Time Machine USB Backup Drive fails to eject

Time Machine is freezing my iMac at logoff/shutdown. I noticed that in the log files for Time Machine backups that other folks posted that the the Time Machine target volume ejected and unmounted at the end of the backup. That isn't happening. I can turn Time Machine off and logoff, but if I leave it running everything freezes. Any ideas on how why Time Machine isn't ejecting the disk? I used the same disk with Snow Leopard (just upgraded lately) without issue. I've reformatted and re-set up the target volume with Lion so some kind of SL thing shouldn't be the issure.

with2ays wrote:
Yes, it is a portable drive. I've tried other cables and another Mac (on campus), but nothin' doin'. I bought it locally but I'd have to find the receipt. I installed a Scorpio Black 320GB HD on Saturday. Would that have anything to do with it?
It shouldn't, but the timing makes me wonder if it's not a coincidence.
Some things can go wrong with TM when you add/replace an internal, but if your Mac doesn't even see it, we can't begin to diagnose, much less fix it.
Still, if another Mac doesn't even see it, it's pretty likely dead. Might be fixable, but you need to take it back.

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Time Machine starts backup then fails

I'm trying to use Time Machine to backup wirelessly to Time Capsule. It starts but then fails after about 40 Mb, telling me an error occurred.
I've browsed these forums and tried reading Console Messages, but they don't mean much to me.
This is the first of 6 similar messages.
07/03/08 7:11:02 com.apple.backupd[49744] 2008-03-07 07:11:02.298 diskimages-helper[49755:1603] Error loading /Library/Plug-ins/DiskImages/VirtualPCDiskImagePlugin.bundle/Contents/MacOS/Vir tualPCDiskImagePlugin: dlopen(/Library/Plug-ins/DiskImages/VirtualPCDiskImagePlugin.bundle/Contents/Ma cOS/VirtualPCDiskImagePlugin, 262): no suitable image found. Did find:
Does anyone have any suggestions ? Am I on the right track ?

I'm trying to use Time Machine to backup wirelessly to Time Capsule. It starts but then fails after about 40 Mb, telling me an error occurred.
I've browsed these forums and tried reading Console Messages, but they don't mean much to me.
This is the first of 6 similar messages.
07/03/08 7:11:02 com.apple.backupd[49744] 2008-03-07 07:11:02.298 diskimages-helper[49755:1603] Error loading /Library/Plug-ins/DiskImages/VirtualPCDiskImagePlugin.bundle/Contents/MacOS/Vir tualPCDiskImagePlugin: dlopen(/Library/Plug-ins/DiskImages/VirtualPCDiskImagePlugin.bundle/Contents/Ma cOS/VirtualPCDiskImagePlugin, 262): no suitable image found. Did find:
Does anyone have any suggestions ? Am I on the right track ?

Time machine multiple backup drives question

Time machine to backup to my 2TB MyBook drive. I wanted a second backup on a portable 1TB, so in time machine settings, I selected the 1TB drive, and then clicked the "Replace" button, instead of the "Use both" button. Currently the 1TB drive is backing up from scratch.
So will I be able to select my 2TB MyBook drive after the 1TB is backed up and disconnected? I mean, can I resume time machine backups where I left off?
Most of what I've read (after the fact) seems to suggest that I should have clicked the "Use both" button, then just removed the 1TB drive.
-Thanks

I find tm doesn't remember the drives anyway. I have a dedicated drive for lion and mountain lion as I have both lion and mountain lion installed on my mac. When I'm in either os and connect the appropriate drive and start tm I still have to go in and select the drive. Tm says there are no older backups, but there are, until the new partial backup completes. Then it lists al the backups on that drive.
Now maybe if you leave tm on all the time it might work differently but I don't care for it creating local snapshots and I only connect the externals when I want to do a backup.
So bottom line is you shouldn't have any problem when you connect the other drive. At that time, when you have to select that original tm backup drive, you can click the option to use both.

My Time Machine says backup drive is too small

After upgrading to Lion I created a new backup. My Time Capsule had 400Gb free, and the full backup is 270gb. However after a day or so time machine cant perform a backup because there isnt enough space on the drive. It says it needs another 270gb. The size of the backup hasnt changed since snow leopard so im not sure why this has happened. I feel it could be to do with File vault 2 which I enabled after upgrading to Lion. Also after I did the full backup it said on the TC that it was only 22mb in size, but this has now changed.
Many thanks

gooober wrote:
What is strange is that I had the exact same problem with Time machine after I moved my Time machine drive from being directly connected to my Macbook Pro to connecting it to our Airport Extreme.
After I moved the drive, I got an error message stating the same - yet there was plenty space left on the drive!
That's a different problem. Time Machine stores backups differently when done over a network. See the blue box in #E2 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting.
And I hate to have to tell you this, but backing-up that way is unreliable and not supported by Apple. See Using Time Machine with an Airport Extreme Air Disk.

