Time Machine error 13 sparsebundle?

Hello - my Time Machine wireless backup was working flawlessly for months from my Seagate GoFlex Home wireless hard drive, backing up my iMac and my MacBook. Now suddenly I'm getting the following message - but only on my MacBook: "Time Machine Error: The backup disk image “/Volumes/GoFlex Home Backup/Rolf's Macbook (2).sparsebundle” could not be created (error 13)."
Does anyone know what this means and, more to the point, how I can fix it? Thanks for any suggestions!

Rolf Asphaug wrote:
Yeah, I've pretty much had it with Seagate and their WONDERFUL GoFlex drives.
Actually, backup isn't working on EITHER of our computers - the iMac or the MacBook - so now I know it's the drive. If anyone does have any suggestions I'd appreciate them - but I suppose the answer will be "get a Time Capsule."
You might consider taking the Seagate HD out of the GoFlex enclosure and plugging it in one of these: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/FWU3ES2HDK/. I've had plenty of trouble with GoFlex HD drives overheating inside their enclosures but found that the drive mechanisms themselves are really quite good, at least at the 3TB level. Obviously, you couldn't have Time Machine run automatically but you can run it manually between the two computers. And with the drive mechanism half uncovered, it'll stay a lot cooler.

Similar Messages

Time Machine Error - sparsebundle could not be accessed

I have a time capsule shared by an old MacPro and a new MacBook. I get this message when trying to run a backup from the MacPro:
Time Machine Could Not Complete the Backup. The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data/XXX.sparsebundle" could not be accessed (error -1).

Standard message and second most common error here.
Look at the "More Like This" on the right.
Simply power cycle the TC will usually fix it.
See C17 for more info.
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
C12 is the most common problem.. btw.. and is fixed also with a power cycle.
Power Cycle means.
Make sure the disk is not spinning. You hand can feel the vibration of the disk.
Pull out the power cord.. (since there is no power switch).. count to 10 to allow capacitors to drain.. Plug in the power cord.

HELP! time machine error - sparsebundle could not be accessed (error -1)

my time machine cannot do backups anymore. Keep getting the same error message:
sparsebundle could not be accessed (error -1)
anyone out there know how to fix?

Standard message and second most common error here.
Look at the "More Like This" on the right.
Simply power cycle the TC will usually fix it.
See C17 for more info.
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
C12 is the most common problem.. btw.. and is fixed also with a power cycle.
Power Cycle means.
Make sure the disk is not spinning. You hand can feel the vibration of the disk.
Pull out the power cord.. (since there is no power switch).. count to 10 to allow capacitors to drain.. Plug in the power cord.

HT3275 time machine error: sparsebundle is already in use...now what?

Apparently, something happened on Jan 1 that stopped my time machine backups from happening. I get an error that sparsebundle is already in use and that's why it won't work. No idea what this means since I only use Time Capsule for these backups. I don't see any options that would help here in the Preferences section. Any suggestions?
J

See here...
The Backup disk image ... sparsebundle ... is already in use.
From Pondini’s excellent Information Here...
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.htm

Time Machine error -1, cannot access sparsebundle (but not a NAS or WD problem)

