Time Machine fails repeatedly with no problem detected on the external disk

Question

Time Machine fails repeatedly with no problem detected on the external disk

Since a couple of days, Time Machine fails repeatedly, several times a day. I repair the disk with the Disk utility, that finds no error, then I reset Time Machine as indicated, and after one or two successful backups, it fails again, with the following report given by the Time Machine Buddy widget:

Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb
Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd.ModelID path:/Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb/iMac de MM size:8
Error: (-50) Creating directory 2010-09-22-231449.inProgress
Failed to make snapshot container.
Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd.ModelID path:/Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb/iMac de MM size:8
Backup failed with error: 2

I insist, the disk utility doesn't find any problem in the external USB disk. Should I reinstall the OS?
Thanks a lot for any help!
Best regards
Mauricio

iMac i5 27 inches, Mac OS X (10.6.4), Ext HDD MacWay 1,5 To

Posted on Sep 22, 2010 2:54 PM

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Answer 1

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Sep 22, 2010 4:38 PM in response to Mauricio Sergio

Hi, and welcome to the forums.

How old is this disk? It may be failing. 😟

Double-check all the connections -- make sure they're all snug and secure.

Try different ports, cables, and combinations of them -- a plug that works fine in one port may not make good contact in another.

If the disk has it's own power, double check those connections, too, and be sure it's plugged-in to a known good power source, preferably the same surge protector or, better, U.P.S. system, that your iMac is connected to.

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Answer 2

Sep 23, 2010 4:29 AM in response to Pondini

Thanks! But - the disk is brand new. Bought a week ago. And I checked many times already with the disk utility, always having the "green" message saying it's OK. I'll try changing the connexions and be back.
Thanks again!
Mauricio

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Answer 3

Sep 23, 2010 2:12 PM in response to Mauricio Sergio

No way. I changed the connexions (USB port and power, both), following your advices, repaired the volume (that was considered OK by the disk utility's verification), resetted TM again. Some backups were then successful and finally, the same error message as before, with the same log in TM Buddy:

"Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb
Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd.ModelID path:/Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb/iMac de MM size:8
Error: (-50) Creating directory 2010-09-23-225120.inProgress
Failed to make snapshot container.
Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd.ModelID path:/Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb/iMac de MM size:8
Backup failed with error: 2 "

What is the meaning of Errors 22, 50 and 2?
After this message, that appeared each time it failed, the disk utility doesn't find any problem.
Any suggestion will be more than welcome! Warm thanks.
Best regards
Mauricio

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Answer 4

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Sep 23, 2010 2:33 PM in response to Mauricio Sergio

Mauricio Sergio wrote:
. . .
the disk is brand new.

How is it formatted, and did you erase and format it yourself? See #C1 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum) to be certain it's correct.

What is the meaning of Errors 22, 50 and 2?

Error 2 is "Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while creating the backup folder."

All the messages indicate some sort of problem writing to the drive. We don't see the setxattr messages very often; usually they're associated with an illegal character in the name of a drive being backed-up, and the message usually includes it. So it's doubtful that's the problem, but what is the name of your internal HD (and any other volumes being backed-up)?

Also, according to the message, your Computer name is +*iMac de MM+* -- are there any other characters there, that aren't printable, or have accents, etc.?

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Answer 5

Sep 23, 2010 6:10 PM in response to Pondini

The formatting of the disk followed the instructions you mention. But the special characters may be a clue. The complete message I have is

"Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb
Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd.ModelID path:/Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb/iMac de MM size:8
Error: (-50) Creating directory 2010-09-24-015111.inProgress
Failed to make snapshot container.
Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd.ModelID path:/Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb/iMac de MM size:8
Backup failed with error: 2 "

