First aid on external disk "invalid argument" error

I have been using an external disk for TM for a few years without a hitch and then TM started saying it could not find the disk. So I ran first aid. FOUR days later i get the following message. What does the message mean? Any suggestions for a fix? Can i retrieve any of the data? Thanks!

iMac (2017 – 2020)

Posted on May 26, 2023 4:28 PM

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1 reply

ace1018

Community Specialist

May 28, 2023 8:37 AM in response to akfromnyc

Hello akfromnyc,

Based on what you've provided, it looks like First Aid was unable to repair the disk. Why it was unable to repair the disk isn't clear, but the First Aid process failed. At this point, it's recommended to back up the data on disk if possible. If not, you'll likely need a new hard drive to continue to back up your Mac.

"If you continue to have problems with your disk or it can’t be repaired, it may be physically damaged and need to be replaced." You can learn more here: Repair a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac - Apple Support

Thanks.

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First aid on external disk "invalid argument" error

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