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Mac peripherals forum: Seagate External Hard Drive help, Please...

by: CBrooked April 8, 2009 9:42 AM PDT

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Seagate External Hard Drive help, Please...

by CBrooked - 4/8/09 9:42 AM

I got a Seagate 500GB external hard drive recently. I'm looking to delete files from my Mac after I back them up on the external hard drive. I tested this with one picture and after I deleted the picture then backed up the hard drive, the hard drive 'erased' the picture. I did talk to Seagate and the guy said it wasn't actually erased, it just went into history. (Although I can't find history and forgot to ask :/) So, my question is - How can I put files on the external hard drive then delete them from my Mac and when I later back up my computer, keep the files on my external hard drive that were previously deleted from my computer. I know the files will be in history but I'd like for all of them to be in one place instead of searching through history for maybe one file here and there. I hope this makes sense!!! (I have Leopard OS)


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So you held down the option key?

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 4/8/09 9:58 AM

In Reply to: Seagate External Hard Drive help, Please... by CBrooked

Or not?

Read http://www.dr-chuck.com/csev-blog/000288.html


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Copying V Backup

by mrmacfixit Moderator - 4/8/09 10:23 AM

In Reply to: Seagate External Hard Drive help, Please... by CBrooked

Files dragged from one drive to another are copied, rather than moved, so that on completion of the operation, the file is in two locations.
As mentioned, files dragged from one place to another on the same drive, get moved and not copied.

Running whatever backup software you are using, should not cause the file on the external to go anywhere, including "history" (whatever that is)
Once the file is deleted from its original location, the next backup will record the fact that it has been deleted.
The backup software, will create a backup file on the external and will do nothing with the file that you copied there.

If you are using Time Machine, and why wouldn't you be, the copied file will still be on the external, and visible. TM creates and stores its backup files inside a folder called backup. It too, does not mess with anything else that is on that drive.

Reading between the lines of your post, I see that you "might" be using time machine after all. That reference to "History" and "searching through history" would kinda suggest that is what you are talking about.
If that is the case, could it be that you are trying to find your copied file using Time Machine and not by looking on the Hard Drive itself?

So, I have to point out, and to warn you, that copying files to an external drive and then deleting the original, does NOT constitute a Backup. It constitutes a disaster waiting to happen. What happens to your files when the External drive crashes?(And it Will!)
You just lost your ONLY copies, you threw the originals away!

Take a moment to think about what you would like to do, before you go off doing something drastic

P


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Understanding:)

by CBrooked - 4/9/09 4:47 PM

In Reply to: Copying V Backup by mrmacfixit Moderator

OK I get what you are saying and I'd need at least one more external hard drive (or other form of storage) before it'd be relatively safe to free up space on my computer by deleting files. So then one hard drive could continuously backup as it's meant to do and I could manually copy and paste on the other. Sorry this is so trivial I'm just having a hard time getting it through my head:( Thanks a ton for you help!


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Time Machine

by CBrooked - 4/9/09 4:47 PM

In Reply to: Understanding:) by CBrooked

Oh yea, and I am using Time Machine


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Time Machine

by mrmacfixit Moderator - 4/9/09 7:27 PM

In Reply to: Time Machine by CBrooked

The Time Machine backup creates a file on your external but does not interfere with any other files that are on that drive.
There is nothing to stop you from creating a folder on the external and dragging all your pictures over to it. TM will not touch that folder.

Burn your pictures to a DVD and then feel reasonably safe to delete them.

Remember, if there is only 1 copy of a file in total, you do not have a backup.

P


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Why Crash?

by CBrooked - 4/10/09 10:54 AM

In Reply to: Time Machine by mrmacfixit Moderator

You mentioned something about the external drive crashing. Why do they crash so easily?


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I didn't say they crash easily,

by mrmacfixit Moderator - 4/10/09 4:09 PM

In Reply to: Why Crash? by CBrooked

I said they would crash.

A hard drive is an electro-mechanical device. It is subject to all the trials and tribulations of any electro-mechanical device.
The electronics fail and the drive will not spin, will not spin at the correct speed, will stop and start or the mechanics will fail and the drive heads will bounce around on the platters.

It is never a question of "if" a hard drive will fail, it is a question of "when".

For this reason, a hard drive is not considered to be a long lasting or reliable backup. It is subject to the same problems as the drive that holds your originals.

P


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ok

by CBrooked - 4/10/09 6:39 PM

In Reply to: I didn't say they crash easily, by mrmacfixit Moderator

Oh I see. Alrighty, well thanks a bunch. You really helped me a lot!! I'm off to buy some DVD's (:


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