Time Machine Error: "The backup volume could not be found"

Here's my problem: I click on "Back up now" and it "Prepares to backup" for a few seconds then fails.
I have been here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3275#4 and it didn't help at all as I'm using Time Machine, not Time Capsule. I only noticed the problem now, but it has been over a week since it was last backed up. (The computer was getting its logic board replaced)
Has anyone got a clue as to a fix to this situation? I really don't want to reformat my external HD as it has stuff that I'd love to keep on it - not to mention I don't want the hassle.
Thanks

Time Machine Failed Backup
After being without a backup for 3 months, I now have my backup program working again.My backup drive is a Western Digital 1TB drive connected by firewire. I'm not a tekkie but this worked painlessly for me and took only about 2 minutes from start to finish.
I had the same problem of being unable to launch a backup (although I could restore files. In retrospect the ownership privileges were pooched; although I could read, I couldn't write.) The 10.5.6 updated didn't provide the solution I had hoped to see and has even caused all kinds of similar problems for other people.
Cheers and good luck!
Rob
I found the thread here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1827243&tstart=15
and this is the important part:
Using Terminal (found under utilities) type the following and be sure to include spaces where they occur.
$ cd /Volumes/Backup
$ ls -alF
$ sudo chown Username .001b63b6df97
"Backup" is the name of your TM drive
"Username" is, well, your username
.001b... is the name of the file TM states (also shown after the ls command)
For the ‘cd’ command, replace “Backup” with your volume name, e.g. My Time Machine (hint, you can type the first few characters and press TAB and the shell should auto-complete). For the ’sudo’ command, replace “jfoster” with your account name and use the file name shown in the error dialog (or the file listing given with ‘ls’).* The ’sudo’ command allows you to run the ‘chown’ (change owner) as root, but you will need to give your password to authenticate this action.
(*I also found the file name by clicking on the lowercase "i" in the red circle next to where it said Failed:)
credit for his goes to James Foster:
http://programminggems.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/mac-10-5-6/

Similar Messages

Time Machine error "The backup disk could not be found"

I use Time Capsule with Time Machine, Lion OS and manage to setup successfully. However after I on it for few hours, there is backup error. Time Machine error message "The backup disk could not be found." But the internet wifi is working normally.
To solve this issue I have to power off and on it again, then the disk can be detected. But after few hours same thing happen again.
Is it a hardware faulty or sometime that cause the Time Capusle harddisk to sleep after sometime?

I have this exact same problem. When I restart the Time Capsule I can then start backups normally, but it requires manual intervention. That's dissapointing because Time Machine and Time Capsule are supposed to be an automatic, worry free backup. I have to restart the Time Capsule frequently. Annoyed.

Time Machine Contradiction: "The backup volume could not be mounted"

(This is only one wireless issue I've had this year, but I'm trying to keep this brief -- hoping clarity will instigate some help.)
Recently I bought a Western Digital 500GB drive to go with my AEBS. I was intent upon using the drive as an Airdisk for Time Machine backups, but it isn't working. (I also have the WD drive partitioned in halves, but there is no reason to believe that is an issue.) When wired, the disk backs-up quickly and easily. After the initial backup, and attempting to do so wirelessly, however, it doesn't work. I get the message: "The backup volume could not be mounted."
And there's the contradiction: the disk is mounted, I'm looking at the mounted disk as I type -- I even have no problems reading and writing from the Airdisks independent of Time Machine. I have all the latest software updates and am running Leopard. I've been going at this for hours, but I would really appreciate some help.
Here are some of the things I've tried:
-checking all connections
-erasing the Airdisk and starting from scratch
-repairing disk permissions(on my internal harddrive, the one I boot on, not the WD)
-attempting to "Connect to Server" in the Finder, only to get this:
And if you look, you can see that while the Airdisks are there, they are grey and can't be selected. It
never becomes possible to select them, and "Connecting to Server" never connects.
-I've toggled every Airport Utility setting to no avail(I will admit I might have missed something though).
-I've done everything I can think of
-banged my head into walls...
-and pulled my hair out, but nothing.
I really would like to get this working. This is my worst Apple experience yet, and it is literally making me sick. You will be my God if you can help me with this. Let me know if you need anymore information. Thanks in advance.
<Edited by Moderator>

