Moving Time Machine Backups - The operation can't be completed because backup items can't be modified

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Level 1

2 points

Moving Time Machine Backups - The operation can't be completed because backup items can't be modified

I want to change the external drive that I use for my Time Machien Backups. I went through the steps listed here:

Time Machine: How to transfer backups from a current backup drive to a new backup drive - Apple Support

It appeared to work fine. I turned TM back on, and added the new drive. TM is now backing up files to the new drive, but there is one issue.

For some reason, TM started putting the backups "loosely" for lack of a better term into the external drive, and not into the backups.backupdb folder for about a week, then went back to saving them in the backups.backupdb > computer name> folders of backups. So in other words, when you click on the hard drive in finder, it opens the drive and you see a folder with the name Backups.backupdb and then a bunch of folders mixed in that are time machine backups named 2016-01-24-XXXXXX, etc. When you go into the Backups.backupdb folder, there is one more random "loose" time machine backup folder 2016-01-23-XXXXXX, and then another folder with the computers name, and in that folder are all of the TM backups except for the loose ones that I mentioned earlier.

It seems that TM is working properly now, but I'm not sure why it put the folders from the first few days outside of the backup folder. Regardless, when I go to drag them, I get the error:

The operation can't be completed because backup items can't be modified

I just want to put all of the files into the correct folder so that I can A) keep my drive organized and B) ensure that TM can find everything correctly should I need to go back.

Any idea what is happening and how to fix?!

MacBook Pro, Windows XP Pro

Posted on Jan 31, 2016 7:45 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Jan 31, 2016 7:49 PM in response to IDguy

Although Apple documentation says you can copy Time Machine backups in the Finder, it's very slow and sometimes doesn't work at all.

This technique will only work if the volume you're copying to is the same size, or larger than, the one you're copying from.

First, please open the Time Machine preference pane and click the Select Disk... button. You may have to unlock the settings first by clicking the padlock icon in the lower left corner of the window. Authenticate as an administrator.

Delete the volume you're going to copy from the list of backup destinations. Then turn Time Machine OFF.

Launch Disk Utility, open the built-in help, and search for the term "Duplicate." Follow the instructions. All existing data on the destination volume will be erased. That shouldn't be a problem, because you don't want to mix backup and non-backup data on the same drive anyway.

If the volume you're copying was encrypted by Time Machine, you may have to unlock it first. Click the Unlock button in the toolbar of the Disk Utility window.

Turn Time Machine back ON and select the new volume as a backup destination. You can also continue to use the old volume, if you wish. The two will be alternated when both are available.

CAUTION: If the volume you're copying is corrupt, as shown by Repair Disk or First Aid in Disk Utility, then that corruption will be copied to the new drive. Don't copy data from a corrupt volume on a malfunctioning drive. Put the drive aside and don't use it until you're sure you'll no longer need the data. Then securely erase it and take it to a recycling center. Do the same if the Restore operation fails with "disk errors."

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Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jan 31, 2016 7:55 PM in response to IDguy

The best way to copy a Time Machine backup is using the clone or Restore option in Disk Utility.

Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility for Snow Leopard or Earlier

1. Open Disk Utility in the Utilities folder.

2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.

3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.

4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag

it to the Destination entry field.

5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to

the Source entry field.

6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.

Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility for Lion and Later

Boot to the Recovery HD:

Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.

1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu then press the Continue

button.

2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.

3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.

4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it

to the Destination entry field.

5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to

the Source entry field.

6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.

Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

Be sure to turn off Time Machine beforehand.

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Answer 3

IDguy Author

Level 1

2 points

Feb 6, 2016 4:15 PM in response to Kappy

None of this really address my issue. I'm not looking to wipe anything. I just copied a folder called Backups.backupdb from one hard drive to another which seemed to be working fine, and when I did that, the backups which were in the folder on the source drive seemed to explode all over the place and back themselves up where ever they wanted to.

As you can see in the image, I had a folder called "Files" which has actually files that I'm backing up as well, and I don't want to lose all of that by wiping out an entire hard drive just to get time machine to work the way it should (but probably still won't it seems).

I don't want to take anything off of another drive anymore. Its all on the correct drive, I just want to move them into the "parent" folder if that makes sense, instead of having them saved randomly all over the place.

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