How do I turn my AirPort Time Machine into an external HDD?
Time Machine can back up to an external USB drive connected to an AirPort Extreme Base Station (802.11ac model) or AirPort Time Capsule.
- Connect the drive directly to your Mac, then use Disk Utility to erase it.
- Connect the drive to a USB port on your AirPort base station, then turn it on.
Do you have to keep external hard drive plugged in for Time Machine?
To create backups with Time Machine, all you need is an external storage device. After you’ve connected the storage device and selected it as your backup disk, Time Machine automatically makes hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month and weekly backups for all previous months.
Can a time machine back up to an external drive?
To use Time Machine to make a backup of your Mac, you need one of these types of storage devices: Time Machine can back up to an external drive connected to a USB, Thunderbolt or FireWire port on your Mac. If the disk isn’t using the correct format, Time Machine will prompt you to erase it.
Can a NAS be used as a Time Machine backup?
Many third-party NAS devices support Time Machine over SMB. For details, check the documentation of your NAS device. To use another Mac on your network as a Time Machine backup destination, complete these steps on the other Mac: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing.
How long does it take to back up a Mac with Time Machine?
The first backup may take a long time, depending on how many files you have, but you can continue using your Mac while a backup is underway. Time Machine backs up only the files that changed since the previous backup, so future backups will be faster.
What kind of Drive do I need for Time Machine?
External drive connected to your Mac, such as a USB or Thunderbolt drive; Network-attached storage (NAS) device that supports Time Machine over SMB; Mac shared as a Time Machine backup destination; AirPort Time Capsule, or external drive connected to an AirPort Time capsule or AirPort Extreme Base Station (802.11ac)