IMac can't find my attached external hard drive for Time Machine.  Any ideas?

I have a Seagate for Mac external hard drive I have been using for my Time Machine backups.  Last week it was no longer backing up.  I unplugged it, reattached but Time Machine doesn't seem to be able to find it.

Sounds like the external disk drive has died.
If you have access to another computer, try testing it there. If not, you might be able to get the Apple Store to test it for you.

Similar Messages

  • Can I use the same external hard drive for time machine and storing other files

    I have a 640GB external hard drive that I have been using for over a year for time machine backups.  My mac hard drive is now starting to fill up and I am looking to move audio, video and picture files to my external hard drive.  How do I do this without messing up my time machine backups?  Can I do both on the same external hard drive?  Do I just make new folders on the external hard drive to move the files I want?  Thanks for the help.

    If you move the files you will need to get another disk to back the files up to. You don't want to have only one copy of certain files (personal, professional etc.).

  • Can you use the same external hard drive for Time Machine backups and as an additional storage drive?

    I have an external HD that I've been using exclusively for Time Machine backups. I need to clear space on my hard drive, so I was thinking to move music & photos to an external drive.  Wondering if I can use the same one I have (which I'll aslo keep using for Time Machine) or if I need to get another drive. 

    Hi Jossydtaylor,
    Time Machine can use either an entire external disk or a partition of that disk:
    OS X Mountain Lion: Disks you can use with Time Machine
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11171
    You can use Time Machine with a Time Capsule, and with USB, FireWire, and Thunderbolt disks. The backup disk can be directly connected to your computer or be on a network. If the backup disk has been divided into partitions, you can use one of the partitions.
    If the disk is partitioned using the Master Boot Record (MBR) partition type, some partitions may not be available for use with Time Machine. The GUID Partition Table (GPT) partition type is recommended.
    For more info on partitioning, see this article:
    Disk Utility 12.x: Partition a disk
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5845
    Cheers!
    - Ari

  • I have just upgraded from a Macbook to a Macbook Air. I have been using a iomega external hard drive for Time Machine, which use a Firewire. However, Macbook Air's do not have a Firewire port and i cannot find an adaptor anywhere. Can anyone help?? Thanks

    I have just upgraded from a Macbook to a Macbook Air. I have been using a iomega external hard drive for Time Machine, which use a Firewire. However, Macbook Air's do not have a Firewire port and i cannot find an adaptor anywhere. Can anyone help?? Thanks

    There has never been a reliable firewire ---> USB adapter suitable for external high speed storage.  This was a major issue when the MacBooks lost the firewire port a number of years ago (Apple subsequently brought it back).
    The only high speed port on the Air is the ThunderBolt port.  There are external ThunderBolt drive options out there, but they're somewhat more expensive than traditional USB/FireWire options.

  • Can not fine external hard drive for time machine sence lion was installed

    I can not fine external hard drive for time machine sence lion was installed, it don't reconise it at all.

    I have a Mac Mini (late 2009) and I have an iomega 1TB external hard drive connected to my mini via firewire and usb (usb allows me to use the usb ports on the external 1TB drive to daisy chain other devices).  Since I installed Lion, my Time Machine  and this 1TB drive (and its partitions) is finicky.  Sometimes it is mounted and sometimes it is not.   This issue has only surfaced post Snow Leopard and in the Lion era. I am not the first to say this but the whole reason I went Mac was b/c of Vista.  I am beginning to think that Lion is the new Vista.  Sorry for the latter, just venting... b/c this ain't the first issue with Lion.

  • HT201250 new external hard drive for Time Machine backup suggestions?