Okay, so it seems you need to do initial Time-Machine-ing over WiFi if you intend to use it that way. Why nobody at Apple mentioned this baffles me; why this is even a problem, makes me wonder if Time Machine went through adequate testing.
So my problem is solved! I am my own God!
<Edited by Moderator>

Time Machine Error - The backup image could not be mounted

Bought two new MacBooks.
Put first MacBook on LAN connected to TC.
1. Selected Use Time machine Backup
Selected TC
It then sat there for 3 hours "Checking Time Machine Backup.....
The only way out was to power off and power on again
Did 1 again, and again , and again
By now the two iMacs are now reporting either the backup image is Read Only followed by The backup image could not be mounted!!!!
So it seems that the two new MacBooks cannot use TM backups and c]have corrupted our backups!!
Tried calling Apple Care, which I paid for both MacBooks - but they had closed. That was a very useful £400 spent!!!!!!
Arrrrrrgh I had just been bragging about how easy Macs made things
Very frustrating
If I cannot get these going tonight they are back in the box and back to the store in the morning

OK
Called Applecare - took out the £195 Applecare option when I purchased the MacBook.
The AppleCare guy told me said first:-
The TimeCapsule is broken take it in for repairs.
I pointed out the TC was working fine.
Then :-
After explaining again that the Macbook had been sitting for several hours saying it had 1 minute to go before finishing.
"My supervisor says Macs take longer to do things than PCs, give it another two hours then if it still hasn't finished it's last minute call us back.
I challenged him on this he put me on hold again for 10 mins and eventually hung up on me.
That was why I paid and extra £195 for telephone support!!!
Called back again and very helpful guy walked me through some options and escalated to Tier 2, couldn't get anywhere so the only thing left now is to return the MacBooks to the store.
It Appears that Macbooks are incompatible with the Time Capsule.
Never mind Windows 7 is coming soon and I am hearing good things about it.

Time Machine Error - The backup image could not be created.

I am trying to back up to a My Book World II but when I try to back up using Time Machine I get this error. I have been able to back up to this drive through terminal and running rsync.

Yeah, I'm having the same problem as well. The only way it works is if you downgrade to 10.5.1, which I really don't want to do. Let me know if you found a solution. Thanks,
Mike

Everything was OK - now have "The backup volume could not be found" error

Setup:
* MacBook Air
* MacBook 10.5.5
* Mac Mini with external hard drive with 2 partitions, one of which is called "Time Machine", 10.5.5
What was working:
MacBook Air and MacBook would backup with Time Machine over wireless connection to .sparseimage files on the "Time Machine" volume connected to the Mac Mini.
Change:
Had to give the MacBook Air back to my old employer, so I "merged" the MacBook Air onto the MacBook (the merge was somewhat convoluted, and unrelated to my issue I think: I used SuperDuper to copy the MacBook Air hard drive onto a new SATA notebook drive. Then I installed that drive in the MacBook. Then I used Migration Assistant to copy the user from the original MacBook SATA drive onto the new drive in the MacBook. Now I have two users on the MacBook, whereas before I had one use on each of two computers).
Symptom:
Now I cannot use Time Machine to backup the MacBook to the "Time Machine" volume. Everything I've tried causes Time Machine to briefly "prepare" the backup, then return the error "The backup volume could not be found". Things I've tried:
* Mounting the volume "Time Machine" on the MacBook, under either user, works fine - I can write, read, and delete from the volume.
* Deleting the old .sparseimage backup files from the "Time Machine" volume.
* Erasing the "Time Machine" volume with Disk Utility on the Mac Mini.
* Using "Change Disk..." in Time Machine to re-select the volume "Time Machine"
* Using "Change Disk..." in Time Machine to select None, then restarting, then re-selecting the volume "Time Machine"
* Making the volume "Time Machine" read/write by guests, then connecting to it from the MacBook as a guest instead of as an admin user.
* Repairing permissions and/or repairing disks using Disk Utility on all applicable volumes.
* Tried all of the above under both users on the MacBook (both of whom are Admin users)
None of these things have worked, they all exhibit the same symptom when I manually start a time machine, or when I wait for Time Machine to automatically start the backup.
Any ideas of what I can try next?

