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Can the new Time Machine Capsule Drive be used as another drive instead of as back up

WizardHunt

WizardHunt

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 11, 2007
1,695
38
Las Vegas, Nevada USA
I would like to know if the Time capsule Wireless drive can be used as another drive instead of or in addition to as another drive instead of only as for the Time Machine back up drive?

What do you think?
 
I don't see why it couldn't, since it is essentially only network attached storage, unless they have some software on it that restricts it to only work with Time Machine. However, I extremely doubt it.
 
I'm pretty sure it can be used as a NAS drive. You can just turn off Time machine on all the computers, or set them to backup to a different hard drive if you wish. Then you have 500 GB or 1 TB of shared storage. This is the primary reason i want one.
 
ascender said:
Yes. Its just a NAS, so Time Machine will just do its thing alongside existing data on the drive.
Click to expand...

I have been thinking about this as an option, however in the interest of extra security could I attach another NAS to TC and then have both my laptop harddrive AND the NAS back up to the TC harddrive. II realise that they would have to be less than the total of the TC drive etc I am just wondering if its even possible

Thanks
 
drummerlondonw3 said:
I have been thinking about this as an option, however in the interest of extra security could I attach another NAS to TC and then have both my laptop harddrive AND the NAS back up to the TC harddrive. II realise that they would have to be less than the total of the TC drive etc I am just wondering if its even possible

Thanks
Click to expand...

The NAS would have to be a manual backup though wouldn't it as its not going to be running OS X & Time Machine?

Or have I missed the point of the question?
 
I think I need to explain better really. If the NAS was attached as normal through TC and available in finder would I be able to select that and my normal drive to back up independantly to TC ? This would mean I could have both NAS and wireless back up. I am really not sure if I'm explaining this well as I dont have leopard. Thanks for your help
 
I'm thinking the same thing. What I want to do is use the TC as a server on my wired network for two computers and have all my shared media and iTunes files stored on it along with personal files. Then have a second TC and sync them every couple of weeks and rotate them so I have a backup copy. I will run all software from the computers. Will this work?
 
Duffinator said:
I'm thinking the same thing. What I want to do is use the TC as a server on my wired network for two computers and have all my shared media and iTunes files stored on it along with personal files. Then have a second TC and sync them every couple of weeks and rotate them so I have a backup copy. I will run all software from the computers. Will this work?
Click to expand...
I am considering the same. Would streaming results for this setup be better than streaming from an external drive, connected to my IMac?
 
The reason I started this thread is the fact that I am interested in using TC, for TM but to also buy a 2nd TC, for my Apple TV for streaming movies over to ATV. Will this work?
 
thefunkymunky said:
Anyone know if TC can be used as a NAS drive as well as backup drive for TM?
Click to expand...

You probably can, however it won't backup the data you put on the drive.

Let me explain ....

I use a 750 Western Digital MyBook ( Firewire ) for Time Machine.
In time Machine Preferences is shows drives that it cannot backup, or you can add drives you do not want backed up.

It won't backup itself and I cannot delete it from that list of " Do Not Backup " drives.

I have stored Data on there, but if the Time Machine drives dies, so does the data.

I have a 3 drive setup to insure data safety.

Internal Drive ( for OS / Applications )
External Drive ( iTunes / iPhoto Libraries )
External Drive ( Time Machine )

I could lose any one drive and recover, I could lose the first two and recover, but if I lost the Time Machine drive and one other, I could be in trouble! :eek:
 
If I connect an external drive to Time Capsule to store my iTunes files, it can be backed up to Time Machine correct?

I'm going all out for the 1TB version :eek:
 
harcosparky said:
You probably can, however it won't backup the data you put on the drive.

Let me explain ....

I use a 750 Western Digital MyBook ( Firewire ) for Time Machine.
In time Machine Preferences is shows drives that it cannot backup, or you can add drives you do not want backed up.

It won't backup itself and I cannot delete it from that list of " Do Not Backup " drives.

I have stored Data on there, but if the Time Machine drives dies, so does the data.

I have a 3 drive setup to insure data safety.

Internal Drive ( for OS / Applications )
External Drive ( iTunes / iPhoto Libraries )
External Drive ( Time Machine )

I could lose any one drive and recover, I could lose the first two and recover, but if I lost the Time Machine drive and one other, I could be in trouble! :eek:
Click to expand...

This is where a glass copy is handy. Once a month I run an incrememntal DVD backup which goes out of my house. Only part that sucked was the original backup. Took a good long while. The increments arent that bad. Usually one or two DVDs a month. Apples .Mac Backup does all the work for me.

Kevin :apple:
 
If the Time Capsule drive is HFS+ formatted, and is a NAS, can my Windows machines both read and write to the drive when mapped?
 
ipedro said:
If I connect an external drive to Time Capsule to store my iTunes files, it can be backed up to Time Machine correct?

I'm going all out for the 1TB version :eek:
Click to expand...

I cannot say with certainty, but I believe this would work.

The external drive you connect would be a separate physical drive, so long as Time Machine is not on it, you should be OK.
 
can you set up Time capsule to automatically back up to an external USB drive attached to it? My old buffalo NAS could do that and I think that would be very helpful. Its a shame that with 1TB of storage they don't offer a Raid solution for security of backups.

I'm a little stuck between getting atime capsule and a raid setup.

anyone know whether 10.5.2 fixed the 'backing up automatcially to a NAS'?
 
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