Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Time Machine

Hi there,

I never used Time Machine, although i've already open it just to see how it worked. But now i've bought an external hard disk and tried to use time machine just to see an error window pop up.

when i click on TM on apps folder, the finder icon starts to bounce on the dock and a window shows up saying:

" the operation could not be completed (this in bold)
an unexpected error has occurred (error code -43)"

just an OK button and that's it!!!

What a **** is this?
How can i solve it?

i can't say when this first started as i only tried it today since a long time so i can't relate it to any update or software i've installed, although i think is it has nothing to do with any software because i don't have that much software installed, but now that i think of it i recently installed firefox 3.0 the day it was released.
I really don't know what it is, please help!!

thanks

MacBook 2.2GHz C2D 2GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, Mac OS X (10.5.3)

Posted on Jun 24, 2008 4:07 PM

Reply
10 replies

Jun 24, 2008 4:27 PM in response to BuckBanzai

Is the backup drive partitioned and formatted properly?

Extended Hard Drive Preparation

1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder. If you need to reformat your startup volume, then you must boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger or Leopard.)

2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.

3. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (only required for Intel Macs) then click on the OK button. Set the number of partitions from the dropdown menu (use 1 partition unless you wish to make more.) Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the volume(s) mount on the Desktop.

4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.

5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.

6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.

Did you open TM preferences and configure your backup by selecting the backup drive and configuring your Exclude list then turning on TM?

Jun 24, 2008 4:47 PM in response to Kappy

It happens with my external HD connected or otherwise. But i don't see how can that be a problem because i clearly remember opening time machine without any external HD connected! In fact i remember that TM used to ask me if i wanted it to use to backup every time i connected any external HD, and that just doesn't happen anymore (but here i cannot say if i checked any box saying i didn't want to ask me anymore, or if that option was available).

But i think my problem may be simpler than that as TM app doesn't open anymore so i don't see how it has to do with any HD related thing. since my post i did a permission repair but the problem persists

bottom line: for now, i just want the TM app to open (as i think it is supposed to do, right? nevertheless i have a HD connected or not)

btw: i erased the hard disk using disk utility and set it to FAT MS DOS mode as i need it to be that way as it is also a media player HD and it seems to be the only way it works on TV, will it be a problem to, eventually, use it as TM backup disk?

English is not my native language so i hope you can understand what I'm trying to say

Jun 24, 2008 5:09 PM in response to BuckBanzai

The TM app will not open unless you have already configured TM and have a backup disk set up and configured in TM preferences. The app will simply ask if you want to set up TM. Only the preference pane will open without a hard drive connected.

You can only use TM with a drive that has been correctly partitioned and formatted as I outlined in my previous post. You cannot backup with TM to a drive that is MBR partitioned and formatted MS-DOS.

Your English is fine. I have no problem understanding your questions. It may be helpful for you to do some educational reading about using TM:

Mac 101- Using Time Machine in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard;
Apple - Support - Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard Time Machine;
Mac OS X 10.5- Using Time Machine and troubleshooting Time Machine issues;
Time Machine tips and troubleshooting.

Jun 25, 2008 3:48 AM in response to Kappy

Ok, so let's see if i gor this straight!

The only way the TM app opens is if i have an external Hd plugged in and im MacOS journaled format type, right?

it should also open if the HD is NTFS? because i remember it used to open (just to tell me i had to format it to another file system) with an HD in NTFS mode.
My concern was if the TM app was damaged since it stoped opening at all when before it opened.

AS for the format, let me explain my problem...
i bought an external HD with media player (SCART connection to TV, a firmware, and voilá... my divx movies playinh right on TV), meanwhile i bought a MAC. when i tried to use it with the macbook i couldn't write anything to the HD altought i could copy from it, i understood then that it had to do with the file system... so i downloaded a software that allowed me to use it on Mac with the NTFS but i could still not use it to backup with TM (back in the days when it opened just right) so i was stuck with NTFS for a while because i hadn't another HD to backup the 300Gb i had on the HD. A few weeks ago i got access to a brand new HD so i copied everything from one to another to format my HD do mac compatible file system but when copying everything back to mine i just couldn't, it stuck around 40% every time. Some of the files were copied but the firmware on HD was unable to find any file and play it on TV, so i formatted it again im FAT mode using disk utility (as i did before formatting on mac type). In FAt mode the HD is now able to play again on TV, and i wanted to start using to backup with TM but i see now that i can't, and that's OK i can live with that... at least till i buy another one or get a chance to format it in mac type, copy everything back and still be able to play stuff on TV (which i'm not sure).

