Move USB Time Machine drive 2 Shared Network PC ???

Question

Move USB Time Machine drive 2 Shared Network PC ???

I have a WD 1.5 TB USB drive that I have attached to my desktop that is used as a media server. I use the drive for my Time Machine Backups. It is formatted in two partitons and works fine with Time Machine. I am sharing the entire drive on the network and I can see it on my macbook. I want to leave the drive connected and backup using time machine without having to physically connect it to the macbook when I want to do backups. I just want the current time machine to show up as an unchanged option so I have the ability to backup whenever. I read some ways to do it but seems like the drive is still not showing up as an option. Any thoughts on how to make this happen?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8)

Posted on Jan 29, 2013 11:26 PM

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Answer 1

Shootist007

Level 6

16,703 points

Jan 30, 2013 12:44 AM in response to djmichaelwenz

If I remember correctly a TM backup drive has to be formatted Mac Extended (Journaled) and since it has to be that format it can not be seen or read on a Windows PC. So you will never get that drive to show as a TM backup spot when it is connected to a Windows PC. The only way to have a drive on a network that will show as a TM backup drive is to have it attached directly to the network, A NAS (Network Attached Storage) and then it is reported that most all of those don't work correctly except if it is a Apple branded NAS system like a Apple Time Capsule.

In any event doing TM backups to a NAS system is slow and the big problem comes when, Not If, you need to use it to Restore your system.

Your best bet it to have a dedicated external drive for TM backups only, no other use, and connect it directly to your Mac to do the backups.

Good Luck and Best Wishes.

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Answer 2

Jan 30, 2013 12:21 PM in response to Shootist007

Thank you for the reply, my WD Passport has a partition that is formatted Mac Extended (Journaled) and works well plugging it in directly to the Macbook. I can see it via Finder on the macbook when plugged into the windows desktop.

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Answer 3

Shootist007

Level 6

16,703 points

Jan 30, 2013 1:30 PM in response to djmichaelwenz

Then you have a program installed on the Windows PC to read Mac Extended formatted drives because Windows can Not Read Mac formatted drives natively.

But then do you want to trust the backups of your Mac over a network to a Windows PC?

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Answer 4

Jan 30, 2013 5:02 PM in response to Shootist007

I do not beleive I installed anything special on that build. It is a windows 7 PC and it does have ACHI enabled cause I also have a HDD inside the WIN7 desktop that has lion on it. It is a hackintosh. I have always been able to see the OSX partition.

I dont see why having Time Machine backing up over the network would be much different then plugging it directly in. I just need the drive to show up in the Time Machine Choice...

I am going to try again. I dont suppose you saw this...

http://lifehacker.com/5691649/an-easier-way-to-set-up-time-machine-to-back-up-to -a-networked-windows-computer

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