Hello, this is my first post here, so I'll try to make it a good one!
I've been wrestling with this problem ever since I bought my Core i7 iMac (SSD + 1TB HD) over a year ago. I have not gotten Time Machine to work during that whole time. Well, I got it to work backing up directly to my internal HD, but that was just a test; it's not what I want. So let me describe this in the most clear and consise way I can:
I want the Time Machine disk to be my Synology NAS. I've configured a share on it correctly. I have an older iMac running SnowLeopard backing up to the same share on the NAS with TimeMachine successfully. But, my iMac won't do it. Whether I create the sparsebundle manually, or I let TimeMachine create it, it always gives the same "error -1". I wrote a more detailed account of my symptoms here (my message is the reply), when I thought this was a NAS-specific issue.
New development: This is not a NAS issue. I found that out by trying an experiment:
First, I tried to back up my SSD using Time Machine to my internal 1TB disk - I selected the "1 TB Secondary Disk" as the Time Machine disk. I initiated the backup, and it worked fine, putting the time machine backup in the "Backups.backupsdb" directory structure at the root of the drive. I then turned off Time Machine and "removed" the 1TB as my backup disk.
Then, I created a sparsebundle at the root of the drive using this command:
hdiutil create -size 150g -fs HFS+J -volname "Time Machine" NAME_xxxxxxxxxxxx.sparsebundle
(where the "xxxxxxxxxxxx" is my ethernet MAC address). I then selected the "1 TB Secondary Disk" as the Time Machine disk again. Time Machine found my sparsebundle and started working with it... and got "error -1"! So even on a local drive, when Time Machine tries to use a sparsebundle for backing up, it still doesn't work.
Now, I have the console log entries that were written during the Time Machine backup attempt:
1/1/13 12:53:59.511 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Starting manual backup
1/1/13 12:54:00.780 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Renaming /Volumes/1 TB Secondary Disk/NAME_3c07540fdd8c.sparsebundle to /Volumes/1 TB Secondary Disk/iMac.sparsebundle
1/1/13 12:54:00.871 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: detach: could not open /dev/disk4
1/1/13 12:54:01.260 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Resizing backup disk image from 161.06 GB to 999.76 GB
1/1/13 12:54:02.940 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Waiting 60 seconds and trying again.
1/1/13 12:55:03.378 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Resizing backup disk image from 161.06 GB to 999.76 GB
1/1/13 12:55:06.013 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Waiting 60 seconds and trying again.
1/1/13 12:56:06.619 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Resizing backup disk image from 161.06 GB to 999.76 GB
1/1/13 12:56:09.255 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Giving up after 3 retries.
1/1/13 12:56:19.263 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Backup failed with error: 21
1/1/13 12:56:19.265 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: [SnapshotUtilities mountPointForVolumeRef] FSGetVolumeInfo returned: -35
1/1/13 12:56:19.265 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Failed to eject volume (null) (FSVolumeRefNum: 0; status: -35; dissenting pid: -1)
1/1/13 12:56:19.265 PM com.apple.backupd[4460]: Failed to eject Time Machine disk image: /Volumes/1 TB Secondary Disk/iMac.sparsebundle
So, here I see it tries to resize the sparsebundle to the full volume size, and fails. I don't think I want it to do this resize, because I don't want it to fill up my whole NAS share. I searched and found this post, which specifies how to set the permissions in the sparsebundle such that it won't be resized. I followed those instructions with a new sparsebundle, and see the same problem... tries to resize, and fails.
I do not have Western Digital software installed and never have.
I've tried everything on this page.
It seems like the attempt to resize is corrupting the sparsebundle. Before starting the backup, I can mount the sparsebundle and manually copy files to it. After attempting the backup, I can mount the sparsebundle, but I cannot copy anything to it manually. Note that I can mount the sparsebundle that the MacBook Pro uses for Time Machine, and manually copy files to and from it (in other words, the correct SnowLeopard configuration does allow manual copying).
I have tried repairing the sparsebundle using the Disk Utility, which restores the ability to manually copy files to it, but Time Machine once again renders it unwriteable when it attempts to back up.
Anyone know of anything else I can try? Thank you so much!
Dan

