Please help.
I had until april, an Acer with Windows and back up to a TDC Home Disk.
Now I am trying to use that Home Disk for my new iMac, either as disk for Time Machine or for manual back up.
But it does not work.
I get the message that I am not allowed to read neither from Time Machine, from mac-backup, or from my own new personal files !!
kind regards
Svend Aage
iMac
The likelihood is that the disc is formatted NTFS for Windows.
Mac OS can't write to NTFS, though it should be able to read.
It certainly can't be used for Time Machine.
If you can't save your files to another drive while you reformat, there are third-party utilities which will help you use the drive as it is until you can get the data off it.
I've no direct experience of those utilities, but a search for "Mac NTFS" should give some ideas.
When you are able to reformat, use Disk Utility to partition with GUID partition map and Mac OS Extended (journalled) file system.
(detailed instructions available if required).
Thank you very much
Yes I should like that detailed instruction. I am afraid to make wrong and format my iMac.
Svend Aage
BEFORE ACTING on the above - I'm not quite clear after reading (or trying to read) the home page for that drive as to how it's connected to the Mac and whether it performs functions other than as a simple backup drive. If it's a media station also, reformatting may destroy that function.
Can you give us a detailed description of it's connection (ie USB, FireWire, network) and how it's normally used?
It is a network connection.
Up to now it has been used to read the old stuff from my Windows-life.
The plan was to use it for back up from my new eMac, if possible, after formatting for mac, to use it for Time Machine.
If necessary I can make an USB connection, but it demands to buy a new USB-USB cable.
Svend Aage
It is a network connection.
Up to now it has been used to read the old stuff from my Windows-life.
The plan was to use it for back up from my new eMac, if possible, after formatting for mac, to use it for Time Machine.
If necessary I can make an USB connection, but it demands to buy a new USB-USB cable.
Svend Aage
Right.
You will certainly need the USB (or FireWire if it supports it) in order to reformat in the first place; I don't think DU can do that over the network.
Also, Time Machine is best used directly connected.
There are other ways to back up of course, such as a bootable clone of the Mac's HD which can be updated regularly by third-party software.
TM is the easiest to get started with, but really needs an external drive around 1.5x to 2x the capacity of the drive it's backing up. The TDC disc on their home page is only 500GB, which would be ok for a 250GB to 320GB Macintosh HD in the iMac.
Here's a link to Pondini's excellent Time Machine articles, which also explains other backup methods;
http://pondini.org/TM/Home.html
As you only need the drive for use with Mac, I'll also post the instructions for reformatting.
(watch this space)
OK; to reformat your external HD;
Connect the external drive to the Mac.
Open Disk Utility (in Applications > Utilities).
In the side panel in DU, select the external HD (the entry with the maker's name and drive size).
Click on the 'partition' tab.
Select the number of partitions from the top drop-down (1 is usually enough).
Name the partition and ensure the file system is set to 'Mac OS extended, (Journalled)'
Then go to the 'Options' button;
Select GUID Partition Table, and OK.
Click on the 'Apply' button.
When the volume with the name you chose appears below the HD entry (Boot Copy in my example) you're done.
Exit Disk Utility and continue to use the external as required.
Can Time Machine work with TDC Home Disk ?