I put MM in my mail just not to put my full name... but there is no strange character there. But it is true that some folders have accents or spanish letters, as far as my usual interface is in French and I use Spanish also for the file names: following your comment, I'm trying to change the names of the folders I can. With a particular problem: some system folders have been translated by the OS itself, and I don't see how to rename them. For instance: Library is called in French "Bibliothèque" that has an accent. Videos are "Vidéos". Downloads are "Téléchargements". Do I need to change the name of the files also? I hope not, there are thousands of them... And besides, this is my second external disk: for several months, it worked quite fine, until the old disk failed and I had to change it for the new one.
Until what level should I look into, to change the names?
What is the meaning of "size 8" in the message?
Once again, thank you for your so valuable help.
Best regards
Mauricio

<Edited by Host>

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Answer 6

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Sep 23, 2010 5:43 PM in response to Mauricio Sergio

Mauricio Sergio wrote:
. . .
But it is true that some folders have accents or spanish letters, as far as my usual interface is in French and I use Spanish also for the file names: following your comment, I'm trying to change the names of the folders I can.

I don't think those should be a problem; we've seen this only with volume names.

What is the meaning of "size 8" in the message?

I suspect it's the size of the extended attribute it's trying to set in the folder.

(I'll ask a host to edit out your full name.)

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Answer 7

etresoft

Level 9

51,120 points

Sep 23, 2010 5:45 PM in response to Mauricio Sergio

Mauricio Sergio wrote:
The formatting of the disk followed the instructions you mention. But the special characters may be a clue.

I doubt it is the characters. MacOS X fully supports Unicode file names.

I think the problem is with the external disk. What brand and model is it? Did you format it or did it come pre-formatted? If there isn't anything on it you want, it might be a good idea to repartition it and reformat it.

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Answer 8

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Sep 23, 2010 5:47 PM in response to Mauricio Sergio

My only other suspicion is something corrupted in your installation of OSX. We've seen that on a few occasions.

I'd suggest downloading and installing the 10.6.4 "combo" update. That's the cleverly-named combination of all the updates to Snow Leopard since it was first released, so installing it should fix anything that's gone wrong since then, such as with one of the normal "point" updates. Info and download available at: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1048 Be sure to do a +Repair Permissions+ via Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utilities folder) afterwards.

If that doesn't help, reinstall OSX from your Snow Leopard Install disc (that won't affect anything else), then apply the "combo" again.

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Answer 9

Sep 23, 2010 7:02 PM in response to etresoft

The disk is a Storeva SilverDrive Plus 1,5 To EcoGreen USB 2.0 & eSATA, connected by USB. But I had the same problem with a Western Digital Elements 1 To, that worked fine for several months. Although it came formatted, the utility erased and formatted it before starting. And the format is according to what is indicated in C1 of the tips.
Last notice: I restart and it ejects the disk after some Go of backup.?? Then the disk utility repares it, saying it is OK.
I hesitate reformatting again: the backup is about 750 Go big ...
Thanks for our help!
Best regards
Mauricio

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Answer 10

etresoft

Level 9

51,120 points

Sep 23, 2010 7:10 PM in response to Mauricio Sergio

Mauricio Sergio wrote:
The disk is a Storeva SilverDrive Plus 1,5 To EcoGreen USB 2.0 & eSATA, connected by USB. But I had the same problem with a Western Digital Elements 1 To, that worked fine for several months.

Perhaps the problem is with your Mac. Start it up from the installer disk and run disk repair on it.

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Answer 11

Sep 23, 2010 7:15 PM in response to Pondini

I'll try to do that tomorrow (it's 4 o'clock in the morning here...). But last news is that, because I've changed the name of several folders to eliminate the accents, the backup grew quit big (160 Go), and after some 10 or 20Go, the disk is suddenly ejected. I repair, it says OK (and the format it detects is exactly what is indicated in the user tips), I launch a new backup and the ejection repeats itself again.
Could it be the disk hardware, even if the disk utility seems to like it?
I feel your suggestion makes sense: install the combo. Or perhaps reinstall directly the OS and then the combo?
Thanks again. I'll tell you the result once I can make some progress.
Best regards
Mauricio

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Answer 12

Sep 23, 2010 7:20 PM in response to etresoft

As I said to Pondini, this advice looks reasonable for me. I'll do that tomorrow and give you the feedback then (or the day after, I have to wait until I'm sure it works...).
Thank you very much for your help!
Best regards
Mauricio

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Answer 13

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Sep 23, 2010 7:23 PM in response to Mauricio Sergio

Mauricio Sergio wrote:
I'll try to do that tomorrow (it's 4 o'clock in the morning here...). But last news is that, because I've changed the name of several folders to eliminate the accents, the backup grew quit big (160 Go), and after some 10 or 20Go, the disk is suddenly ejected.