Yeah, sorry about the broken link. I noticed that link wasn't working after I replied, then I edited my earlier reply. Also, yes, copying the files was just meant as a test; I created new clean sparsebundles for other tries.
Anyway, I'm not too worried about the resizing for now; first things first, let's just get Time Machine working with a sparsebundle at all.
I don't know how to make Time Machine create its own sparsebundle on my local drive; if there isn't a manually created sparsebundle at the root, it just puts everything in the "Backups.backupsdb" directory structure without a sparsebundle. However, it of course does create its own sparsebundle when I point it to my NAS share (as I understand it, Time Machine knows the NAS filesystem doesn't support everything it needs, so it creates the sparsebundle to emulate the correct filesystem). As I have always gotten the same "error -1" when using the NAS share as I did when using the local sparsebundle, I was assuming the same problem was happening in both cases... but now I've checked the console log after doing a backup attempt on the NAS share, and I see different stuff:
1/2/13 9:21:12.000 PM kernel[0]: AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/TM Backups, pid 9615
1/2/13 9:21:12.000 PM kernel[0]: AFP_VFS afpfs_mount : succeeded on volume 0xffffff8148d5b008 /Volumes/TM Backups (error = 0, retval = 0)
1/2/13 9:21:13.000 PM kernel[0]: AFP_VFS afpfs_unmount: /Volumes/TM Backups, flags 0, pid 9624
1/2/13 9:21:13.000 PM kernel[0]: AFP_VFS afpfs_unmount : We are the last mnt/sbmnt using volume /Volumes/TM Backups 0xffffff8148d5b008
1/2/13 9:21:13.000 PM kernel[0]: AFP_VFS afpfs_unmount : We are the last volume using socket /Volumes/TM Backups 0xffffff8148d5b008
1/2/13 9:21:49.647 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Starting manual backup
1/2/13 9:21:49.737 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Attempting to mount network destination URL: afp://[email protected]/TM%20Backups
1/2/13 9:22:00.060 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Mounted network destination at mount point: /Volumes/TM Backups using URL: afp://[email protected]/TM%20Backups
1/2/13 9:22:00.000 PM kernel[0]: AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/TM Backups, pid 9630
1/2/13 9:22:00.000 PM kernel[0]: AFP_VFS afpfs_mount : succeeded on volume 0xffffff8148ffb008 /Volumes/TM Backups (error = 0, retval = 0)
1/2/13 9:22:15.323 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Creating disk image /Volumes/TM Backups/iMac.sparsebundle
1/2/13 9:22:46.397 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Failed to hide extension on /Volumes/TM Backups/iMac.sparsebundle, error: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4 "The file “iMac.sparsebundle” doesn’t exist." UserInfo=0x7fe881407700 {NSURL=file://localhost/Volumes/TM%20Backups/iMac.sparsebundle/, NSFilePath=/Volumes/TM Backups/iMac.sparsebundle, NSUnderlyingError=0x7fe8814073c0 "The operation couldn’t be completed. No such file or directory"}.
1/2/13 9:23:10.209 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Failed to eject volume /Volumes/TM Backups (FSVolumeRefNum: -153; status: -47; dissenting pid: 0)
1/2/13 9:23:10.210 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Waiting 60 seconds and trying again.
1/2/13 9:24:10.241 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/TM Backups
1/2/13 9:24:56.305 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Failed to eject volume /Volumes/TM Backups (FSVolumeRefNum: -153; status: -47; dissenting pid: 0)
1/2/13 9:24:56.305 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Waiting 60 seconds and trying again.
1/2/13 9:25:56.326 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/TM Backups
1/2/13 9:26:40.171 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Failed to eject volume /Volumes/TM Backups (FSVolumeRefNum: -153; status: -47; dissenting pid: 0)
1/2/13 9:26:40.171 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Giving up after 3 retries.
1/2/13 9:26:50.177 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Backup failed with error: 21
1/2/13 9:26:50.178 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: [SnapshotUtilities mountPointForVolumeRef] FSGetVolumeInfo returned: -35
1/2/13 9:26:50.178 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Failed to eject volume (null) (FSVolumeRefNum: 0; status: -35; dissenting pid: -1)
1/2/13 9:26:50.178 PM com.apple.backupd[9623]: Failed to eject Time Machine disk image: /Volumes/TM Backups/iMac.sparsebundle
So... looking through this, it does some mounting, which all works fine, then it does a create sparsebundle, which appears to work fine, but then it tries to "hide extension", but it can't because it can't find the sparsebundle that it supposedly created. Then it tries three times to eject the NAS share ('TM Backups'), and fails, and gives up. At this time I get the "error -1" pop up on my monitor, and check the NAS share (using the disk utility on the NAS managment page), and sure enough there is the sparsebundle "iMac.sparsebundle". So why does it create it, but then not be able to use it?
Skiing tomorrow, must sleep now. :-)

I have not been able to back up for2 days. Time machine error message: /Volumes/Data/David's MacBook Air.sparsebundle" is already in use.

I have not been able to back up for2 days. Time machine error message: /Volumes/Data/David’s MacBook Air.sparsebundle” is already in use.
What now?
Macbook Air.
Was working fine for the past year until now.

See more like this on the right.. this is the most common error reported here since mountain lion came out..
Or read C12.. http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
Or just restart the whole network.. in right order from off.. modem.. router / TC.. clients 2min gap.

HT3275 Time Machine Error: The backup disk image "Volumes/Data/My Macbook Pro.sparsebundle" is already in use. (How do I correct this issue?)

Time Machine did not back up:
Time Machine Error; ("The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data/My MacBook Pro.sparsebundle" is already in use.")
How do I correct this issue?
Thanks!

You need to be careful Bob.. people might take this literally.
Bob Timmons wrote:
How do I correct this issue?
Call the exterminator to get rid of the bugs in Lion and Mountain Lion.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5222487?tstart=0

I am running 10.7.5 and getting Time Machine error The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data/Kathy P's MacBook.sparsebundle" is already in use. what do i do now?

i am running 10.7.5 on an older MacBook and getting Time Machine error The backup disk image “/Volumes/Data/Kathy P’s MacBook.sparsebundle” is already in use. what do i do now?

See Pondini's TM FAQs, for starters.

Time machine error - backup fails due to sparsebundle already in use

Since upgrading, Time machine reports backup error:
TIme Machine Error
The backup disk image ...sparsebundle is already in use.
Any thoughts?

Thanks russ. After the initial upgrade to Mt Lion, no backups have been made. Every attempt reports the sparsebundle error. I recently updated to 10.8.1 and a whole new set of problems have shown up which is having me question the wisdom of continuing to invest in Apple product.
I have decided to pack it in with regard to the timecapsule product, as it is just too unreliable, and certainly not worth the continued time and effort it has been taking to try and get it to work. I have instead gone with an online backup service, Crashplan. I have the backup service I am seeing and I am no longer frittering away valuable time on something that ought to just work.
Problem solved.

