Time Machine asks to erase files on new LaCie backup external

When I selected to use the LaCie in Time Machine it asked if I wanted to erase the files on it.

This is normal when your Mac "sees" a new drive that is connected that it has not "seen" before.

The LaCie is new and I just received it yesterday.

Then, there is no data on the drive.

But I am afraid to erase whatever files on it in order to begin the backup procedure.

There are no files on the drive, but your Mac needs to "format" the drive if you want to use it for Time Machine backups, because he current format on the drive will not allow Time Machine to back up to the drive. "Format" is another term for "Erase".

So, the answer to the question of whether you want your Mac to erase or "format" the new drive for use with Time Machine would be "Yes".

Sorry, this is really confusing, and it should normally be very simple.

Everything with the LaCie/Time Machine setup went very well and worked perfectly.

Got that, but is the Lacie drive named "Macintosh HD"? Macintosh HD is also the name of the hard drive on a Mac by default, unless this has been changed by the owner. And, you may have other Macs that have hard drives named the same Macintosh HD. It gets really confusing trying to keep track of which "Macintosh HD" is which.

I have a MacBook Pro laptop, so the name of the Time Machine backup drive is MBP Time Machine. My wife has an iMac, so the name of the Time Machine backup drive for the iMac is iMac Time Machine. It's easy to know which is which.

And, the second Mac computer is connected to "Simple Disk"?

Was the second Mac connected to "Simple Disk" in the past and it was backing up OK in the past and now you have having problems? Or, are you trying to back up the second Mac to Simple Disk for the first time?

And, looking at the screenshot of Excluded Items, I'm confused as well. Which screenshot does this apply to.....the Mac backing up to Macintosh HD or the second Mac that is backing up to Simple Disk?

It can't be the first Mac because you have Excluded Macintosh HD, which is the name of the hard drive on the Mac.......or.......is this the name of the backup drive?

And it can't be the second Mac that backs up to Simple Disk because you have Excluded Simple Disk from the backup. You can't Exclude the disk if it is the disk that is being used to store the backups of the Mac backing up.

When I selected to use the LaCie in Time Machine it asked if I wanted to erase the files on it.

This is normal when your Mac "sees" a new drive that is connected that it has not "seen" before.

The LaCie is new and I just received it yesterday.

Then, there is no data on the drive.

But I am afraid to erase whatever files on it in order to begin the backup procedure.

There are no files on the drive, but your Mac needs to "format" the drive if you want to use it for Time Machine backups, because the current format on the drive will not allow Time Machine to back up to the drive. "Format" is another term for "Erase".

So, the answer to the question of whether you want your Mac to erase or "format" the new drive for use with Time Machine would be "Yes".

Hopefully, everything has gone smoothly. That first backup takes some time. The incremental backups should only take a few minutes.