Two MyBook Live drives, one network

[WilliamRD]

My wife and I filled up our 1TB drive rather quickly, so I purchased a second today. Unfortunately, OS X and Time Machine are having difficulty telling the drives apart, because they both have the same server name. I found instructions on changing the server name on a MyBook World drive, but there don’t seem to be corresponding settings on the MyBook Live. Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks!

[JediGowna]

Here:

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/UM/ENG/4779-705042.pdf

page 59

[WilliamRD]

That changes the device name, but it doesn’t change the server name. I’ve renamed both devices - “Storage” and “Backup”. I can see them by those names when I browse network servers. However, when I try to connect to either drive using Time Machine, it presents a server name of “MyBookLive-tm”. That is presumably the name I need to change.

[JediGowna]

power cycle drives and computer, set up new back up on time machine

[WilliamRD]

Already tried, I’m afraid. I’ve been using one of the two drives for several months, so both it and the computer have been through many power cycles. It appears that the server name is not related in any way to the device name.

[JediGowna]

“If you change the name of the My Book Live, previously set Time Machine backups delay or fail. To fix the problem, resume backing up by re-selecting the drive in the Time Machine Preferences screen.”

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/updates/docs/en/mbliveappletimemachine.pdf

[WilliamRD]

This isn’t a question of a previously working backup failing - the problem is that when I try to select the new drive, Time Machine instead selects the old drive unless I power it down, because it can’t tell the difference between the two drives.

Old backup was to drive named “Storage.”

I wish to change the backup to drive named “Backup.”

I go into Time Machine preferences. I select “TimeMachine” on “Backup-backup”.

I log in when prompted; the server name on the prompt is “MyBookLive-tm”.

The login happens successfully, but Time Machine connects to the old drive - it reports 750 gigs used (the new drive is empty) and 1tb total storage (the new drive is 2tb).

If I turn off the old drive (“Storage”), then Time Machine connects to the new drive as expected. But I need it to work with both drives turned on.

I assume what’s going on here is that the Time Machine share is being provided by something like the old UNIX netatalk software, and that the configuration file that provides the server name (“MyBookLive-tm”) is identical on both drives. If I can change that name, I’m about 99% sure the problem will go away.

[WilliamRD]

An acceptable workaround would be disabling the Time Machine share on the old drive so that it isn’t possible for Time Machine to connect to it. I’m not finding a way to shut that process down, though.