Q: Time Machine fails - cannot make backup folder

For the past two weeks I've been having some major issues backing up my computer with Time Machine. It's become quite a process.

iMac 27"

Mountain Lion

I am backing up to a brand new - well bought in February, '14 - 1TB external hard drive and there is NOTHING else in there except the TM backups.

For the past two weeks it's been failing the automatic backups.

There is PLENTY of room on the drive.

The exact error message reads:
"Time Machine Error
Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while creating the backup folder
Latest successful backup: [time and day entered here]"

To remedy this at first it was as easy as un-mounting the drive and then plugging it back in and it was fine.

Now I've got the disk utility open and constantly repairing the drive and this is only a temporary solution.

Below is a small sample of the report from the utility each one is dated.

Can anyone tell me how to fix this without having to purchase a new drive?

In February the old external drive I had started to freak TM out and it just erased ALL my backups which I desperately needed due to the same error / failure. That drive had plenty of space as well but I lost all my stuff anyway.

I searched the forums for a solution and found nothing helpful.

I know the TM isn't for archiving and another question I have is, How can I transfer or even rename the backup folder that TM makes and move it to a 'free drive' to prevent overwriting? Right now I just keep buying new drives which is ridiculous.

JUNE 16, 2014

----------------------

Verifying volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemJournal need to be replayed but volume is read-only

Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Incorrect number of extended attributes

(It should be 1355781 instead of 1355778)

Incorrect number of Access Control Lists

(It should be 1355741 instead of 1355738)

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 was found corrupt and needs to be repaired.

Error: This disk needs to be repaired. Click Repair Disk.

Verify and Repair volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemChecking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Incorrect number of extended attributes

(It should be 1355768 instead of 1355765)

Incorrect number of Access Control Lists

(It should be 1355728 instead of 1355725)

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

Repairing volume.

Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 was repaired successfully.

Volume repair complete.Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.

-----------------------

JUNE 17,2014

------------------------

Verifying volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemChecking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 appears to be OK.

Verifying volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemPerforming live verification.

Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 appears to be OK.

---------------------------------------

June 18,2014

-------------------------------------

Verifying volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemJournal need to be replayed but volume is read-only

Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 was found corrupt and needs to be repaired.

Error: This disk needs to be repaired. Click Repair Disk.

Verify and Repair volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemChecking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 appears to be OK.

Volume repair complete.

Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.

----------------------------------------

June 19, 2014

-----------------------

Verifying volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemJournal need to be replayed but volume is read-only

Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 was found corrupt and needs to be repaired.

Error: This disk needs to be repaired. Click Repair Disk.

Verify and Repair volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemChecking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 appears to be OK.

Volume repair complete.Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.

---------------------------------------

June 20, 2014

-------------

Verifying volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemJournal need to be replayed but volume is read-only

Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Incorrect number of extended attributes

(It should be 1364328 instead of 1364323)

Incorrect number of Access Control Lists

(It should be 1364285 instead of 1364280)

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 was found corrupt and needs to be repaired.

Error: This disk needs to be repaired. Click Repair Disk.Verify and Repair volume “Shuttlecraft 2”

Checking file systemChecking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Incorrect number of extended attributes

(It should be 1364316 instead of 1364311)

Incorrect number of Access Control Lists

(It should be 1364273 instead of 1364268)

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

Repairing volume.

Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.

Checking extents overflow file.

Checking catalog file.

Checking multi-linked files.

Checking catalog hierarchy.

Checking extended attributes file.

Checking multi-linked directories.

Checking volume bitmap.

Checking volume information.

The volume Shuttlecraft 2 was repaired successfully.

Volume repair complete.

Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.