Smarty-pants Mac users - help w/ external HDs

[StogieNinja]

Hello all,

OK so here's what's up: First, I'm not terribly tech savvy. I can follow directions, and managed to get my current setup done several years ago, but haven't really done anything since.

Current setup: I currently have a 320gb hard drive in my iMac, and I use a 320gb external drive for time machine so I don't ever lose my photos again. I have a second, identical 320gb external drive that I also use for the exact same purpose and keep in my safety deposit box.

The problem is, I'm totally maxed out. I have about 4 gb left on the iMac's hard drive, and so I can't even back that up to the Time Machine drives.

1. Do any of you know if it's possible to use my current external 320gb harddrive just for iPhoto, and have everything else on the internal?

2. If it is possible to do that, can I then just buy a larger hard drive (like a 1TB) external drive, and use that for Time Machine? If I do, will everything on both the internal hard drive and the one being used for iPhoto be backed up on the Time Machine drive?

3. On a semi-related note, is it possible to have Time Machine automatically recognize two separate hard drives for the same purpose?

 

[StogieNinja]

Anyone? Bueller?

 

[MDSPHOTO]

I'm no expert, but I believe this is possible. When you enter the external hard drive set- up for back-up you can select which files you want to back-up. You will need to make sure all your pics are in those folders that you are going to back-up. Then when you move all other files to your 2nd ext drive you deselect pictures files from being saved.

 

[ichett]

My recommendation is to buy a 2tb external drive, you can buy them for $100 or less. Use carbon copy cloner, http://www.bombich.com/download.html (Make sure to download 3.4.7, its still free) to clone your old external to your new external. Now you can just have 1 external hard drive for everything.

When you're cloning, make sure you pick your old external drive has source and new external as destination.

You can also try this, http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5096 (offical apple instructions for transfering time machine to new drive)

 

[ichett]

Sorry, I would like to be more helpful, but I don't have much experience with time machine. Photos are the only thing that's important on my computers, everything else can be replaced. So I just have an external drive that has all my photos and work off that. Never really bothered with timemachine.

And another note, the 320gb drive sounds pretty old, you may want to replace that soon too. For macs, the first sign of your harddrive going bad is it starts slowing down.

 

[dscl]

Assuming this is the route you will want to go you will need to do the following

1> Move the iPhoto directory to the external drive
2> In the terminal create a symbolic link to the iPhoto directory
3> In Time Machine settings configure it to also backup the iPhoto drive
4> Smoke a cigar

If you need additional details we can hop on skype or something.

 

[StogieNinja]

And another note, the 320gb drive sounds pretty old, you may want to replace that soon too. For macs, the first sign of your harddrive going bad is it starts slowing down.

Thanks man. The HD is only about two years old, the original one had already gone bad so I had to have it replaced.
I only lost a few things, paid $100 for a days recovery program that got most of my stuff back, but it's what got me using Time Machine in the first place.

Assuming this is the route you will want to go you will need to do the following

1> Move the iPhoto directory to the external drive
2> In the terminal create a symbolic link to the iPhoto directory
3> In Time Machine settings configure it to also backup the iPhoto drive
4> Smoke a cigar

If you need additional details we can hop on skype or something.

Thanks! Step 2 is what I need help with. I don't know what Terminal is or how to add symbols. I think I'll google a bit and if I can't figure it out, I'll holler at ya!