Repeated Time Machine failure

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Level 1

5 points

Repeated Time Machine failure

27 inch iMac 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 8GB RAM running OS X 10.9

4TB Touro external HD connected via USB into a USB socket on the back of the iMac, NOT via a USB hub. External HD formatted to Mac OS External (Journaled) and checked as Verified and also Repaied via Disk Utility.

All worked fine for a number of months.

For the last month, Time Machine keeps failing on backups, be they manual or automatic backups.

Time Machine Widget gives the following errors:

Starting manual backup

Backing up to /dev/disk4s2: /Volumes/TIME MACHINE/Backups.backupdb

Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd.HostUUID path:/Volumes/TIME MACHINE/Backups.backupdb/CTN iMac size:37

Backup failed with error 2: 2

Time Machine itself displays the following error:

Followed the excellent Pondi's advice on this link: http://pondini.org/TM/A4.html

and although the backup then worked OK first time, I still keep getting the error on subsequent backups.

Once this error occurs, when I then try to Repair the disk using Disk Utilities, I get the following error:

So I now bow to the experts on this forum and wonder if anyone can possibly tell me how to fix this issue as it's driving me nuts!!!

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion, 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 8GB RAM

Posted on Nov 21, 2013 4:33 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 21, 2013 5:15 AM in response to CNix London

Hi C

1. Switch off Time Machine

2. Empty the HDD. Format Journaled with a different Name.

3. Choose this new formatted HDD as your new TM Backup Part.

4. Look what happens...

Hope that helps.

Nick

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Answer 2

CNix London Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 21, 2013 5:53 AM in response to domipeter

Nick,

I am a tad reluctant to reformat my Time Machine HD as if I do, I'll lose all the Time Machine backups.

That's a bit of a terminal fix, if you forgive my play on words...

Is there another fix I can try before I resort to reformating my external HD and thence deleting all the stored backups???

Chris

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Answer 3

Nov 21, 2013 6:52 AM in response to CNix London

No its ok

Keep your Backup. But you can use another HDD and Try to do the Backup on the other.

So if you need to restore, you can switch. The same you have on the HDD, is on the partition 3 on your Mac anyway present for use.

Nick

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Answer 4

CNix London Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 21, 2013 7:43 AM in response to domipeter

Nick,

Sorry but I don't quite understand your suggestion.

For a start, I don't have another external HD that is big enough to take the backup from my 1TB iMac.

Secondly, what do you mean by "The same you have on the HDD, is on the partition 3 on your Mac anyway present for use"???

Thanks!

Chris

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Answer 5

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,541 points

Nov 21, 2013 8:24 AM in response to CNix London

Please take each of the following steps until the problem is resolved.

1. From the menu bar, select

 ▹ System Preferences ▹ Energy Saver ▹ Power Adapter

and uncheck the box labeled Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible, if it's checked.

2. Some external drives ignore the Energy Saver setting and spin down anyway. The application "KeepDriveSpinning" from developer Jon Stovell may help in that case. (Credit to ASC member dsrtmacusr for this solution.)

3. If the drive is connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port on the computer.

4. If the drive has more than one bridge (e.g., FireWire and USB), try another one.

5. If a firmware update is available for the drive, apply it.

6. Contact the drive manufacturer to see whether there's a firmware setting you can change.

7. If you installed vendor software for the drive, uninstall it.

8. Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

/Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist

Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

Services ▹ Reveal

from the contextual menu. A Finder window should open with a file selected. Copy the file to the Desktop. Then move it (the original, not the copy) to the Trash. You'll be prompted for your administrator password. Reboot and recreate your settings in the Time Machine preference pane. It will show that you have no backups. Don't worry; that's expected. Run a backup to test. The backup may take much longer than usual. If TM now performs as expected, delete the file you copied to the Desktop.

9. If none of the above steps resolves the issue, the drive is failing. Use another one. You may be able to salvage the mechanism of an external drive by installing it in another enclosure.

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