Consider these reasons for this error...
*_"Backup Volume Could Not Be Found"_*
First, it is important to distinguish this error message from another, similar Time Machine error that states, “The backup volume could not be mounted”. This is important as the causes and cures for these two errors can be very different.
*Reselect Your Time Machine Disk*
(http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1329)
In the Finder, go up to the "Go" menu and select "Connect to Server".
Click the "Browse" button at the dialogue box.
In the Network window that opens, do you see your TM drive?
Double click it to mount the drive.
Now let's try to reselect it for Time Machine use.
Go to System Preferences --> Time Machine.
Click the "Change Disk..." button.
Select "None" and click "Stop Backing Up".
Now click "Choose Backup Disk" and reselect your drive again.
Close System Preferences and try backing-up again.
On the other hand, does your Time Machine drive NOT appear at all? Is it appearing on your desktop? If it is still connected try disconnecting the cable, waiting a few seconds and then reconnecting the cable. Does the drive mount on the desktop? Try initiating a backup now.
*Disk Fails to Wake From Sleep*
“If your external HD has a sleep function that does not wake for Time Machine backups. Time Machine will alert you that "The backup volume could not be found", and backups will not be made.” (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1337)
*3rd-Party Disk Utilities* #
Many external hard disks come with software for maintaining/monitoring hard disk activities. It may have come on a separate CD or been installed on the drive itself. If these programs have been installed they may interfere with Time Machine backups, generate erratic behavior, or cause the drive to ‘disappear’ altogether.
You may never know these applications are there as they may be running in the background. Go to System preferences --> Accounts. Select your account in the pane on the left. Click “Login Items”. Are there any items listed there that might refer to hard disk utilities. If so remove them using the “-” button at the bottom.
*Time Capsule Has a Long Name*
“When using your Time Capsule for Time Machine backups in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or later, the Time Capsule backup volume may not mount and Time Machine may not be able to back up to it. This alert may appear: "Backup volume cannot be found". This can happen if the Time Capsule disk has a long name. [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1170]
Open AirPort Utility (in /Applications/Utilities).
Click your Time Capsule's icon.
Click "Manual Setup".
Enter the password for the Time Capsule if prompted.
Click the Disks icon.
Highlight the volume name that appears under "Time Capsule Disk".
In the Name field, enter a name for the volume that is less than 27 characters long.
Click Update.
After Time Capsule restarts, on the Mac(s)using Time Machine, open Time Machine preferences and reselect the Time Capsule volume.”
Let us know if any of these suggestions help.
Cheers!
Message was edited by: Glenn Carter

The backup volume could not be found

Spent a fair amount of time on the phone with Apple last night trying to get my Macbook Air to work with Time Machine/Time Capsule.
Symptoms of my problem included Time Machine Preferences giving the error "The backup volume could not be found"
Console messages complaining about not being able to find the MAC address for machine:
(console is accessed by clicking Go -> Utilities -> Console from the Finder, and then selecting All Messages)
11/7/08 11:06:13 AM System Preferences[123] *Time Machine failed to get MAC address for machine.*
11/7/08 11:13:09 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[1603] Starting standard backup
11/7/08 11:13:09 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[1603] Network mountpoint /Volumes/Time Capsule not owned by backupd... remounting
11/7/08 11:13:09 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/Time Capsule-1, pid 1604
11/7/08 11:13:09 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[1603] Network volume mounted at: /Volumes/Time Capsule-1
11/7/08 11:13:09 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[1603] *Volume at path /Volumes/Time Capsule-1 does not appear to be the correct backup volume for this computer. (Cookies do not match)*
11/7/08 11:13:09 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[1603] Backup requested due to disk attach
11/7/08 11:13:14 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[1603] *Backup failed with error: 18*
And my only network interface was showing up as en1 (instead of en0). You can check this by using Network Utilities:
- On the Finder main menu bar click Go -> Utilities -> Network Utilities
If "Network Interface (en0)" is not an option in the drop down list under "Please select a network interface for information" (mine was showing as en1), then the following steps will probably solve your problem:
1) Enable the root user
- Open the finder
- On the Finder main menu bar click Go -> Utilities -> Directory Utility
- On the menu bar click Edit -> Enable Root User
- set a password (they suggested using the same password as is used for the main user account)
2) Login as the newly enabled root user
- Click Log Out... from the Apple menu on the main menu bar
- select "Other" at the login screen
- enter the user name "root" and the password you set in step 1
3) Drag Preferences folder to the desktop
- open the finder, and click on Macintosh HD and then Library
- drag the Preferences folder onto the desktop
4) Restart the computer
- Click Restart from the Apple menu on the main menu bar
After this, the Network utility should show "Network Interface (en0)", and Time Machine should work.

