Q: The backup disk image “/Volumes/Data/Macintosh.sparsebundle” could not be accessed (error -1)

There are occasionally issues but I doubt permissions is it.

Pondini has a few other suggestions.. did you read those.

C17 here.

http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html

There are some occasions when you actually have to delete the old backup and start over.. if you were using wireless for the backup this can happen as it corrupts somewhere.

Full factory reset of the TC..

New names for TC and wireless.

Then mount the disk in finder and do the verify as per pondini A5..

No luck delete the backup or erase the TC and start over.. this is occasionally the only way to get things restarted.

I have almost the exact same issue...3 Apples (running Mavericks) backing up to a wireless TC...the first two computers (Airbook and iMac) worked well. The last one (another iMac) gets the same error message as above.

When I start up the inital back up process, it seems to run normally...it sees the TC on the network...it starts "looking for back up disk" -> "preparing to back up"

As this happens a new icon appears on my desktop (with the name of the back up volume from the TC- "Data")...

Then after a few minutes the process flips back to "looking for back up disk" and then "preparing to back up" again before giving up the ghost with the error message. As these steps backwards happen, another new icon appears "Time Machine Backups" with an associated window of the same name, the window is blank aside for the title.

I've tried to troubleshoot using this thread and the pondini solutions...I've moved the TC to the troubled iMac and used an ethernet cable to rule out wireless issues.

I've also deleted the sparsebundle associated with this troubled iMac...all without successful resolution.

Any additional ideas short of erasing the TC and the back ups for the 2 working computers?

Thanks in advance.

Can you explain please.  I'm having the same issue with my MBP. 

How do I delete the .sparsbundle?

Delete backup, just select the sparsebundle and delete it.

http://pondini.org/TM/12.html

But it takes ages over wireless.. much better to do it with ethernet and wireless off.

Also it is better to erase the TC.. faster and you are starting then afresh. Just open the airport utility and use erase. Do a quick erase .. anything else will take many hours.. a 35 pass erase about 1 month.

So I just just restore the TC and start over?  What causes this, and do I need to do anything to set it up differently this time?

 

I've tried to troubleshoot using this thread and the pondini solutions...I've moved the TC to the troubled iMac and used an ethernet cable to rule out wireless issues.

 

I've also deleted the sparsebundle associated with this troubled iMac...all without successful resolution.

 

You have tried most of the fixes..

I would say you have some deeper issue.

Do A4 .. reset of TM.

Plug a USB drive into the computer. And directly backup to that. It will prove that the local disk is ok and TM is actually working.

Lots of people are having issues after Maverick upgrade though.. so in the end, the solution is probably to do a clean install of Maverick.

Please just note as commented below.. this issue can sometimes arise due to over long names.

See C9 in pondini.

Keep all network names, short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric. There is no need for names to be longer than required for a description of the item.

If you have just one TC then TC is enough. Wireless names, can also be short as you like. TC24ghz and TC5ghz (if you want to take some control and stop the band swapping which adds to the problems).

rpearlberg wrote:

 

So I just just restore the TC and start over?  What causes this, and do I need to do anything to set it up differently this time?

The cause is unknown.. but probably there are several of them.

Let me suggest the setup of the TC as simple as possible.

Use SMB type names, ie short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric. That is the main one.

And if possible use ethernet. The fact is backups are corurpted over wireless far more frequently than over ethernet.

I really think a locally connected disk is more reliable, faster and better target for TM than network drive.

My whole reason for using the TC is for wireless backups...I have a short name that is only 7 letters.

I have the same issue as descriped by "seegoblu". After several contacts with Apple Support the last statement was "The TC must have a defect."

Yesterday I went to the Apple Store and change the TC to a new one.

Same problems.

My config:

TC connected via ethernet to DSL router. WLAN configured via TC, One MAC Book Air 2012 Mavericks connected via WLAN TM runs fine, one IMAC Mid 2007 Mavericks connected via Ethernet (TC) TM not possible.

I tried every tip which is available via internet, nothing works until now.

For iMac plug in a USB and test it with TM .. if it works the issue is network. TM is frankly better and faster and more reliable using local disks than network disk.