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

TS1550 My time capsule will not back up. There is a time machine error message that states "The backup disk image "/volumes/Backup/Jane's MacBook Pro.sparsebundle" is already in use. How do I correct this problem?

My time machine will not back up. I get a Time Machine Error message that reads: "The backup disk image "/Volumes/Backup/(myname)'sMacBook Pro.sparsebundle" is already in use.
I have not been able to back up for two weeks, I think this occurred after an update to the operating system, but I am unsure.
How do I correct this problem?

Have you tried restarting the computer? Also, see Time Machine Error from this pages sidebar under More Like This.

I keep getting this error message and cannot back up my Mac Book Air to MacBook Air to Time Machine; "Air.sparsebundle" is already in use" how do I correct this?

I keep getting this error message and cannot back up my Mac Book Air to Time Machine; "Air.sparsebundle” is already in use" how do I correct this?

Restart the Time Capsule. Launch AirPort Utility and check for a firmware update.

Time Machine Error...sparsebundle in use

New Time Capsule; overnight backup successful; there's a disc image which when massaged appropirately generates a list of files that looks like my hard disc, who is named 'FMBP', probably standing for F's MacBookPro. So far, so good.
However, every hour it tells me "Time-Machine Error: The backup disk image “/Volumes/Data-1/FMBP.sparsebundle” is already in use." My impressions is that it is in use containing the files that it just backed up.
Speaking softly to, or kicking, the Time Capsule, does not help. Fumbling about clicking things labelled "Time ..." sometimes does something unexpected--after while--but does not generate a backup.
The instructions say to keep books 'n stuff off of the Time Capsule, lest they impede cooling. The cat points out that he is *not* a book, and if I'm not going to heat the house during this European cold spell, he should be allowed to sit on it. But surely OS X doesn't consider this 'using' the sparsebundle?
Anyone know how to 'unuse' sparsebundle?

Power down both your computer and the Time Capsule. Start both up again and try a backup.
Or, if you do not want to power down both devices and restart, you can open AirPort Utility and click Manual Setup. Click the Disks icon, then click the Disks tab just below the icons. then click Disconnect All Users.
Then try another backup.

HT3275 time machine error says: The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data/Apple 's iMac G5.sparsebundle" could not be accessed (error -1).

While backing up to Time Machine, I receive this message: time machine error says: The backup disk image “/Volumes/Data/Apple ’s iMac G5.sparsebundle” could not be accessed (error -1).

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
That message is caused by several reasons. Read the Pondini's site to fix the problem > http://pondini.org/TM/C17.html

"Time machine error, The disk image cannot be mounted" What can I do??

I ran the time machine. Then, "preparing backup" showed up for a long time. After that, a window pop out: "Time machine error, The disk image cannot be mounted" What is disk image? What can I do (I can't back up anything)
P.S. I use time capsule for backup. there were no problem on connection

I'm having the same issue. I do not have TC as my base station. It says right in the book that if you choose, you do not have to have it run as your router, just as a part of your existing wireless network. All software is up to date and I have already shortened the name of both my TC and TC disc to 6 characters and no spaces! I've already spoken with someone today about this. He really didn't know. Have tried backing up both wirelessly and directly connecting with an Ethernet cord. I had to finally call because when I attempted to register the product to get online support, apple.com didn't recognize the serial number!!! The gentleman on the phone got it registered for me. I bought the TC from an official apple store and for whatever reason when he put in the serial number his computer said that this TC was so "old" I guess that there was technically "no support." That basically means that even though my parents just purchased this for me a week before Christmas, that it was made a year ago and the warranty is not good?? I need to do more research on that. Right now I am very unhappy about this. I am a firm apple user and have been for years, but this is frustrating.
I had read somewhere else (not sure I've been searching apple for what seems like forever now) to make sure that the TC was showing up in "devices" of the Finder. Mine doesn't show up there, but rather in the "Network" window. Is this an issue? If it is, can anyone tell me how to fix that. I have Time Machine backing up to my TC, so I do not see why it would be.
UPDATE: I just opened up my TC on the "Shared" section of the Finder window and deleted the old "sparsebundle" (I had no clue that anything had backed up way back at 3:30pm on Dec 29) and now I get a slightly new message: Time Machine Error: The backup disc image could not be created." So now the word "mounted" is replaced with "created." This error showed up a lot sooner than the original one. Ok, no clue. I am going to try to Change the Disc again, and try again. I will post another update.
Message was edited by: kryzma

Time Machine error 13 sparsebundle?

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