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Formatting troubles

I went out and got a 3t external drive from buffalo. I really would like to format it and get everything on my computer backed up as a safty net. I am not sure how to go about that. I did do a time machine back up on the drive but all i got was a bunch of empty folders....... I am really not sure ho to do this. Would anyone be kind enough to run me through this step by step? I would appreciate it.......Thank you

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1)

Posted on Sep 17, 2012 7:25 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Sep 17, 2012 8:09 AM

Markaso wrote:


I went out and got a 3t external drive from buffalo. I really would like to format it and get everything on my computer backed up as a safty net. I am not sure how to go about that. I did do a time machine back up on the drive but all i got was a bunch of empty folders....... I am really not sure ho to do this. Would anyone be kind enough to run me through this step by step? I would appreciate it.......Thank you

Since this 3TB drive appears intended for TimeMachine, you need to use Disk Utility to prepare it in Apple's HFS+ Journaled format, then tell advise TimeMachine that this is the new backup drive.


Set your machine name in System Preferences > Sharing. I use one word, not word.local. This is the name that TimeMachine will write into Backups.backupdb on the 3TB external drive.


Type Command-Shift-U. This will launch Finder in the Utilities folder. Double click on Disk Utility.


On the left, you will see your 3TB Buffalo Drive. Click on the Drive description line. It should say something like 3TB Buffalo ....


Choose the Partition tab. If you want the entire drive for TimeMachine, choose single partition in Partition Layout:


I named mine TimeMachine. Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Options: GUID. Apply.


Now, on the First Aid tab, I have gotten into the habit of Verify Disk.


Exit Disk Utility.


System Preferences > TimeMachine


Initially, select OFF.


Select Disk ... Choose TimeMachine (or whatever you chose to name it). I did not Encrypt backups. Click Use Disk.


Check Show Time Machine in menu bar.


Turn on Time Machine now.


Options ...


When I first started TimeMachine, I let it back up the entire OS X installation, but just once. After that backup, I then told it to not backup the following:


TimeMachine

/Applications

/Library

/System Files and Applications


The reasoning is that why backup reasonably static OS X install over and over, and many Applications also (quietly) install files elsewhere in the OS. Attempting to restore an Application later back to /Applications does not reinstall everything originally installed.


I just backup my home directory.


One last thing. In System Preferences, open Spotlight Preferences. Under the privacy tab, tell it to exclude indexing your TimeMachine drive. That is a waste of interactive computing performance, since after every hourly TimeMachine backup, Spotlight will believe it has to re-index.


You should be good to go with your new 3TB TimeMachine backup drive.


Message was edited by: VikingOSX

1 reply
Question marked as Best reply

Sep 17, 2012 8:09 AM in response to Markaso

Markaso wrote:


I went out and got a 3t external drive from buffalo. I really would like to format it and get everything on my computer backed up as a safty net. I am not sure how to go about that. I did do a time machine back up on the drive but all i got was a bunch of empty folders....... I am really not sure ho to do this. Would anyone be kind enough to run me through this step by step? I would appreciate it.......Thank you

Since this 3TB drive appears intended for TimeMachine, you need to use Disk Utility to prepare it in Apple's HFS+ Journaled format, then tell advise TimeMachine that this is the new backup drive.


Set your machine name in System Preferences > Sharing. I use one word, not word.local. This is the name that TimeMachine will write into Backups.backupdb on the 3TB external drive.


Type Command-Shift-U. This will launch Finder in the Utilities folder. Double click on Disk Utility.


On the left, you will see your 3TB Buffalo Drive. Click on the Drive description line. It should say something like 3TB Buffalo ....


Choose the Partition tab. If you want the entire drive for TimeMachine, choose single partition in Partition Layout:


I named mine TimeMachine. Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Options: GUID. Apply.


Now, on the First Aid tab, I have gotten into the habit of Verify Disk.


Exit Disk Utility.


System Preferences > TimeMachine


Initially, select OFF.


Select Disk ... Choose TimeMachine (or whatever you chose to name it). I did not Encrypt backups. Click Use Disk.


Check Show Time Machine in menu bar.


Turn on Time Machine now.


Options ...


When I first started TimeMachine, I let it back up the entire OS X installation, but just once. After that backup, I then told it to not backup the following:


TimeMachine

/Applications

/Library

/System Files and Applications


The reasoning is that why backup reasonably static OS X install over and over, and many Applications also (quietly) install files elsewhere in the OS. Attempting to restore an Application later back to /Applications does not reinstall everything originally installed.


I just backup my home directory.


One last thing. In System Preferences, open Spotlight Preferences. Under the privacy tab, tell it to exclude indexing your TimeMachine drive. That is a waste of interactive computing performance, since after every hourly TimeMachine backup, Spotlight will believe it has to re-index.


You should be good to go with your new 3TB TimeMachine backup drive.


Message was edited by: VikingOSX

Formatting troubles

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