I just got a MacBook Pro and want to transfer my iPhoto library from my old Mac to my new one. I know it won't fit on the MacBook so I'm planning on using an external hard drive for the Photos library. Can I use the same external hard drive for my Time Machine backups and for my Photos library?
Thanks.
Lisa
Mac OS X (10.7.3)
Yes, but you shouldn’t; the drive may fail at any time. Your backups and working data should be on separate ones.
(132532)
You can, but you will have to make a second partition on your external drive in order to save backups there. Time Machine needs a whole partition to store backups, and any different file on that partition may damage it.
To make a second partition, you have to use Disk Utility (in /Applications/Utilities). After opening it, choose the external drive in the sidebar, go to the Partitions tab and create a second partition formatted in "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)". Then, go to System Preferences -> Time Machine, and set up Time Machine.
I recommend you to give as much space as possible to the Time Machine partition, so you can store more backups. Moreover, you should get a second external drive only to store backups, but it is up to you.
THere are only two USB ports on the laptop and I would like to keep one open. I guess I could just plug in the one with the Photos library when I'm working with photos. Or is there another option besides an external hard drive that connects via USB?
Try looking at USB hubs.
An external drive is the best way to keep your photos safe, so just unplug the drive when you do not need it.
But as mende1 said in his earlier post, you still need a Backup for those photos, on a different drive.
Or you will face the day when you plug in that drive and it does not work, and all your Photos are GONE.
Can I use the same external hard disk for both Photos library and TimeMachine?