Jackson,
See this article for the reasons why you see "Time Capsule-1 does not appear to be the right volume..."
[http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8116036&#8116036]
As for the error message you are getting, here are several reasons why you would see this message...
*_"Backup Volume Could Not Be Found"_*
First, it is important to distinguish this error message from another, similar Time Machine error that states, “The backup volume could not be mounted”. This is important as the causes and cures for these two errors can be very different.
*Reselect Your Time Machine Disk*
(http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1329)
In the Finder, go up to the "Go" menu and select "Connect to Server".
Click the "Browse" button at the dialogue box.
In the Network window that opens, do you see your TM drive?
Double click it to mount the drive.
Now let's try to reselect it for Time Machine use.
Go to System Preferences --> Time Machine.
Click the "Change Disk..." button.
Select "None" and click "Stop Backing Up".
Now click "Choose Backup Disk" and reselect your drive again.
Close System Preferences and try backing-up again.
On the other hand, does your Time Machine drive NOT appear at all? Is it appearing on your desktop? If it is still connected try disconnecting the cable, waiting a few seconds and then reconnecting the cable. Does the drive mount on the desktop? Try initiating a backup now.
*Disk Fails to Wake From Sleep*
“If your external HD has a sleep function that does not wake for Time Machine backups. Time Machine will alert you that "The backup volume could not be found", and backups will not be made.” [http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1337]
*3rd-Party Disk Utilities* #
Many external hard disks come with software for maintaining/monitoring hard disk activities. It may have come on a separate CD or been installed on the drive itself. If these programs have been installed they may interfere with Time Machine backups, generate erratic behavior, or cause the drive to ‘disappear’ altogether.
You may never know these applications are there as they may be running in the background. Go to System preferences --> Accounts. Select your account in the pane on the left. Click “Login Items”. Are there any items listed there that might refer to hard disk utilities. If so remove them using the “-” button at the bottom.
*Delete Time Machine Preference .plist*
It may be that the preference list that stores the name of your designated backup disk has become corrupted.
Go to --> Macintosh HD / Library / Preferences (Note: NOT Home / Library / Preferences).
Drag the .plist file labeled,
com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
to the root level of your Macs’ hard drive.
Reboot your computer.
This .plist file is automatically recreated at startup if it is missing.
Now try choosing the external HD in the TM Prefs for backup.
*Time Capsule Has a Long Name*
“When using your Time Capsule for Time Machine backups in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or later, the Time Capsule backup volume may not mount and Time Machine may not be able to back up to it. This alert may appear: "Backup volume cannot be found". This can happen if the Time Capsule disk has a long name. [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1170]
Open AirPort Utility (in /Applications/Utilities).
Click your Time Capsule's icon.
Click "Manual Setup".
Enter the password for the Time Capsule if prompted.
Click the Disks icon.
Highlight the volume name that appears under "Time Capsule Disk".
In the Name field, enter a name for the volume that is less than 27 characters long.
Click Update.
After Time Capsule restarts, on the Mac(s)using Time Machine, open Time Machine preferences and reselect the Time Capsule volume.”
Let us know if any of these suggestions help.
Cheers!

Time Machine: The backup volume could not be found?

I keep getting the message "The backup volume could not be found" when I try to back up my Macbook Pro using an external Lacie USB harddrive. I have tried reformatting the harddrive, and restartet the computer. The external harddrive works normal in Finder, I am able to write and read it, but Time Machine still get this error message. Can anyone help me here?
When I look in the console log, it sais: Volume at path /Volumes/MBP Backup does not appear to be the correct backup volume for this computer. (Cookies do not match)
Where can I delete this cookies?

There is a Time Machine preferences file at
<your startup drive root>/Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
Note: This is be main Library folder, not the one in your user folder.
You might try moving that to the Desktop so that the system creates a new one.

Time machine has stopped working - 'the backup volume could not be found'

i'm not sure what happened, but my macbook pro hasn't been able to backup to my time machine for the past few weeks. i get a 'delayed' message, then in time machine prefs it says 'the backup volume could not be found.' i can manually mount the backup image, but it still won't backup. my wife's 12" powerbook is backing up perfectly. we both have 10.5.4. i was having the problem before the 7.3.2 firmware update, so that doesn't seem to be the cause. has this happened to anyone else? could my computer somehow lost track if the backup? is there prefs that can be trashed? i don't mind losing my old backups if i need to start over, but i can't figure out how to force it to backup because i keep getting the 'backup volume can't be found' no matter what i do.
my setup: dsl modem into time machine / my macbook pro, my wife's powermac 12", and our apple tv are the only clients.

