How to use my external hard drive for time machine and storing files without using partitions?

What you want to do is format the Drive as APFS with GUID Partition Map. In Disk Utilities ADD a Volume to the drive and give it a name of your choice. That Volume can be used to store files outside of the Time Machine Backup. Te remains space will be used by TM Backup.

Personally - do not suggest doing this way as External Drives do fail and now ALL your Files and Time Machine Backup are gone and no way to salvage anything.

xchloejoyce wrote:

I've got an external hard drive that I want to use to store files but also my time machine backups - I've had previous hard drives that have done both without using partitions and want to do the same with my new one please? Every time I format it to be Mac OS extended journaled it allows me to put the files on there but always asks me to erase it if I want to use it with time machine?

I'm so confused because my previous hard drives are formatted exactly the same without the partitions and they seem to work? Any advice please as pulling my hair out on this one!

Thanks

TimeMachine changed with Big Sur versus earlier versions of MacOS. See below for what you have to do now. If you have a disk HFS+ that you want to start using for Time Machine, Time Machine will reformat it to APFS before starting to use it for Time Machine (see below). Only if you have an existing Time Machine backup series on an HFS+ disk, Big Sur may allow you to keep using it in the old format (see below).

"APFS or APFS Encrypted disks are the preferred format for a Time Machine backup disk. If you select a new backup disk that’s not already formatted as an APFS disk, you get the option to erase and reformat it. If the disk is a Mac OS Extended format disk that contains an existing Time Machine backup, you aren’t asked to erase and reformat the disk.

Note: The entire APFS disk is reserved for Time Machine backups. If you want to store files other than the Time Machine backup on the same physical device, use Disk Utility to create an additional APFS volume on the disk. The two volumes then share the available space."

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/types-of-disks-you-can-use-with-time-machine-mh15139/mac

Not the same as Partitioning. One can do that ( Partition) but the APFS filing System ( New System of Apple ) Allows having several Volumes residing on the same Single Drive. Easier to manage and the Volumes are permitted to expand and grow without having to Re-Partition the drive.

Generally - the 3-2-1 Method for Backups is advised. 3 Backups - 2 Methods - 1 Backup Off-Site ( incase of Fire, flood, earthquake etc.) One is Best Served by not being Totally Dependent only on Time Machine. It is very good but not the Only method to backup the Entire Internal Drive. There is software for Cloning the Internal Drive to an External Drive and some can even make the Clone Bootable. That is, if / when a major issue happens with the Internal Drive or computer - you can boot from the Clone and it should functions as if nothing bad happened. It is functional with all your OS, Applications, Personal files on it. Two of these Cloning software are Carbon Copy Cloner ( free 30 day Trial ) and SuperDuper ( do not this one too well. )

Again - the Clones must be made to an External Drive and can Only be used for that purpose.

I've never attempted it, so not completely certain, but I don't think you can do anything to use the drive with Big Sur. A partition would be the only thing I think would work, but worth trying the APFS Volume route.

You would have to set that up before connecting the drive to Time Machine.

Welcome and Thank you too :-))

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