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MAC OS Big Sur 11.4 - Time Machine keeps formatting my new USB hard drive as APFS (READ ONLY). This only allows Time Machine backup access. I can't write to the drive. How do I fix this permission setting? Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is not an option when setting up Time Machine.
MacBook Pro 15″, OS X 10.10
Hi Amcdonell,
It looks like you're wondering about formatting a drive. If that's correct, check out the following resource.
Erase and reformat a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac
Cheers.
Hi Amcdonell,
It looks like you're wondering about formatting a drive. If that's correct, check out the following resource.
Erase and reformat a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac
Cheers.
Thank you, Auto responder. I'm fully aware of how to erase a disk. My question is specifically for a human to answer. How can I format my hard drive to use Time Machine AND to be able to WRITE to the same hard drive. Time Machine automatically formats to a READ ONLY APFS format. I can't change the permissions after this formatting meaning I can not WRITE any other files to the hard drive after Time Machine erases and formats the hard drive. I'd prefer MAC OS Extended, Journaled but it is not available.
Thanks Amcdonell,
Check out this resource that explains how to do that.
Types of disks you can use with Time Machine on Mac
"If you want to store files other than the Time Machine backup on the same physical device, use Disk Utility to create an additional APFS volume on the disk. The two volumes then share the available space."
Cheers.
My question is specifically for a human to answer. How can I format my hard drive to use Time Machine AND to be able to WRITE to the same hard drive. Time Machine automatically formats to a READ ONLY APFS format. I can't change the permissions after this formatting meaning I can not WRITE any other files to the hard drive after Time Machine erases and formats the hard drive. I'd prefer MAC OS Extended, Journaled but it is not available.
I partitioned my 5TB drive, 2.5TB APFS for Time Machine and 2.5TB Extended Journaled side for backups.
TimeMachine(TM) recognizes the APFS side and begins back up process, and writes files to the drive. However, the backup is incomplete, due to an unknown error. TM also formats the disk to READ ONLY. so I have to erase and format again. A dead end loop with no backup.
Is there a specific APFS format or can I get TM to "Not make the disk READ ONLY"
This is a very frustrating problem.
I have an older Seagate 2TB Journaled drive and it works fine with TM. - It's now my ONLY Backup.
Apple, Please help. This is rediculous, it's like I'm using a PC or something.
Ok so I’m not sure why the backup continues to be incomplete but I had the same problem for the ‘read only’ thing and kept reformatting. After searching thru countless threads I found out this actually isn’t a problem and after Big Sur, Time Machine will reformat the drive as APSF read only, I guess so only the computer has access to time machine. I wish Apple stated that somewhere
You might want to partition the disk, so the other partition you can read and write. That's what I have done
Time Machine USB Hard Drive Permissions
