Time Machine won't work work with LaCie External Drive

Question

Level 1

7 points

Time Machine won't work work with LaCie External Drive

I have a LaCie Mobile Drive and am trying to set Time Machine to automatically back up to it. I keep getting an error message "Two of the disks to back up have the same name. Rename one of the disks named Macintosh HD.” Under Disk Utility internal disks there is a disk named Macintosh HD, which is APFS (Encrypted) and one named Macintosh HD Data, which is just APFS.

I'm not the very computer literate and have no idea what is different if anything about these, they are both the exact same size. I just know not to change anything under Internal. I have reformatted the external drive multiple times and tried Time Machine and always get the same answer.

When I contacted LaCie, they feel that it is an Apple problem since the error refers to the names of the Macintosh HD files. Can anyone help me with this?

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on May 11, 2022 10:40 AM

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Answer 1

2blackcats Author

Level 1

7 points

May 11, 2022 3:29 PM in response to ku4hx

Show all devices is selected and has been since the start.

When you say erase "each" disk and specify a different name for both I'd like some clarity. Disk utility looks like this. Which should I rename. I have tried renaming the unindented LaCie drive as well as the indented LaCie drive which appears as L on this picture. I always get the same message, "Two of the disks to back up have the same name. Rename one of the disks named Macintosh HD.”

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Answer 2

ku4hx

Level 7

23,592 points

May 11, 2022 12:54 PM in response to 2blackcats

In Disk Utility, erase each disk and specify a different name for each: Backup 1 and Backup 2 for instance.

You should never do anything to the Macintosh HD disk as that's your system disk. Mess with it and you mess with your entire system.

Be absolutely certain your are working on the LaCie Disks by actual name as shown in Disk Utility show all devices. In the "Disk Utility" label in the upper left corner of the right side panel click the "View" down arrow symbol.

This all requires some technical know-how. Go slow, but now is the time to start learning about your Mac.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,740 points

May 11, 2022 3:39 PM in response to 2blackcats

It’s not the backup drives. It is two. Macintosh HD - Data volumes.

expand the sidebar so we can see what you have there (post the screenshot).

If there are two Data volumes, select each. The one that has a home icon badge on it is the current one.

The other is an orphan left behind during an incorrect reinstall of the OS. The orphan can be removed by selecting it and clicking the Remove Volume button (–).

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