moving data to external and back again

[badd]

Hello,

My MacBook Pro's hardrive is almost full. I have a terabyte external hardrive that I occaisonally use to back up my MacBook. Am I able to do all of the following
1) Back up my MacBook to my external hardrive
2) Delete everything off of my MacBook's hardrive
3) Use my MacBook to freely store data from my camera's memory card during my vacation
4) Put things from the external drive back onto my computer whenever I need them after the vacation ... and get to deleting the unimportant things as time permits

I've never tried to figure out how to use time machine or what it is like to use it.

If there is a post like this already, or a link I could've easily found on google please forgive me - I don't know what terminology to use for what I am trying to accomplish. Please point it out to me if it exists though.

I still have an unused copy of mobile me. Can that still work/would that be a better and quicker option?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Kaveman]

1) Back up my MacBook to my external hardrive

sure, just make sure it's not in NTFS format. But if you've used it before, then don't worry.

2) Delete everything off of my MacBook's hardrive

I think you don't mean "everything". Yes, all the files in your Home Folder are yours to backup to your HD and then delete. Note: Always check they are backed up, before deleting.

3) Use my MacBook to freely store data from my camera's memory card during my vacation

Sure, if you don't want to load them into iPhoto you can use Image Capture to save them into Folders.

4) Put things from the external drive back onto my computer whenever I need them after the vacation

Sure, thats what they are for.

time machine

is great, and a great way to do 1).

unused copy of mobile me

Nope, MM is gone. You still have the EMail, via iCloud. For off line storage while travelling, there are many services, I use Dropbox.

 

[badd]

I should correct what I said before. I've used my WD hard drive but never used it to bring back files. I don't know if it is working to my advantage or not (as far as what file it is saving them as).

I've been messing around for about two hours now but still don't feel confident.

In iPhoto I renamed a photo to have the word "test Matrix" in it. I used time machine to back up to my external. I went into my time machine and then tried searching "This Mac" and "contents" or "file name" wouldn't bring up my search for "test Matrix."

So I still don't feel comfortable deleting stuff. Are there any step by step instructions available?

Are you able to put stuff from iPhoto into Image Capture and is it worth it?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Kaveman]

iPhoto

you picked a bad example. You go into TimeMachine with iPhoto open to do iPhoto roll backs, for Finder files you do it from Finder. Mail you also do with Mail open.

 

[Kaveman]

Image Capture is just for taking Photo off your card it is not an iPhoto type app. If you use iPhoto fine.

 

[badd]

thanks for letting me know.

do you need to have iMovie open while going in timemachine to do rollbacks also?

If my mac's hd is full at about 200 gig and it gets backed up to my terabyte external hd more than five times will the external get full or does it know not to save the same file twice?

 

[Kaveman]

No, I think iMovie does it out side, but I might be wrong as iMovie is non distructive editing.

no that's not how TimeMachine works, it only backs up the changes.

 

[badd]

ok thanks a lot kaveman I'm deleting now so I have space for my vacation videos

 

[badd]

i tested it on a clip

i can delete the clip and bring it back and play it well on quick time... but when i try to play it on iMovie now it's thumb nail is totally gray and when I play it it doesn't have the right sound. it it like a robot noise.

 

[badd]

I don't know what to do about getting that back to normal do you?

 

[Kaveman]

If you're bringing back footage from your iMovie Library, you'll need to import it again.

 

[badd]

I tried File > Import Movies, searched and clicked on the file name, below it a light blue box says "The Selected Items do not share a file path" and it won't let me import. Do you know how to get around this?

 

[badd]

I mean "... do not share a path"

 

[badd]

bump

 

[badd]

Does anybody know why the sound got messed up and the thumb nail is gray now? I'm wondering if I should try to move it from TimeMachine to my camera and try to import it from my camera to iMovie.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Kaveman]

were are you getting the file from.
The one you should be restoring in from the Movies > iMovie Events >< Name Of Event> folder

 

[cmckcook]

Dear Kaveman,

I am new to the Mac forum and I'm not sure where to post questions.

My question is similar to the one here so I thought I would try doing this.

I have just had a new hard drive installed and so I have nothing on. I have an external hard drive with all my stuff but I haven't been able to put the stuff back on the computer. I keep getting a message when I try to open the folder on the desktop that I copied the stuff to - Unable to access - original not available.
Help!!!

 

[badd]

were are you getting the file from.
The one you should be restoring in from the Movies > iMovie Events >< Name Of Event> folder

I haven't put any time in to this since I last posted. I am going to now. I am in dire need to learn how to edit video's and safely remove them from my computer since my hard disk is like 99% full.

 

[badd]

I got it to work. There were two of the same file. I think I had to choose the one called MPEG or MP4... also I didn't know of the Movies folder you told me to look at which was in my home folder... to those of you who are like me a home folder is titled after your login name and has a little home next to it. Thanks Kaveman. I'm gonna start deleting movies from my computer so it has room to breath.