There is a Time Machine preferences file at
<your startup drive root>/Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
Note: This is be main Library folder, not the one in your user folder.
You might try moving that to the Desktop so that the system creates a new one.

ERROR 18 : "The backup volume could not be found."

My time machine has been relatively smooth sailing...until today. After accidentally cutting power to backup drive, I power it back up, shows on desktop, shows in Time Machine...but every backup attempt fails with "The backup volume could not be found. error: 18".
I'm confused because it's found the volume in it's source panel. Any help greatly appreciated.
The following are relevant notes from CONSOLE:
1/16/08 5:13:10 PM fseventsd[44] event logs in /Volumes/BACKUP 1/.fseventsd out of sync with volume. destroying old logs. (16998 0 17446)
1/16/08 5:13:10 PM fseventsd[44] log dir: /Volumes/BACKUP 1/.fseventsd getting new uuid: 09DD4896-F974-43F3-ACE4-3E622ED85B0D
1/16/08 5:13:10 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[5943] Backup requested due to disk attach
1/16/08 5:13:10 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[5943] Starting standard backup
1/16/08 5:13:11 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[5943] Volume at path /Volumes/BACKUP 1 does not appear to be the correct backup volume for this computer.
1/16/08 5:13:11 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[5943] Backup failed with error: 18
1/16/08 5:13:50 PM System Preferences[5772] Failed to create remote cookie file at path: /Volumes/BACKUP 1/.001b6399417e
1/16/08 5:15:53 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[6134] Backup requested by user
1/16/08 5:15:53 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[6134] Starting standard backup
1/16/08 5:15:53 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[6134] Volume at path /Volumes/BACKUP 1 does not appear to be the correct backup volume for this computer.
1/16/08 5:15:53 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[6134] Backup failed with error: 18

I tried the "INFO" button in Disk Utility and got the following (note permissions):
Name : BACKUP
Type : Volume
Disk Identifier : disk1s3
Mount Point : /Volumes/BACKUP 1
File System : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Connection Bus : FireWire
Device Tree : /PCI0/PCIB@1E/FRWR@3/node@d04b7a1902c345/sbp-2@c000/@0:3
Writable : Yes
Universal Unique Identifier : 88A2942E-7431-3CA4-9600-91B7B06C88BD
Capacity : 931.4 GB (1,000,081,408,000 Bytes)
Free Space : 720.2 GB (773,297,737,728 Bytes)
Used : 211.2 GB (226,783,670,272 Bytes)
Number of Files : 972,778
Number of Folders : 224,223
Owners Enabled : Yes
Can Turn Owners Off : Yes
Can Repair Permissions : No
Can Be Verified : Yes
Can Be Repaired : Yes
Can Be Formatted : Yes
Bootable : Yes
Supports Journaling : Yes
Journaled : Yes
Disk Number : 1
Partition Number : 3
I will post in that forum. thank you!

"Time Machine Error The backup volume is read only"

Lately, every time I try to backup to my Time Capsule using Time Machine it fails and I get a message saying "Time Machine Error The backup volume is read only. To select a different volume, open system preferences and choose Time Machine" So I do that and I see the Time capsule listed. I don't want to select anything but the Time Capsule, cuz what else do I have, right? Am I wrong in assuming the "backup volume" is the Time Capsule? Anyway, I have tried changing the permissions on the time capsule, but when I get the "get info" box for the time capsule, there is not an option to change those settings, they are grayed out. Every thing worked well for about a week and then this started. My backup volume must have been "Read & Write" at first, because I can see what was backed up when I open Time Machine. Anybody have a clue what's going on? How can I make the back up volume "Read & Write" again and why did it change to "Read Only?"

Nope, I am using the same passwords as ever, both users have the same password, BTW. The password I gave to the Time Capsule is different, tho, but that password is for the wireless aspect of the Time Capsule, so that wouldn't have anything to do with it, would it?
I also get a message box that says "Disk Repair The disk "Backup of XXX's Computer" was not repairable by this computer, it is being made available to you with limited functionality. You must back up your data and reformat the disk as soon as possible." This box appears in conjunction with the appearance of the Norton's virus scan box scanning the time capsule.