Kernel Panic when attaching time machine USB external drive

Really hope someone can help me with this.
I've got a late 2011 Macbook Pro, and was running Time Machine on a 500GB GDrive USB external drive. Was working fine when I last attached it on Feb 29. The Time Machine backup was encrypted.
When I tried to use it yesterday, as I have lost all my iTunes data on another drive, I got a Kernel Panic when I entered the password for the drive.
I managed to de-encrypt the drive using Disk Utility, but now I get a Kernel Panic everytime I plug the **** drive in.
I really need this backup data, would appreciate any help people can offer. Am running Lion 7.3, and the same error occurs on a Lion iMac that I have tried the drive on.

Really hope someone can help me with this.
I've got a late 2011 Macbook Pro, and was running Time Machine on a 500GB GDrive USB external drive. Was working fine when I last attached it on Feb 29. The Time Machine backup was encrypted.
When I tried to use it yesterday, as I have lost all my iTunes data on another drive, I got a Kernel Panic when I entered the password for the drive.
I managed to de-encrypt the drive using Disk Utility, but now I get a Kernel Panic everytime I plug the **** drive in.
I really need this backup data, would appreciate any help people can offer. Am running Lion 7.3, and the same error occurs on a Lion iMac that I have tried the drive on.

My Time Machine and backup drive are not recognized and do not work after this update...is there a way to fix this?

After I upgraded to Yosemite, my MAC Time Machine backup drive is no longer recognized and the process freezes when I try to re-install the drive from the drive's software. Is there a way to fix this?

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

Time Machine error - backup drive not mounted

Our family has 3 iMacs now running 10.5. One has a hard drive connected to it. The others are networed via a couple of Airport Extremes. The network is fine (all have internet). Time Machine is running fine on the iMac connected to the hard drive and on one of the others via the network.
But on the 3rd I keep getting an error that the backup drive is not mounted. It can mount it manually and see it (and its files) fine. The hard drive is configured so that everyone has read & write access. I've tried restarting it and resetting prams. I've tried connecting to the hard drive as a guest and as an authorized user. I still get the same error.
Any ideas? Thanks.

It seems to be working now. I trashed the old sparsebundle file and let it start from scratch. Wish I thought of that earlier .......
Message was edited by: Neil Stone

Time Machine Corrupts Backup Drive ...

Well, maybe I was a little facetious with the title ....... that was just to attract you to click
I have a 500gb LaCie Desktop Hard Drive. I use FW 800 to my Mac. I use the hard drive as a TM drive only, no other data is on it.
I've had this problem several times recently.
I erase the hard drive through disk utility. It is 100% empty. I go into TM, set it as the TM Drive, and it backs up my 250gb (50gb free) internal hard drive fully.
It will TM properly about 7-10 times. After that, randomly, with nothing invoking it, i'll get a "this drive is read-only" error when TM is going about its business, and won't be able to further back up to the drive.
There is plenty of extra space to back up. Doing an information (command + i) on the hard drive, expensing the privileges drop-down and unlocking the menu does not let me change the "read-only" drop down for any of the users.
My thought was to go into Root and change it there, but I know when you start screwing around with root when something doesn't want to be done, things usually get messed up somewhere further down the line.
Right now is not a busy time for me, so the TM backup isn't crucial, but I'd like to get it up and running again ASAP.
Further Information: I am able to copy files to and from the hard drive. It is fully operational and connects to other computers as well.
Repaired / verified disk permission on both internal and external already.
Suggestions???

sounds like it could be a problem with the drive itself. you should reformat it completely using the partition tab (NOT the erase tab) in DU. then back up again and see what happens. if the problem keeps coming back after that i would suspect a faulty drive.

My Seagate external 250GB hard drive ejects improperly without command. I am trying to use Time Machine to backup my macbook via usb cable... I keep getting the message that the disked ejected improperly... Any solutions...

My Seagate external 250GB hard drive ejects improperly without command. I am trying to use Time Machine to backup my macbook via usb cable... I keep getting the message that the disked ejected improperly... Any solutions...

You are not alone. Thousands have this problem, on various models of Macs. Short answer, it has something to do with the disk going to sleep (possibly?). You can't do anything about it and Apple won't address the problem. Maybe you should buy a time capsule. Just keep giving them money and use their proprietary equipment.
For a more complete answer, see this thread (all 65+ pages of it with NO SOLUTION IN SIGHT... except for some 3rd party solutions that sometimes work, sometimes don't): Disk Drive ejecting itself

Can a time machine usb drive backup the data from an external usb drive connected to and airport extreme*

can a time machine usb drive conected to my mac book backup the data from an external usb drive connected to and airport extreme ?

Hi Adam, if you think yoiur HD may be failing you could do a TM restore onto the new disk. I would rather see you do a clone either SuperDuper or CarbonCopy Cloner.Of your internal drive. That way you have a bootable backup in case it does fail.
btw - what are the symptoms of your failing drive?
-mj
Message was edited by: macjack

Can Time Machine NOT backup USB exFAT drives?

Hi folks. So I partitioned my seagate freeagent drive using exFAT so I could swap it back and forth with Windows. I went to setup time machine and I see the drive is excluded and I cannot remove it from the exclude list. Can time machine not backup that partition type? If not, what can I use that will be usable with both windows and os x and allow me to back it up with Time Machine? Thanks.

