External hard drive stuck in "preparing backup"
There are numerous solutions for getting Time Machine unstuck in "preparing backup" mode but nothing for an external drive.
Also, the screenshot below tells how to do the next step after stopping the attempted backup. However, I can't seem to find that anywhere in the Finder folder. Any help would be appreciated.
Oh, uh, I'm also a techno-impaired senior so it would be helpful if you would think of me in layman's terms.
THANKS!
MacBook Air 11″, macOS 10.15