Network backups

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Level 1

18 points

Network backups

I have a new MacBook Air and want to wirelessly back up to a USB Hard Drive connected to my AirPort Extreme using Time Machine. And can I use that same HD to back up my iMac as well? How does that work? Right now I have a HD hard wired to the iMac. Thanks

iMac 20". MacBook Air Unibody, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Nov 9, 2010 5:15 AM

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Answer 1

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Nov 9, 2010 7:07 AM in response to GBJerry

Backing-up that way is +*not reliable+* and +*not supported by Apple.+* See: [Using Time Machine with an Airport Extreme Air Disk|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/Airport.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

A much better alternative would be to connect the USB drive (or a FireWire drive) directly to your iMac, and back it up to that disk directly. Back the Air up to a separate partition on it, over your network, via Sharing. See #22 in [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum), for setup instructions.

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