    Ok, I have 3 external hard drives; unfortunately I've used them on my PC and they are read only on my iMac.  So, I need to buy a new external hard drive for Time Machine backup.  I'm a little confused; can I buy any EHD and them format it so Mac can use it or are there special EHD's I need to purchase?
    Anyone have a particular EHD that is working well for you?  Thanks, Blue

    Bluehowler wrote:
    Ok, I have 3 external hard drives; unfortunately I've used them on my PC and they are read only on my iMac.  So, I need to buy a new external hard drive for Time Machine backup.  I'm a little confused; can I buy any EHD and them format it so Mac can use it or are there special EHD's I need to purchase?
    Anyone have a particular EHD that is working well for you?  Thanks, Blue
    Unless you need all three external drives for your PC, you can reformat in one of them in Mac OS Extended (Journaled)  for use with Time Machine. However, since Time Machine backs up hourly, you'd need the external drive to be running constantly. That means ventilation of the drive becomes an issue since some, such as Seagate, can get very hot in their sealed enclosures. Some drive manufacturers try to get around this by spinning down the drive when not in use, but I've read complaints that that doesn't play well with a Mac. So whether you reuse one of your current externals or get a new one, it's a good idea to keep the drive's ventilation in mind.

  • Is it possible to use an external hard drive for time machine backup and also as a regular hard drive?

    Is it possible to use an external hard drive for time machine backup and also as a regular hard drive?

    I am using an external drive in the exact way that you described. You just keep it plugged in to the computer when you want to access the movies and files. In order to put files on it, just go to finder open up the drive under devices and drag and drop files onto the drive. It is just like using a usb drive with a terabyte of space.

  • Mac mini as an external hard drive for time machine??

    I have a mac mini from a few years ago and it is never used. I was wonder if it could be used as an external hard drive for time machine. If this can be done how do I go about setting it up for this type of useage?

    Thanks for starting this thread. I too am trying to use my old mac mini in target mode to utilize it's hard drive for Time Machine.
    I hope to strip it down to just it's OS (10.5) and use the remaining hard drive space for Time Machine backup.
    Is it possible to just have it running at certain times for regular back in target mode? Or do I have to keep it on constantly?
    I fear having to restart using the "T" command each time. Isn't there a way to just have it sleep and then have the ability to wake it up as I backup or restore?
    thanks in advance for any help.
    Vince

  • Is it possible to use more than one external hard drive for Time Machine backups?

    I want to use two hard drives for Time Machine backups.
    Bigger one keep at home and be sure it is safe.
    Second one (very small pocket size) keep with me for travels.
    I want to backup to both drives to be sure I can restore everywhere and to be sure if something bad happened with my small travel disk I can restore from home backup.
    Is there any problem with listed schema? Is it normal for Time Machine to handle backups for different drivers and keep everything consistent and smooth?

    I really need some help!  I have been using an Iomega NAS 1TB HD for the past year.  And I received an error message.  I believe I have ran out of memory on this drive.
    Then recently in the last couple of months I got a ReadyNAS Duo 2TB with 2TB RAID.  Should I switch my back ups to this one and delete the other back up file or keep the old back up image file on the Iomega?
    Can I transfer the old image back up to this new ReadyNAS? How do I do this?
    I appreciate any help.

  • Need to reformat external hard drive for time machine?

    Hello,
    We recently purchased an external hard drive for our family iMac after we had to have a new hard drive put in. We picked up a Western Digital 1tb My Book (http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=725). I set up the external hd with time machine and all was fine for about a month.
    An error message of "The backup volume is read only" started appearing. I attempted to repair the disk through these directions http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3275#1 but when I was trying to follow the steps, I think I disconnected the external hd without dismounting it, so now I'd assume I need to reformat the external hd. I can't seem to find instructions on how to do this. Where should I look for reformatting my external hard drive?
    Any other tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    Hard Drive Preparation
    1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
    2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs) then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
    Message was edited by: Kappy

