Time Capsule - 3TB

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Can I use Time Capsule as a storage device as well as backup for my iMac using Time Machine, or can I only use it to back up files with Time Machine?

I'm currently using a WD 500GB Drive, which has a habit of turning itself into a standby state despite preference settings keeping it always on, and I have to restart the drive every time this happens, which is an inconvenience when storing files and no storage device is found when saving. I want to replace the WD with a 2TB Time Capsule and use the Time Capsule as a storage device, as well as a back up device via Time Machine for my iMac.

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    "I want to replace the WD with a 2TB Time Capsule and use the Time Capsule as a storage device, as well as a back up device via Time Machine for my iMac."

    You could arrange for such dual-purpose use of a Time Capsule, but the data you'd store independently on the Time Capsule would not be eligible to be backed up by the usual operation of Time Machine, so you'd have a risk of losing it.

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  • Its not a good idea to mix TM backups and other data on the TC's internal HD, because TM will, eventually, use all the empty space (and you can't partition the disk).

    You can create a disk image to "reserve" some space, and put your other data there.

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  • Yes, but it will be kind of slow when the time capsule is backing up and you're trying to access the files in there and then accessing the internet at the same time. So it will be best to schedule your backups when you are not using your computer or just set it up to manually backup. You can also hookup your WD external drive to your time capsule and still use it as your storage device but I'm not sure if it will help with your WD standby power problem.

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