How to Set Up a Time Machine?

[luqi_gr8]

I am using Mac OS X Lion. i am setting up time machine for backup. but when i turn it ON and select the disk it directs me to "open airport utility" how can i set it up for my harddisk or a drive. please help me.
images are attached please guide me

 

[McBie]

What disk are you trying to use as the backup disk .... an external ( USB, ... ) or a Time Capsule ?
When you launched Time Machine, was that backup disk connected ?
Is the backup disk visible in Disk Utility ?
Has the backup disk been partitioned and formatted ?

Cheers ... McBie

 

[luqi_gr8]

thanks for the reply MCBie
Actually i am new to mac,
i want my harddisk for backup and can i use a USB if yes tell me how?
my HDD is on GUID partition map, i havent formatted it and it has no partition as far as i know. i am attaching an image check this out.
and when i turn the time machine on there is no disk connected....
what should i do now.

 

[McBie]

I did a quick search for you and you can find all you need here ...
Mac 101: Time Machine

Cheers ... McBie

 

[bobtomay]

The key part of that is:

Setting up Time Machine is as easy as connecting an external hard drive to your Mac via FireWire or USB, or by connecting to a Time Capsule. You can also use a secondary internal disk if your desktop Mac has one (that is, a disk that you don't start up from).

That is, you need a second hard drive. You can't use Time Machine to back up your primary drive to itself. That is not a backup at all.