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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

Posted on Oct 16, 2020 7:58 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 20, 2020 5:01 PM

Hi there Tom,


It sounds like your backup doesn't seem to be progressing past the 'Preparing backup' stage when backing up to an external hard drive using your Mac. We're glad you're here, and we can help. To start, which method are you using to back up your Mac if you don't use Time Machine? We'd suggest reviewing the information in the links below to see if they help:


If you can't back up or restore your Mac using Time Machine

If Time Machine on your Mac can’t find your backup disk

Time Machine troubleshooting on Mac



Cheers.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 20, 2020 5:01 PM in response to Tom Perkins1

Hi there Tom,


It sounds like your backup doesn't seem to be progressing past the 'Preparing backup' stage when backing up to an external hard drive using your Mac. We're glad you're here, and we can help. To start, which method are you using to back up your Mac if you don't use Time Machine? We'd suggest reviewing the information in the links below to see if they help:


If you can't back up or restore your Mac using Time Machine

If Time Machine on your Mac can’t find your backup disk

Time Machine troubleshooting on Mac



Cheers.

External hard drive stuck in "preparing backup"

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