Problem backing up to APFS

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Problem backing up to APFS

I just bought a new external hard drive (WD Elements 3D), then discovered Mac's new APFS file format. I have a SSD internal hard drive, and I think my WD Elements is a SSD as well, so I decided to give it a try.

I erased the external hard drive and formatted it as APFS, then partitioned it. Except I got message recommending that add a new volume rather than partition it. So I added four volumes.

When I look at my external hard drive and its volumes in Disk Utility, they're grayed out. They give me the size of each volume in GB, but say there's no space available in any of them. I can't see my external hard drive in Finder at all.

What's going on?

Thanks.

Posted on Dec 26, 2019 9:15 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

leroydouglas

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188,682 points

Dec 26, 2019 9:35 AM in response to Chavista

Chavista wrote:

discovered Mac's new APFS file format.. my WD Elements is a SSD as well, so I decided to give it a try.

When I look at my external hard drive and its volumes in Disk Utility, they're grayed out.

I should have added that I don't want to use Time Machine with this external hard drive.

If it creates an issue, I would recommend to avoid apfs on the external.

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Answer 2

Dec 26, 2019 9:19 AM in response to Chavista

External drives especially Time Machine drives it is recommended HFS file format.

"Time Machine supports all Mac OS Extended (Journaled) formats..."

Backup disks you can use with Time Machine - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Chavista Author

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Dec 26, 2019 9:29 AM in response to leroydouglas

I read that APFS doesn't work for Time Machine. However, I thought it was the preferred method if you have a solid state hard drive.

Is it more correct to say that APFS is best used with INTERNAL solid state hard drives and never with external hard drives, whether they're external or not?

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Answer 4

Chavista Author

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7 points

Dec 26, 2019 9:34 AM in response to Chavista

I just deleted all my APFS volumes, then erased the entire external hard drive and reformatted it - once again as APFS. This time I can see it in Finder and can back up my internal hard drive. I guess the problem is how to either partition it or create volumes that are visible in Finder.

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Answer 5

Chavista Author

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7 points

Dec 26, 2019 9:30 AM in response to Chavista

I should have added that I don't want to use Time Machine with this external hard drive.

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Problem backing up to APFS

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