  • Using External Hard Drive For Time Machine

    Hi. I will be buying a new iMac and plan to use an external hard drive by Lacie for Time Machine backups. I haven't used an external hard drive for this purpose before -- previously I've always used Apple's Time Capsule. So, I don't know if I can leave the Lacie hard drive unejected and powered on even when I've shut the computer down. The Time Capsule never needs ejecting from the desktop and is always on, but I'm not sure if the same can be done with an external hard drive when using it for time machine backups.
    So, I just need to know if, when using an external hard drive such as a Lacie for Time Machine backups, I can 1. leave it unejected even when I shut down the computer? and 2. Can I also leave the hard drive powered on even when I shut the computer down? It would be good if I could do this because then it would just always be on and ready for hourly time machine backups without my having to remember to turn it on and the eject it when it's finished for the day.
    I'd appreciate any advice or information.
    Thanks in advance.
    John

    pulp3au wrote:
    1. leave it unejected even when I shut down the computer?
    What are you referring with "unejected"? You should know that LaCie drives have got three modes: "On" (permanently turned on), "Auto" (when you turn off your computer, your external disk turns off or you unmount it) and "Off". Choose the one you want.
    pulp3au wrote:
    2. Can I also leave the hard drive powered on even when I shut the computer down? It would be good if I could do this because then it would just always be on and ready for hourly time machine backups without my having to remember to turn it on and the eject it when it's finished for the day.
    Of course. You can leave the external disk turned on when your Mac is turned off without any problem. In "Auto" mode you won't have to do anything in order to turn it on again

  • External hard drive for time machine back-ups

    Can anyone please suggest the best external hard drive to use for time machine back-ups on my iMac?
    I also use a 1TB external hard drive for my iTunes library, but I've noticed that it can be slower to access the music than if I used the iMac hard drive......any suggestions? My iTunes library is currently sitting at around 200GB.
    Thanks.
    Brian

    i'd recommend a firewire 800 drive. many folks here speak highly of drives supplied by [OWC|http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire> and [LaCie|http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=11156].
    JGG

  • Using Mac mini as External Hard Drive for time machine

    I know this can be done but I am not sure how. How can I set up a mac mini as an external hard drive. Can this be used as a drive for time machine?? Any help is appreciated, Thank you.

    Personal file sharing (which may require Leopard on the Mini) or by connecting the Mini to your other Mac via Target Disk Mode. I wouldn't recommend that latter, though; too much chance of inadvertently erasing files critical to the operation of the Mini.

  • Is it not recommended to use a partitioned external hard drive for time machine?

    1. i hv a 1 tb seagate  back up plus hard disc ..,,i want to make partitions for  using it for time machine, mac, and window repectively . is it not recommended to use a partitioned drive for time machine? some where i have red that time machine wont be able to restore data from external partioned hard drive  in case internal hard drive crashes.
    2. if i use the seagate back up plus 1tb for mac only and use time machine to take backup (roughly 250 GB) , then the rest space i cant use to transfer movies, pictures from a PC
    3. how should i best use the seagate back up plus hard drive (not seagate back up plus for mac) in a way that i use it for back up , and to work with both mac and PC?

    I use a partitioned external drive for Time Machine as well as other things.
    How you partition it is a function of yoru needs.
    Barry

  • Can't find external hard drive for time machine restore

    I recently installed Lion (mistake) and I'm now attempting to reinstall Snow Leopard from a Time Machine back up.  I get to the point where it starts searching for external drives in order to find the Time Machine back up; however, it is not able to find my drive.  I've tried plugging it in before I start the computer, and when it starts to search for the drive. I did not plug in my hard drive while I had Lion running (it never backed up from Lion).  Help?

    I have a Mac Mini (late 2009) and I have an iomega 1TB external hard drive connected to my mini via firewire and usb (usb allows me to use the usb ports on the external 1TB drive to daisy chain other devices).  Since I installed Lion, my Time Machine  and this 1TB drive (and its partitions) is finicky.  Sometimes it is mounted and sometimes it is not.   This issue has only surfaced post Snow Leopard and in the Lion era. I am not the first to say this but the whole reason I went Mac was b/c of Vista.  I am beginning to think that Lion is the new Vista.  Sorry for the latter, just venting... b/c this ain't the first issue with Lion.

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