Lacie external drive/Time Machine errors

No, it's not normal. 😟

Lots of things can cause the sort of directory problems you're having, but probably the two most common are an improper disconnection (disconnecting without ejecting, or power loss, even momentary), and a failing drive.

You might want to take the time to Zero Out the disk via Disk Utility. That will write zeros to the entire disk; if that fails, you know the drive is failing. If it succeeds, it may be ok (that won't detect all possible problems). See #2 in Using Disk Utility if you're not sure how to do that.

Terriodo wrote:

I restored

Restored what? To where? How?

and it looks like my computer hard drive is on the exernal hard drive even though some message came up implied otherwise.

A backup is a copy; so if you backed your system up to the external HD, yes, there should be a copy of it there.

"Some message"? What message?

This is like calling your auto mechanic and saying "My car makes some noise. What's wrong?"

Either give us the wording of the message, or post a screenshot of it.

I don't know what Zero Out is and just followed directions on Disk Utility. I need to find another place to backup to.

Now I'm wondering just where the "invalid node" and other messages come from. Are they on your internal HD, or the external?

Again, a screenshot would be helpful, so we can give you appropriate help.

Terriodo wrote:

Sorry, I thought it was obvious from my original post that I was talking about the Lacie external hard drive.

That's what I thought, but wanted to be certain.

I erased and restored the external hard drive.

Is this is your Time Machine drive? If so, how did you restore it?

it indicated that the backup didn't work, but it seemed to.

Is there a red "Failed" message on the Time Machine Preferences window? If so, click the red "i" icon next to it; that will display the message.

If not, a clue may be lurking in your logs. Use the widget in #A1 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting to display the backup messages from your logs. Locate the backup in question, then copy and post all the messages here.

You've probably got some sort of problem with the port, cable, or drive. (I have a smaller version of the same drive).

Or, an improper disconnection (ie, without ejecting first) can cause directory problems.

I think you're saying the drive doesn't appear in Disk Utility's sidebar -- if so, see #10 in Using Disk Utility.

I took screen shots, but not sure how to attach them.

Click the camera icon in the toolbar above the entry box.

Terriodo wrote:

I think it could be an improper disconnection. I think I might have unplugged the wire for to hook up my camcorder, not realizing I had to eject first.

If you haven't yet, try repairing the disk, per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

If Disk Utility can't repair it, your best be is to erase it (and zero-it out, per the pink box at the bottom of #A5a) and let Time Machine start fresh.

Plus, we have had a couple short power outages. How would I fix that? I am going to look at that link now.

Power outages, dips, and spikes can cause all sorts of problems on your Mac and/or external HDs. Be sure to plug both into a good surge protector or, better, a U.P.S. (battery back-up) system. See Using a U.P.S. System with a Mac for details and suggestions.

Terriodo wrote:

So now I go to my disk first aid box and go to Erase. What goes in the Format and Name boxes?

They should default to the current values. If not, see Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #5.

Once that is done, I will click on Restore. Right?

No -- there's nothing to restore. (That's a generic message -- if you had, say, documents or media files on the drive, you'd copy it elsewhere temporarily, erase, then copy it back.)

Should I be doing any replugging or anything like that first?

No; the connection to the drive doesn't seem to be a problem. But always be sure all connections are snug and secure, the cable isn't frayed, etc.

Terriodo wrote:

. . .

I wonder if this is a problem with Time Machine or my external hard drive.

Hard to tell, unfortunately. As posted earlier, that can be caused by lots of things.

Our Lacie hard drive is backing up everything that is on our computer. Meaning there isn't anything getting backed up that has been deleted. But it is annoying to erase the darn thing every couple of weeks and load it all on again.

My advice would be to get another drive. Since you have a desktop Mac, get a desktop drive, with it's own power supply. Plug it (and your Mac) into a same good-quality surge suppressor; or, better, U.P.S. (battery backup) system.

It's always prudent to keep secondary backups. See Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #27 for an explanation and some suggestions.

That recommends using a different app, but in your situation, you might want to use both drives with Time Machine temporarily; you'll have to switch back and forth manually via the TM Preferences panel (Mountain Lion allows multiple destinations, but Snow Leopard doesn't). If the new drive works fine, but the old one doesn't, that will implicate the LaCie, or it's connections, etc.

If you determine it's ok, then use one (probably the desktop) with Time Machine, and the Rugged with another app. Consider taking it off-site, as mentioned in #27.

If it's not ok, replace it.

I am running 10.6.8 and have Lacie 1T Rugged external hard drive connected by firewire on my Mac desktop.

I have a smaller version of that drive, as do several folks here. It gets good reviews, but like any drive, won't last forever. If it's over about 3 years old, it could be starting to develop a problem.