play perfectly? or will the film jump and stutter whilst its happening? as if its the second i may have to rethink my solution. Again apologies if this is the most rediculous question one could ask,

    Many thanks,

    Mark
     
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  2. heppy, Feb 28, 2009

    heppy macrumors member

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    #2
    I'd rethink your solution. Time machine should be a physically separate machine. If the drive failed in your setup you lose the backups AND media. I say this as one to whom this has happened...never again!
     
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  3. gametime, Feb 28, 2009

    gametime thread starter macrumors newbie

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    #3
    I know but for now at least the drive is just going to be backing up my internal files excluding my films incase the internal fails, if the external fails then yes i lose the back up and my media and i will in the near future get a third drive to back it all up however for now will my solution work?
     
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  4. DaftUnion, Feb 28, 2009

    DaftUnion macrumors 6502a

    DaftUnion

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    #4
    I'd seriously just get a third drive and keep your time machine on one external and your media on another external as another poster said. Hard drives are so cheap nowadays there's really no excuse not to.

    Just remember, it's not a matter of IF your drive will fail, it's a matter of WHEN your drive will fail...I say this from experience.
     
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  5. yoppie, Feb 28, 2009

    yoppie macrumors 6502a

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    #5
    I just learned this lesson the hard way (yesterday). I had my external drive split into two partitions and my Time Machine backup went bad somewhere and it caused the drive to hang. I could not eject the drive at all.

    It did this every time I tried hooking up the external drive with Time Machine. I suppose it might have had something to do with the fact that it wasn't in use with a desktop but rather a portable that I took to school everyday. Whatever it was, it ended up messing up the second partition as well because of all the hanging and me having to force ejection.

    Thankfully I have another external for which I use SuperDuper to make a bootable clone of my MacBook so I didn't lose much of the important stuff.

    I will never again risk a second partition in the case of a Time Machine failure. Time Machine will be on its drive from here on out.
     
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