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User profile for user: TommytheCat
TommytheCat Author
User level: Level 1
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Time Machine stuck on "preparing backup"

About a week ago I put some files from my laptop to the external drive that the iMac described below uses for time machine, and in the process the computer froze and I had some mounting problems with the external drive. It turned out ok though, and for the last week it has mounted fine, I got all the files transferred, and I can access all the files on it, including the previous time machine backups. However, since I did all this, even though I can still put files onto the drive and take them off, the official time machine backups haven't been working. The status just says "preparing backup" and the clock icon keeps spinning. I just now repaired the drive on Disk Utility, and it said it repaired it with no problems, but I'm getting the same result with Time Machine. Why would Time Machine not work if the drive is still perfectly accessible? Does putting other files that aren't part of Time Machine backups make Time Machine stop working?

Intel iMac, 1.83 GHz, 2 GB memory, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jan 9, 2011 2:05 AM

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User profile for user: TommytheCat
TommytheCat Author
User level: Level 1
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Jan 9, 2011 3:41 PM in response to Jolly Giant

thanks, I did everything it said and nothing worked until I tried to verify the internal disk and the verification failed with something about incorrect number of directories. My next step is now going to be boot from the CD and repair the internal disk with Disk Utility. I have everything backed up, and like I said, I can access the external drive just fine, so I think this step is safe, but I just want to make sure.
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User profile for user: Pondini
Pondini
User level: Level 8
38,863 points

Jan 9, 2011 3:57 PM in response to TommytheCat

TommytheCat wrote:
thanks, I did everything it said and nothing worked until I tried to verify the internal disk and the verification failed with something about incorrect number of directories. My next step is now going to be boot from the CD and repair the internal disk with Disk Utility. I have everything backed up, and like I said, I can access the external drive just fine, so I think this step is safe, but I just want to make sure.


Yup.
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User profile for user: Pondini
Pondini
User level: Level 8
38,863 points

Jan 9, 2011 4:25 PM in response to TommytheCat

It could be a false result from the verify (if you did it using the copy of Disk Utility on the OSX drive). You'll notice the message about it being a "live verification."

That's a very tricky thing to do on a modern, complex OS -- checking all the directories, catalogs, etc., to make sure everything is "in sync" while OSX is running. It will temporarily suspend some things to allow that, but it's possible that something that requires several entries will get checked before all the pieces are finished.

If the repair doesn't find any problems, that's likely the explanation. 🙂

But if it does, there's something causing problems, that will need to be addressed. 😟
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User profile for user: TommytheCat
TommytheCat Author
User level: Level 1
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Jan 9, 2011 5:23 PM in response to Pondini

Pondini wrote:

If the repair doesn't find any problems, that's likely the explanation. 🙂

But if it does, there's something causing problems, that will need to be addressed. 😟

that's good to hear. However, now when I booted from the 10.5 install disc, when I try to repair the internal HDD, it says it could not be unmounted, so it doesn't repair. I thought that was the point of booting from the install disc.
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User profile for user: Pondini
Pondini
User level: Level 8
38,863 points

Jan 9, 2011 5:40 PM in response to TommytheCat

TommytheCat wrote:
. . .
However, now when I booted from the 10.5 install disc, when I try to repair the internal HDD, it says it could not be unmounted, so it doesn't repair. I thought that was the point of booting from the install disc.


It probably doesn't matter, but if you're running Snow Leopard, repair only with a Snow Leopard disc.

If it still doesn't work, try this: [Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509]. Run the Extended tests. (For that, you do need the original disc.)
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Time Machine stuck on "preparing backup"

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