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playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
When I click on Time Machine, I just get a space-image with multiple Finder windows on top of one another.
I don't get anything that actually lets me select anything.

I think it used to really clearly just give me an option of backing up.

Can anyone tell me how to fix it?

This should hopefully be a screenshot
1690zmw.png


It looks to me like it says my last backup was Oct 2011 (ah!)

I should add that I yesterday reformatted the external drive.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
In restore mode. How to get out of mode?

I looked at that, but still can't figure it out...
I don't want to restore what was on my external hard drive.
I want it to start backing up what's on my laptop (so I want it to come out of restore mode)
How do I do that?

Appreciate all suggestions
 

blueroom

macrumors 603
Feb 15, 2009
6,381
26
Toronto, Canada
The drive must be formatted as HFS+

Then launch TM from System Preferences then Select Disk
Choose your external disk and wait. It'll take awhile.
 

playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
From now on

Thank you, it seems to be working!

Assuming all goes well, from now on will I need to launch TM through System Preferences or can I do it normally?

Did I format wrong in selecting HFS+? (I'm on MacBook Pro)
 

blueroom

macrumors 603
Feb 15, 2009
6,381
26
Toronto, Canada
HFS+ is correct.
TM is completely automatic backup. You'll see the clock spinning every now and then. Unless you need to restore; do nothing. :)
 

playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
Crashing part-way through (TM)

Me again.
All went well up to 1/3 of the way through the TM backup progress bar.
Then it said it wasn't ejected properly.
Then it crashed and wouldn't force quit, and the computer had to reboot.
System Preferences will start again, but every time I try to launch TM I get that spinning-coloured-fan-program-crashed image, and either I have to Force Quit System Preferences, or sometimes System Preferences won't let me Force Quit and I have to reboot.

Is my external hard drive corrupted still (yesterday I reformatted it), or has it died a young death, or....?

Appreciate suggestions,
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,035
15,412
California
Me again.
All went well up to 1/3 of the way through the TM backup progress bar.
Then it said it wasn't ejected properly.
Then it crashed and wouldn't force quit, and the computer had to reboot.
System Preferences will start again, but every time I try to launch TM I get that spinning-coloured-fan-program-crashed image, and either I have to Force Quit System Preferences, or sometimes System Preferences won't let me Force Quit and I have to reboot.

Is my external hard drive corrupted still (yesterday I reformatted it), or has it died a young death, or....?

Appreciate suggestions,

Turn off Time Machine, then attached the USB drive and start Disk Utility. Select the drive in Disk Util then click repair disk and see what you get.
 

playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
TM or ext. hard drive probs

But then when I try to run TM, I get this -

The backup was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disk.
 

playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
Help? (TM or ext. HD)

And then as with earlier, this message appears

The disk was not ejected properly. If possible, always eject a disk before unplugging it or turning it off.

Although the disk has not been ejected/unplugged.

----------

I did reformat the external drive.
These attempts are since the reformat.

Do these problems mean the problem is TM, or a broken external hard drive, or...?
 

blueroom

macrumors 603
Feb 15, 2009
6,381
26
Toronto, Canada
I've had cheap USB drives disconnect at random. Could simply be not enough power from the USB port on your MacBook.

Is it a name brand USB drive? How old is your Mac, which OS?

A "Y" USB cable (extra power), powered USB hub or powered USB enclosure would be what I'd try.

Personally I use a Synology NAS to do TM, but lots of folks use USB drives.
 

playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
post-reformat & TM probs

Just missed your message, posted above.

Actually I did reformat the external hard drive. These attempts are all since the reformatting.

Do you think this means the problem is with TM, or that my ext. hard drive is broken, or...?

----------

It's an iOmega - portable external hard drive

----------

Mac is less than 6 mths. old, & I think 10.6.4 (curiously, 'About this Mac' currently doesn't open anything)
 

blueroom

macrumors 603
Feb 15, 2009
6,381
26
Toronto, Canada
Mac is less than 6 mths. old, & I think 10.6.4 (curiously, 'About this Mac' currently doesn't open anything)

6 month old Mac running a two year old OSX? Didn't think SL could be installed on a Mac made in the last 6 months.

Since About this Mac isn't working I'd suspect there's trouble with the OS. Did you buy it new from Apple? If not where did you get it?

Backup what you can to the cloud, DropBox, SkyDrive for starters.
 

playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
Woes could be from TM, ext hard drive or OS...

I did buy it from an Apple store, and it is covered.

It sounds like I should take it in to be checked?

I might be wrong about the OS, as I can't currently check.. .but it was about 6 mths. ago I purchased it.
 

playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
TM not backing up / partition schemes

Another question... I'm looking on the Apple Support pages, about TM not backing up. One of the things it says under 'resolution' is,

'Select a new partition scheme:
Use Apple Partition Map partition scheme if the disk will be used with Time Machine and a PowerPC-based Mac.
Use GUID partition scheme if the disk will be used with Time Machine and a Intel-based Mac.'

How can I tell if I'm Intel-based or not? (I'm MacBook Pro). I'm wondering because when I reformatted I think I chose the GUID partition scheme. If that's not correct, could I have caused all these problems via that action?
 

blueroom

macrumors 603
Feb 15, 2009
6,381
26
Toronto, Canada
Power PC is long gone. Circa 2006.

Apple stores often run free workshops, check Apple.ca and see if there's one for general OSX use. I go to a local Mac meetup here in Toronto (this Wednesday) check to see if there's a local Meetup for Mac in your area.
 

playethic

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 6, 2007
96
0
Vancouver, Canada
Oddness increases

OK it's doing even stranger things now (eg. trying to attach files in Mail, and nothing shows up so can't select anything), so I guess something's up with the OS.
Sadly.

I will check re: a Meetup for Vancouver.
Thanks for your time.
 
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