Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

DaveF · 03-19-2008, 07:50 PM

Big News!!!

It's reported that the newest OS X updates (finally) enable Time Machine to work with a USB drive connected to an Airport Extreme Base Station! I'm installing the updates now and hope to try this out in short order. Fingers crossed.

Is your Airport Extreme suddenly Time Machine-happy? - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Macworld | Editors' Notes | Loving the MacBook Air

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DaveF · 03-19-2008, 08:30 PM

Mixed news.

Mixed results: I unplugged my TimeMachine USB Drive from MacBookPro and plugged into my AEBS. Time Machine recognizes the disk but doesn't recognize the existing backups! It wants to start anew!

I hope to find a way to not lose months of TimeMachine backups when moving the drive to the AEBS.

DaveF · 03-19-2008, 09:29 PM

My own conversation with myself...

Well now I'm screwed.

I unplugged my drive from the AEBS -- since it didn't recognize the existing Time Machine data -- and reconnected directly to my computer. I can activate Time Machine, and fly through all data normally.

But when Time Machine goes to do a new backup, it thinks it has 90GB of data to backup. This bad because I don't have that much space on my drive, so it fails. And I only have 75 GB of data on my MBP's hard-drive, so I don't know where Time Machine is finding 90 GB!

So now this odd thing has completely hosed my Time Machine setup.

My advice for now: don't connect current Time Machine drives to the AEBS. It's asking for trouble.

Ronald Epstein · 03-20-2008, 03:32 AM

Dave,

I'll break the conversation with yourself.

I'm thinking of possibly buying a AEBS in the next 5 weeks.

Whether I do will depend how successfully you can get
it to work with Time Machine.

Also interested in how fast my laptop will back up wirelessly.

Ted Todorov · 03-20-2008, 07:17 AM

Is there a firmware upgrade or something else you need to do to the base station itself, or do you just need instal the Software Update on your Mac?

DaveF · 03-20-2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted Todorov

Is there a firmware upgrade or something else you need to do to the base station itself, or do you just need instal the Software Update on your Mac?

From the Airport Utility, you have to click the button noting the 7.3.1 firmware update to have that installed.

Then, another change. Under the Finder sidebar section where other network devices are seen (like my wife's Mac) was my AEBS. I had to connect to it. (Previously an airdisk just appeared as a regular drive).

After doing that, an Airdisk was recognized by Time Machine.

DaveF · 03-20-2008, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein

I'm thinking of possibly buying a AEBS in the next 5 weeks.

Whether I do will depend how successfully you can get
it to work with Time Machine.

Also interested in how fast my laptop will back up wirelessly.

Ron, I just don't know. I'm eagerly watching conversations at TUAW, Apple.com, and MacRumors to see what develops. Currently, there's no way to transition an existing Time Machine drive from direct USB connection to an AEBS-connection and have Time Machine recognize the old backups. So for now, I've returned my disk to direct USB connection and am waiting to see what develops.

But if that's not a concern... MacWorld's first glance at TimeCapsule comments on performance (see article and comments). I'd expect the speed to be the same, since you're limited by wireless transfer (not hard drive speed).

Andrew Pratt · 03-20-2008, 10:57 AM

It figures they'd release the code for the AEBS as soon as I purchased a Time Capsule to replace it.

DaveF · 03-20-2008, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Pratt

It figures they'd release the code for the AEBS as soon as I purchased a Time Capsule to replace it.

We appreciate your sacrifice for the greater good.

Andrew Pratt · 03-20-2008, 04:26 PM

No problem

Eric_L · 03-20-2008, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveF

My own conversation with myself...

Well now I'm screwed.

I unplugged my drive from the AEBS -- since it didn't recognize the existing Time Machine data -- and reconnected directly to my computer. I can activate Time Machine, and fly through all data normally.

But when Time Machine goes to do a new backup, it thinks it has 90GB of data to backup. This bad because I don't have that much space on my drive, so it fails. And I only have 75 GB of data on my MBP's hard-drive, so I don't know where Time Machine is finding 90 GB!

So now this odd thing has completely hosed my Time Machine setup.

My advice for now: don't connect current Time Machine drives to the AEBS. It's asking for trouble.

That'll teach you not to backup your backup....

Yumbo · 03-21-2008, 04:15 PM

Time machine can be funky.

In any case, I have just ordered a 750GB WD drive ($140 shipped) for my external, which will displace the remaining 250GB which I will move back into the tower adding to the 500GB, equalling 750GB each.

Q. Can I extend the internal drive on the fly, or do I have to backup to 750GB external, reformat the 2 internals to share as 1, and then copy back?

Have also ordered additional 1GB RAM for the iMac for $21 shipped.