I would like to put bootable backups of all my computers on this single 5TB HDD. A couple iBooks running Tiger, a MBP running El Cap, and two iterations of my current MBPr running High Sierra, plus maybe a test of Mojave. Can this be done?
It seems I have to first make the entire HDD APFS and then go from there?
MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.13
I would format it first of all as APFS, then when making other partitions for OS's older than High Sierra you would make them
Mac OS Extended (Journaled), the High Sierra partition should be APFS.
I am not entirely sure you will be able to install Tiger.
One thing to note is that any OS pre Sierra cannot see APFS formatted drives. If you were to restart the mac from High Sierra
to El Capitan, when the macs boots in to El Capitan you will see a warning saying that the disk /partition is not readable by this computer. What that means is that it is not able to read the partitions that have Mojave and High Sierra, you will be given three options Initialise, Ignore and Cancel (I think), press Ignore, if you press Initialise it will wipe that partition.
Opening System Preferences> Startup Disk there will be no choice of APFS formatted High Sierra or Mojave.
To boot back in to either of them restart your mac while pressing and holding the option/ alt key, in a couple of minutes you will see the Startup Manager where you will be able to select the disk/ portion of choice and then press the Return key
to restart the mac.
As it is an HDD it is probably best to format it all as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), after all Apple is still telling people
to format their Time Machine drives as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Both High Sierra and Mojave can run on Mac OS
Extended (Journaled), only with Mojave you will not be able to update it without some jiggery pokery.
That is not to say that you cannot format an HDD as APFS or its partitions but I believe APFS is best suited to SSDs.
and I don't think there is a right way or a wrong way, let's see what BDAqua says.
I only suggested going APFS first and then making HFS+ partitions because my internal SSD
is formatted as APFS for Mojave and then I have two partitions which are HFS+ one for El Capitan
and one for Sierra.
I'd Partition it 1st then one of each.
1st Format it MacOS Extended Journaled, GUID Partition Scheme, then Partition it one of each.
Oh yes, exactly what I have done.
High Sierra would try to concert Internal HFS+ on an SSD to APFS, Mojave will try to convert all SSDs, internal & external, to APFS, & Catalina tries to convert all drives that aren't Time Machine Drives to APFS, crazy deal if you ask me. :)
Running 2 Macs here with 10.13.6 on HFS+ drives, even thwarted an internal SSD from getting concerted & it runs fine from HFS+ on an SSD.
MacOS Extended Journaled is more stable, more repairable, & faster for HDDs.
Thanks so much to BDAqua for the correct answer. Thanks also to Eau Rouge for the esoteric knowledge regarding which OS can "see" APFS formatted partitions and which OS can run in Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
Much appreciated for hanging in with me, guys, thanks again!
Please elaborate. First I have to choose either APFS or HFS, correct? Then partition, you are saying? Just pretend I know nothing and give more dumbed down answers please. Thanks BD
3rd try this comment. Are you saying I will be able to boot into High Sierra from an external drive formatted HFS? or will I format that partition APFS?
Yikes, now Eau Rouge has given me the exact opposite advice that came from BDAqua. Remember the 5TB external drive is an HDD. Then can you guys duke it out and tell me who is correct here? Please?
Great news, take care my friend. :)
APFS and HFS on the same HDD?
