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Hard Drive keeps deleting new files, and ask for formatting after I deleted Time Machine BackUp

Hi everyone,


Recently I deleted the Time Machine back up that I had in my external hard drive, to format it for both Mac and Windows, and after I've used the HD twice (plugged it twice and unplug it) it keeps asking to be formatted (Both on my Mac and on my DELL), as if it is a new HD. Has anyone encountered this?


I'll explained in more detailed what happened, and what the issue I think is related to. But I haven't been able to solve it.


I have a LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt HD of 1 TB. I had both old files in it and a Time Machine (TM) back up for my Mac Book Pro 2011. Recently I passed my old files (not in TM) to another Hard Drive, and decided to delete the Time Machine Back Up, to make space in my LaCie HD, and to be able to format it with an exFAT format so that I can open my files both on Windows and Apple. Till then my Lacie only opened on a Mac.


I deleted the Time Machine back up by first deleting the back ups from inside TM and then by moving the folder to the trashcan.


1) I formated the LaCie initially with a FAT format, only to realize that I couldn't pass big files like iPhoto libraries. 2) So I formated it again with the exFAT format. I found in both occasions 3 folders and a file that didn't delete: .fseventsd, .Spotlight-V100, .Trashes and ._.Trashes, whenever I opened the HD in my DELL. 3) I tried deleting them manually, I was able to work on my HD two times again , before the computers (Mac and DELL) didn't recognize it anymore and asked the HD be formatted.


4)I looked the files up. Seemed related to TM or to Apple, so I decided to put them in an folder so they wouldn't mess up the HD nor bothered me. Two times after I was using the HD the folders appeared again outside of the folder I had put them. As if they had duplicated, or just being created there.


5) So I decided to leave them there and work my files in other folders. Still the Hard Drive let me work for two times and when I tried opening it a third time, it asked to be formatted again. As if new.


6) I scaned it to see if it has a virus with Bitdefender Antivirus. Says it has no threads, and 4 files. So the 3 folders and the other file are still there. I'm about to check it with Malware Bytes software. But I'm running out of ideas of what I can do to use my Hard Drive.


The Hard Drive had not presented any issues before. I've wondered if deleting a TM back up just by putting it in the trash can, left some files or folders that worked with it and thus it created some loop that crashes the HD.


Has any one encountered this? And if so, did you solve it? How?


Thank you,


Angela


These are the folders it shows:


Posted on Sep 24, 2021 11:50 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Sep 25, 2021 12:00 PM

anmaheca wrote:

1) I formated the LaCie initially with a FAT format, only to realize that I couldn't pass big files like iPhoto libraries. 2) So I formated it again with the exFAT format. I found in both occasions 3 folders and a file that didn't delete: .fseventsd, .Spotlight-V100, .Trashes and ._.Trashes, whenever I opened the HD in my DELL.

These hidden files are always created by macOS. These files are hidden on macOS, but are visible with Windows.


FYI, when erasing the drive make sure to select the whole physical drive within Disk Utility when you erase it as GUID partition and exFAT. If you are using macOS 10.13+, then you will need to click "View" within Disk Utility and select "Show All Devices" so that the physical drive appears on the left pane of Disk Utility.



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3 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Sep 25, 2021 12:00 PM in response to anmaheca

anmaheca wrote:

1) I formated the LaCie initially with a FAT format, only to realize that I couldn't pass big files like iPhoto libraries. 2) So I formated it again with the exFAT format. I found in both occasions 3 folders and a file that didn't delete: .fseventsd, .Spotlight-V100, .Trashes and ._.Trashes, whenever I opened the HD in my DELL.

These hidden files are always created by macOS. These files are hidden on macOS, but are visible with Windows.


FYI, when erasing the drive make sure to select the whole physical drive within Disk Utility when you erase it as GUID partition and exFAT. If you are using macOS 10.13+, then you will need to click "View" within Disk Utility and select "Show All Devices" so that the physical drive appears on the left pane of Disk Utility.



Sep 25, 2021 12:42 PM in response to anmaheca

Try erasing the whole physical drive as I suggested. If you only erased the volume, then perhaps there is something wrong with the partition table on the drive which will be recreated only when you erase the whole physical drive.


If you still have problems after doing this, then it may indicate a problem with the USB cable, or the external drive itself. You can attempt to check the health of the external drive using DriveDx on a Mac (will require installing a special USB driver) or using GSmartControl on Windows (portable version available so no install is necessary). However, some USB drives block access to the drive's health information. Post the complete health report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper.



Hard Drive keeps deleting new files, and ask for formatting after I deleted Time Machine BackUp

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