As i said, my concern is if TM has some kind of problem as it doesn't open at all as i said in the first post.

Thanks a lot for your help (all of you)

Jun 25, 2008 11:50 AM in response to BuckBanzai

The application will open but only to tell you you must configure TM preferences. If it doesn't open at all then your copy may be damaged or you may have some other problem with your system that is unrelated to the TM application. Unfortunately, you haven't made it clear that you are referring to the TM application or the TM preference pane. Because you use the word "application" I've assumed you are referring to the TM app in the Applications folder and not the preference pane.

You can replace the application. Here are instructions:

How to Use Pacifist to Replace Deleted OS X Applications

Download the shareware utility Pacifist from VersionTracker or MacUpdate. Use it to extract a fresh copy of the missing item(s) from the file archives on your OS X installation DVD. The file archives are in the /System/Installations/ folder (use Go to Folder option in the Go menu of the Finder.)

Here are Four Basic ways to use Pacifist (courtesy of George Orville.)

A. Drag a .pkg icon onto the Pacifist window .....proceed to step 7.

B. Click on “Open Package ....” and navigate to package desired and click “Open” in the open/save window.....proceed to step 7.

C. Insert Mac OS X installer CD and when it mounts, navigate to .... Menu->Go->Go to Folder.
In the path field enter or paste ....

/Volumes/disc name/System/Installation/Packages (where disc name is the name of the CD/DVD that you inserted.


• Click on the "Go" button .....
• Drag a .pkg to Pacifist..... proceed to step 7.
The package you'll need will have to be discovered by trial and error, but for most applications you should start with the Essentials.pkg and/or Additional Essentials.pkg.


D. Insert your Mac OS X install disk 1 .... and open Pacifist.
1. In Pacifist, select "Open Mac OS X Install Packages" ... dialog may appear asking for disk 2, then disk 3 and finally disk 1 again.... {if DVD is not used)...If “Stop Loading” is selected...the procedure will stop!!!

2a. When loading is complete, a new window appears, click the triangle to display contents of each package...Select item and proceed to step 7.

2b. or click the “Find” icon in the Pacifist window and type the name of the software you need.

3. In the list that comes back, click the top most entry for the item that you want. ..... that is the one for the English language.

4. On the top of the Pacifist window, click “verify” .... you will probably be prompted for your password.

5. Enter checks for.... “verify permissions” and “verify file contents.” and click “verify” ....enter password when prompted.... you will get back output which may look like this:

20 files were scanned.
20 of 20 files were present on the hard disk.
0 of 20 files had file permissions that did not match those specified in the package.
0 of 20 files had checksums that did not match those specified in the package.


6. Click “close”. Go to step 7.

Extract or Install........

7. In the Toolbar (upper left), you now have the option to extract or install. Click a file in the lower list and those two icons will be enabled.

8. If “Extract to...” is selected.... navigate to the location where the file will be placed, select “choose”, select “extract” in new dialog that appears,authenicate , if prompted, click “OK”.

9. In the next dialog, click “Extract”.

10. If “Install” is selected... dialog will appear with the location/path of the installed software. Click “Install”

11. Type in your password, click “OK”

• Pacifist will begin to extract files.

12. In steps 8/10ß.... you also have the choice to “cancel”


Notes.....

• Pacifist may find that a file it is installing already exists on the hard disk. Pacifist will present you with an alert panel....

Stop
Leave original alone
Update ..... Default selection
Replace .... Replace option should only be used on full install packages

Jun 25, 2008 6:21 PM in response to Kappy

Problem solved!!!
Just by that! didn't even had to use pacifist! I realised what was wrong... i guess TM was already set to work with my external HD, i must have set it this way back when it was formatted in mac mode and i must have forgotten it! So the application didn't open because it was trying to open the HD to access possibles backup on there but it couldn't! i think this was it!


But i liked that pacifist idea! Can i use it to kind of "uninstalling" the airport software? that last update really messed up with it. I can no longer automatically connect to preferred networks, have to do it manually every time and it's pretty lame because i use auto-wake to start downloads during an ISP no-limit download happy hour, and i cannot do it anymore! so can i use pacifist to delete the airport utility software (that's what's called, right?)and would i loose m networks preferences or is there a way to save the information?

But first of all i have to truly thank you for your patience and help! You're really great. Thanks a lot!!!

Jun 25, 2008 6:30 PM in response to BuckBanzai

Pacifist cannot be used to uninstall an update. The only alternative for that is to do an Archive and Install:

How to Perform an Archive and Install

1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.

Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions

Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported, then quit DU and return to the installer.

If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.

2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.

3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.

4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.

5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.

6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.

Time Machine

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.