That sounds like it may be a different problem; the backup is getting started, which means it was able to create the "in.Progress" package.

Post the messages, please.

Could it be the disk hardware, even if the disk utility seems to like it?

Possibly, but doubtful.

I feel your suggestion makes sense: install the combo. Or perhaps reinstall directly the OS and then the combo?

Either way. The combo is quicker, and if that fixes it, you don't have to do the whole reinstall plus the combo again.

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Answer 14

Sep 24, 2010 5:24 AM in response to Pondini

This is the message after the ejection failure:

Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb
No pre-backup thinning needed: 5.63 GB requested (including padding), 541.66 GB available
Error writing to backup log. NSFileHandleOperationException: * -[NSConcreteFileHandle writeData:]: Device not configured
Error: (-36) SrcErr:NO Copying /Users/mauriciomilchberg/Movies/Evenements iMovie/Nouvel événement/Edgar 4.mov to /Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb/iMac de Mauricio Milchberg/2010-09-24-025248.inProgress/5034B0A3-F84E-4992-A7B8-8B9166E9AD42/Mac intosh HD/Users/mauriciomilchberg/Movies/Evenements iMovie/Nouvel événement
Stopping backupd because the backup volume was ejected!
Stopping backup.
Error writing to backup log. NSFileHandleOperationException: * -[NSConcreteFileHandle writeData:]: Input/output error
Error: (-8062) SrcErr:NO Copying /Users/mauriciomilchberg/Movies/Evenements iMovie/Nouvel événement/Edgar 4.mov to /Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb/iMac de Mauricio Milchberg/2010-09-24-025248.inProgress/5034B0A3-F84E-4992-A7B8-8B9166E9AD42/Mac intosh HD/Users/mauriciomilchberg/Movies/Evenements iMovie/Nouvel événement
Error writing to backup log. NSFileHandleOperationException: * -[NSConcreteFileHandle writeData:]: Input/output error
Copied 4768 files (2.8 GB) from volume Macintosh HD.
Error writing to backup log. NSFileHandleOperationException: * -[NSConcreteFileHandle writeData:]: Input/output error
Copy stage failed with error:11

The word "événement" has been written not by me, but by the translation.
Anyway, I'll follow your advice and start with the combo.
Thans a lot again.
Best regards
Mauricio

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Answer 15

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Sep 24, 2010 8:03 AM in response to Mauricio Sergio

Mauricio Sergio wrote:
. . .
Error writing to backup log. NSFileHandleOperationException: * -[NSConcreteFileHandle writeData:]: Device not configured

That's another problem writing to the TM drive -- this time, to the hidden log Time Machine keeps there.

Error: (-36) SrcErr:NO Copying /Users/mauriciomilchberg/Movies/Evenements iMovie/Nouvel événement/Edgar 4.mov to /Volumes/Copies de sauvegarde Time machine/Backups.backupdb/iMac de Mauricio Milchberg/2010-09-24-025248.inProgress/5034B0A3-F84E-4992-A7B8-8B9166E9AD42/Mac intosh HD/Users/mauriciomilchberg/Movies/Evenements iMovie/Nouvel événement

That's a different problem writing to the TM drive. By itself, I'd suspect the named file, but in conjunction with everything else, it's doubtful.

First, if you haven't already, do a +*Verify Disk+* (not permissions) on your internal HD, per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum), just to rule that out. If that shows errors, see the yellow box there to repair them.

If that doesn't find anything, try excluding the named file from backups, per the blue box in #C3 in Troubleshooting.

But I still think it's the external HD.

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