TM Backup Folder Permanently Stuck in the Trash

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Level 1

10 points

TM Backup Folder Permanently Stuck in the Trash

So after running TM backups for over a year on my laptop to a 1.5TB external FreeAgent drive, I one day received a message saying that I needed 430GB to perform a backup and I only had 200GB available. I thought this was strange because I assumed that TM would groom my previous backups to allow space for new backups. It kept asking me to select a new empty disk to do backups to so I just turned off TM for a month or so.

I then decided that I would just start from scratch but didn't want to format the disk as I have about 350GB of other data on there which I dont have space for elsewhere. So I made a big mistake and tried to delete my TM backup from the Finder. After doing some reading I now know how to properly delete backups from within TM. However, I now have a new problem...

When I deleted my TM backup from the Finder I didn't delete Backups.backupdb as a container but instead deleted the folder within it that is named after my computer's name. That folder is just sitting in my Trash now and cannot be budged. I can't seem to either empty it or "Put Back" to it's original location. When I try I get the following message...

"The operation can't be completed because backup items can't be modified."

I'm stuck! Any ideas as to how I can get out of this silly scenario?

Macbook 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.6.5), 2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

Posted on Jan 5, 2011 2:16 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

plcn

Level 2

325 points

Jan 5, 2011 2:37 AM in response to Tom Lambrou

Try the following:

- Press and hold the mouse button on the Trash icon in the Dock. The context menu for Trash will display.
- Press and hold the Option key.
- Select Empty Trash from the context menu for Trash.
- Release the Option key.

If it doesn't works, do you still have the Backups.backupdb container? If you still have it mount it (doble clic on it), and just drag & drop the folder from the trash to the mounted image.

If you don't have it, you can use the terminal:
- cd /Volumes/YourDiskName
- execute: sudo rm -rf .Trash
- Type your Admin password when prompted.
- Reboot.

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Answer 2

Tom Lambrou Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 6, 2011 8:07 PM in response to plcn

plcn wrote:
Try the following:

- Press and hold the mouse button on the Trash icon in the Dock. The context menu for Trash will display.
- Press and hold the Option key.
- Select Empty Trash from the context menu for Trash.
- Release the Option key.

If it doesn't works, do you still have the Backups.backupdb container? If you still have it mount it (doble clic on it), and just drag & drop the folder from the trash to the mounted image.

If you don't have it, you can use the terminal:
- cd /Volumes/YourDiskName
- execute: sudo rm -rf .Trash
- Type your Admin password when prompted.
- Reboot.

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately, I'm still at the same place. Every time I try to the empty the trash in any way shape or form I receive the following message...

*+The operation can’t be completed because an unexpected error occurred (error code -8003).+*

If I try to drag the folder to the empty Backups.backupdb folder on my external drive I receive this message...

*+The operation can’t be completed because backup items can’t be modified.+*

Followed your instructions to the word. Same results. I can't seem to get my "Computer's Name" folder out my trash either to delete it or to put it back on my external drive. 😟

Any other thoughts?

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Answer 3

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 6, 2011 8:44 PM in response to Tom Lambrou

See #E6 in [Time Machine - Troubleshooting|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/Troubleshooting.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

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Answer 4

Jan 27, 2011 2:30 PM in response to Pondini

Hi, I'm stuck with the same problem (and am now kicking myself for not doing a quick search before hitting delete).

I found #E6 really useful but am having a real ditzy moment (could be the late hour, or could be just me) getting the correct name for my time machine drive. I've tried the name as it appears on finder, and the longer name as it appears on disk utility as well as simply 'backups.backupdb'.

My external hard drive isn't partitioned.

I'd really appreciate some help on this so I can (hopefully) resolve the issue and stop feeling like such a numpty. Thanks in advance.

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Answer 5

Király

Level 6

10,017 points

Jan 27, 2011 2:43 PM in response to triciaruth

You can name your Time Machine drive anything you like.

Or, are you referring to the folder on the drive that contains all of the TM backups? That's a different matter.

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Answer 6

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 27, 2011 4:22 PM in response to triciaruth

triciaruth wrote:
. . .
I found #E6 really useful but am having a real ditzy moment (could be the late hour, or could be just me) getting the correct name for my time machine drive. I've tried the name as it appears on finder

Yes, that's the one -- the name that shows on your desktop, or on the +Time Machine Preferences+ panel, etc.

But you must type it exactly, including the exact number of spaces, if any, between the quotes.

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Answer 7

Jan 28, 2011 3:03 AM in response to Pondini

Thanks! Not sure what I'm doing wrong then.... my external hard drive has a name of only 5 letters with no spaces! (she's a LaCie... would capitalisation make a difference??)

I'll give it another go this evening and see where I get to.

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Answer 8

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 28, 2011 7:50 AM in response to triciaruth

triciaruth wrote:
Thanks! Not sure what I'm doing wrong then.... my external hard drive has a name of only 5 letters with no spaces! (she's a LaCie... would capitalisation make a difference??)

No. Are you leaving a space between cd and /volumes ?

Exactly what happens (you should be able to copy and post that part of the terminal window here)?

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Answer 9

Jul 6, 2014 12:45 PM in response to plcn

Thank you! You fixed me up in less than 5 seconds. Really appreciate it!

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