can i rename time machine as a regular partition?

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Level 1

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can i rename time machine as a regular partition?

Hi guys,

I would like to start my Time Machine in another external drive. I would like my old Time Machine to be just another regular storage personal files drive. Just some questions

1) Can i use it as a backup drive or because it is a Time Machine drive it has some special characteristics, for example, read only drive, special encryption, etc that will not allow me to.

2) Can i rename it without partitioning again? I have the rest of the 2,5 Gb drive with another partitions and i do not want to delete them.

Best,

iPhone 5c, iOS 8.4

Posted on Aug 29, 2015 5:45 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Aug 29, 2015 5:57 PM in response to uzapucax

Do not backup to a drive that is not entirely devoted to backup. If you want a Time Machine backup then get another drive for that purpose. A Time Machine backup drive should be at least 2-3 times larger than the capacities of the drives it backs up. A backup drive need not be partitioned except in the preparation of a new drive not yet set up for use with OS X.

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Answer 2

uzapucax Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 29, 2015 6:09 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks for your tips Kappy!

Unfortunately i have way too many files with music and work files and not enough good external drives at the moment. I always had my Time Machine drive shared with other partitions. My current Mac HD is 500 Gb and the space for Time Machine will be 1 Tb but in a shared disk.

I would like to know if i could use my old Time Machine for storing files or is a no no situation.

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Answer 3

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Aug 29, 2015 8:05 PM in response to uzapucax

I would like to know if i could use my old Time Machine for storing files

Yes. Just erase it in Disk Utility and give it whatever name you want.

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Answer 4

uzapucax Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 30, 2015 5:47 AM in response to Linc Davis

thanks for the tip Linc...but can i use it without erasing it as a regular HD for backups? if i erase it i will lost the two other 2 Tb partitions or i have to move all 2 Tb somewhere else which take quite a bit of time.

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Answer 5

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Aug 30, 2015 7:08 AM in response to uzapucax

can i use it without erasing it as a regular HD for backups?

If I understood the original question, you want to stop using the drive with Time Machine and remove the backup data. The easiest way to do that is to erase the backup volume. Doing that will of course remove all data on the volume. If there is other data on the volume that you want to keep, you can try dragging the folder named "Backups.backupd" to the Trash. Hold down the option key and empty. It will take a long time, and the Trash may not empty completely. In that case, you'll have to erase the volume anyway.

if i erase it i will lost the two other 2 Tb partitions

Not unless something goes wrong. You must back up all data that you intend to keep, no matter where it is.

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Answer 6

uzapucax Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 30, 2015 7:40 AM in response to Linc Davis

thanks for the update Linc 😉

Yes i would like to stop using the Time Machine drive as such, delete all its content but not necessarily having to format the drive again. Then i would like to use that partition to store any other common files. My question or doubt was that I didn't know if because the disc used to be for Time Machine previously (if i don't format it again) if it has some special characteristic, like read only disc, not file larger than or something that i am not aware which will not allow me to use it for mp3 files for example.

I thought that was not possible to delete just only one partition of a drive which have 3 partitions in it. Sorry about my English i might got confused with Erasing / Deleting and Formatting which might be similar but not the same.

Cheers,

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Answer 7

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Aug 30, 2015 7:56 AM in response to uzapucax

if it has some special characteristic

No.

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