Can I use one hard drive for two time machines?
You can attach a second hard drive and use it with Time Machine with only a couple of clicks. When Time Machine is connected to your first backup drive, it will back everything up. Then it’ll do the same for the second one. So each drive will keep a complete Time Machine backup.
What happens when you partition a hard drive Mac?
Partitioning your Mac is basically splitting your hard drive into separate, usable systems. It makes it possible to run two separate operating systems on one device, like Windows and macOS, or two versions of macOS (like Catalina and Big Sur).
Do you need an empty hard drive for Time Machine?
The good news is that you don’t have to devote an entire drive to Time Machine backups, although you may certainly choose to do so. Depending on how large your archives are and how much capacity the drive has, you may want to leave as much space free for Time Machine backups as possible.

How do I partition my external hard drive for Mac without losing data?
You can use Disk Utility to add a new partition to an existing volume without losing any data. When adding a new partition, Disk Utility splits the selected disk in half, leaving all the existing data on the original disk but reducing its size by 50 percent.
How do I share my external hard drive between two Macs?

Use networking
- Open System Preferences on the computer that’s physically connected to the hard drive.
- Click on Sharing.
- Check the box next to File Sharing.
- Click on the + button under Shared Folders to share specific folders.
- Click on the Everyone user under Users.
Can Time Machine share an external hard drive?
Technically, there’s no need to partition your hard drive if you want to use it for external storage as well as Time Machine backups. All you need to do is start copying files and folders onto the drive using Finder.
Should external hard disk be partitioned?
Each operating system needs to be installed on a different partition in order to function properly, so the external hard drive needs to have at least one partition for each operating system installed.
Does partitioning Mac erase data?
WARNING: When you delete a volume or partition, all the data on it is erased. Be sure to back up your data before you begin. In the Disk Utility app on your Mac, select a volume in the sidebar, then click the Partition button .