Is there ANY possible way to back up my Macbook (2009, running on OSX 10.5.8) using Time Capsule using a cable/not using the internet? I'm willing to come in-store to do this if necessary!

Question

Is there ANY possible way to back up my Macbook (2009, running on OSX 10.5.8) using Time Capsule using a cable/not using the internet? I'm willing to come in-store to do this if necessary!

Time Capsule/Time Machine were working fine until about 1-2 years ago when my family started having troubles with the internet provider (AT&T). While on a 2 hr long phone conversation with them trying to fix it, they changed the wireless key code or whatever so Time Capsule could no longer connect to the network (icing on the cake - they didn't even fix the issue). And it had been so long since I had initially set up Time Capsule that I didn't know how to set it up again.

Situation is a bit more complicated now because I'm living on campus in another state, and the campus wifi is very slow/goes in and out a lot. They don't recommend connecting routers to their network bc they say it will make it even worse.

It just makes me really nervous that I haven't backed up my laptop in a couple years. I have thousands of priceless photos and years of hard work that I would very much like to keep safe. I paid all this money to have an external drive and am dying to continue using it! It just doesn't make sense that I can only use it wirelessly - there must be another way. I'm desperate to back up my laptop and will come to Genius bar if necessary to resolve this issue!

PLEASE HELP!!! 😟

Time Capsule-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Feb 5, 2013 2:15 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 5, 2013 5:01 PM in response to minabinafofina

This can be done easily with ethernet.

Please follow the instructions strictly.

To make it easier I want you to do this overnight so you can turn off all your current connection to the internet.

Just go to the airport fan in to the top right and turn airport off.

Get ethernet cable and connect the laptop to the TC lan port.. ie <-> ones.

Press and hold the reset on the TC for about 10sec. until the front led flashes rapidly.

Open the airport utility.. go to manual setup and change the wireless to off. (so other people around you cannot join your network of one).

Ignore all the errors.. they won't stop the backup working.

Go to the TM and reselect the backup target disk as the TC.

It should start after 2min and run through to completion.

That is it.. for a backup of many GB it might take a few hours.. so make sure the laptop has power plugged in and the sleep is off.. (on early ones I think this is needed but I am a late arrival to the scene).. sleep doesn't affect later OS.

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