For fat or ntfs, you have to use something like Winclone to clone those partitions as a backup, but I have not tested winclone in Lion to see if it still works

Can I use Time Machine to backup ONLY an external drive?

I am having problems with the internal HD on my iMac and Disk Utility is telling me I need to reformat the drive and restore from backup. Only problem is that my 3TB Lacie Thunderbolt drive I was using for Time Machine recently failed (think it may have happened during an electrical storm brownout). Yep, I know, ***** to be me
The issues with the internal HD are preventing the iMac from booting and I would prefer not to have to purchase various repair software to find one that really works such as Disk Warrior or similar ((despite it getting very good reviews). I suspect it make be HFS corruption but no way to really tell that I am aware of.
I have setup an external drive with Yosemite and booted from that so now my old internal drive is seen as an "external drive".
I am using Disk Utility to make an image copy to a new 3TB external drive I purchased. Writing the DMG is going to take some time.
What I would like to do is to set up Time Machine to backup to a separate external 3TB hard drive (the second one I purchased) and have TM create a backup of ONLY the old internal drive - not the new system as well as the old internal unit.
Is this possible and if so can anyone advise how to do this. Does not seem I can exclude the system drive I am now booted from so that it is not backed up. (This makes sense that TM would be designed this way given its primary purpose is to backup a system).
If TM cannot be configured in this way, is there another option I can use?
Thanks
Andrew

Thanks for that advice. I have heard of it but a friend who does IT support at a University nearby suggested using Disk Utility to save an image - hence this is currently underway at present. Once this is finished I will try Carbon Copy Cloner.
I have another friend who has an older version of CCC - do you know if an old version will work ok or if only the latest supports Yosemite?
Also once I have the clone completed from CCC, is the process then to reformat the old internal drive and then clone from the CCC external drive back to the internal and then reboot and trust all is well?
Appreciate your help Csound1.
Regards
Andrew

Time Machine with 2T drive connected to Airport Extreme base via USB

I got this to work - Time machine recognizing the drive in its "choose backup disk" menu.
I used it to store Apple Lossless audio on a big iTunes library, as well as for my Time Machine backups.
Whole system ran fine for 4 months until last week: while I was using iTunes with that remote library, adding audio to it... "Airport has detected a disk error"... My 2TB of disk turned into a very expensive brick.
The disk had to be recovered with Disk Warrior, detecting "19,753 directory entries with incorrect text encoding value" as part of a nice one-page-long list of other errors.
SINCE THEN: no matter what I do, the disk does not show up in Time Machine, even though I can access it via the network exactly as before.
Any ideas are welcome!

Apple does not support Time Machine backups to an AirPort disk (a USB drive attached to an AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBS)). (ref: Mac OS X 10.5: Time Machine doesn't back up to AirPort Extreme AirPort Disks) Although folks, like yourself, have gotten this to work initially, the long-term stability of the TM backups is highly suspect and why Apple doesn't support it. Sorry!

Has anyone successfully used a "WD My Book for Mac" via NAS (plugged into USB port on router) as a Time Machine back-up drive?

Has anyone successfully used a "WD My Book for Mac" via NAS (plugged into USB port on router) as a Time Machine back-up drive? Apple support tech tried to tell me it wasn't possible and that the only NAS Time Machine could back up to is the Time Capsule, but I'm not buying it. I know it's doable, but I'm having a hard time figuring out which External HDDs will work and which ones won't. If not My Book for Mac, is there an External HDD that will work? (Running OS X 10.9.1 - Mavericks, btw...)

Given the nature of backups, my recommendation has always been to use a strategy that is unequivocally supported by Apple. As you already determined Apple Support unequivocally informed you that your proposal will not work, unless your router is an Apple AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule.
The exhaustive list of devices supported by Time Machine amounts to the following:
AirPort Time Capsule's built-in hard disk (any model)
External USB hard disk drive connected to a Time Capsule (any model)
External USB hard disk drive connected to an AirPort Extreme (current model only)
A hard disk drive directly connected to your Mac
That is all.
Use whatever backup device you want, but you should be aware that this site is full of reports of misery from hapless individuals who had been using NAS devices for Time Machine backups, only to find that they were incomplete, corrupted, or useless when they were required. Apple won't care if you lose your data while using a Time Machine configuration specifically excluded from their technical support documents.

On imac 10.6.8 using current version of Aperture. How can I access the Aperture Library on my external hard drive that I use with time machine for backup? I can only access the application but not the library..

On imac 10.6.8 using current version of Aperture. How can I access the Aperture Library on my external hard drive that I use with time machine for backup? I can only access the application but not the library..

Go into Time Machine (the program not the bundle on the extrnal disk) and using Time Machine's browser go to the Folder where the library lives. You could look in the library bundle in Time Machine but that won't really tell you much,
If you want to make sure it truely has backed up your library you will need to restore it and open the restored library with Aperture.
If all this still has you confused you need to read up on Time Machine in order to get a feel for how it works, for what it is doing and for how to restore files from it.

Time Machine USB Backup Drive fails to eject

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