Airport Extreme/Time Capsule backup volume could not be found?

I am having problem with Time Machine. When I try to backup using Time Machine, I get an error message, " The backup volume could not be found." Strangely, Time Machine recognized the drive when setting the Time Machine preferences, but not when I backup.
If i select from the 'select disk' again and try again i get Keychain Access error 25299 and have to delete that in the Keychain for it to even get to the point of counting down to start back up
I have erased my Time Capsule recently and was starting fresh but now i cannot get time machine running again...
In the shared section of the finder the time machine backup is only appearing in the network area rather than directly there...
Any ideas?
Many thanks.

Hi there.
I would suggest First Aid of your Keychain, but that hardly ever works (especially in this situation).
What I would do first, is go to ~/Library/Keychains/, grab the login.keychain and move it to the desktop. Log out, and log back in again. If that fixes it, then get the old login.keychain from the desktop and put it in the trash. (You will lose all your saved passwords for networks etc.)
If that doesn't work, unfortunately the only option would be to do an Archive & Install.
So you just need to put your 10.6 disk in again and install over the system.
Your personal data/files should still remain intact. Although I would still suggest making a backup (ironic considering the situation)
Cheers
Taylor

Backup volume could not be found

Time Machine is unable to back up my system because it continues to experience the following error: Delayed. The Backup volume could not be found. Each time I plug in the TM drive, the icon spins like a backup is starting then the error takes place. So it knows the drive is present but then it rejects it.
Could this have anything to do with the recent repair service I received? From what I can tell, the machine was pretty much gutted: Logic board/mother board/video card, etc.
Thoughts to get me running again?
Thanks in advance,
Shawn

ShawnCSX wrote:
Time Machine is unable to back up my system because it continues to experience the following error: Delayed. The Backup volume could not be found. Each time I plug in the TM drive, the icon spins like a backup is starting then the error takes place. So it knows the drive is present but then it rejects it.
Could this have anything to do with the recent repair service I received?
From what I can tell, the machine was pretty much gutted: Logic board/mother board/video card, etc.
yes. after a logic board change you either need to start a new backup series (reselect the TM drive in TM system preferences) or re-pair the TM drive with the new logic board. Follow this [macosx hint|http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080128003716101&query=repai r%2BTime%2Bmachine].
Thoughts to get me running again?
Thanks in advance,
Shawn

HT3275 TIME MACHINE ERROR: The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data/Sean McGuire's MacBook Pro.sparsebundle" could not be created (error 1).

I can select a disk (Time Capsule) and initiate the backup. It only "waits to back up" then "making backup disk available" and remains frozen there. I tried to update the software a while back and was unsuccessful, I think that may be the issue.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. This is the error message I receive.
TIME MACHINE ERROR: The backup disk image “/Volumes/Data/Sean McGuire’s MacBook Pro.sparsebundle” could not be created (error 1).
Thanks

See #C17 in Pondini's excellent support document Time Machine - Troubleshooting
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html

Time Machine - "The backup volume could not be mounted" alert

This is a heads-up for anybody suffering from this error when performing Time Machine backups:
"The backup volume could not be mounted"
I had been using this facility fine for months until a few days ago when backing up mysteriously failed. The Apple support KB articles didn't help (eg, reset time machine drive setup, etc).
Apple Support didn't want to help me because they don't "support backups over networks" - sheesh! What happened to "Think Different!"??
Drag and drop your SPARSEBUNDLE file from your backup drive to the Disk Utility.
Perform a Verify Disk operation by clicking on the button.
A normal backup should be able to perform this procedure, but a corrupted one won't.
When trying to perform this on my backup, the Disk Utility would simply return to the original screen without performing anything a second after pressing the button.
In this case, I found deleting the old backup file and starting from scratch restored my computers ability to perform automated Time Machine backups.
I have concluded that the backup file became corrupted in some way - several previous posts have pointed to systems going into standby while backing up files as the cause of this.
Hopefully someone finds this useful one day.

There is a Time Machine preferences file at
<your startup drive root>/Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
Note: This is be main Library folder, not the one in your user folder.
You might try moving that to the Desktop so that the system creates a new one.

Time Machine Error: "The backup volume could not be found"

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