I've done some searching on the forums, but I cannot find exactly what I need. I currently have a Maxtor external hard drive partitioned into two sections; one for time machine, the other for music, movies, etc. Normally, the two separate partitions would show up on my desktop (labeled "Music" and "Time Machine") but as of lately the Time Machine partition fails to show. I cannot find the volume anywhere, but the Music partition still reads perfectly fine. Any suggestions on how I can relocated the Time Machine partition?
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External hard drive missing partition
- Thread starter npdurds
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Just be glad it isn't "the other way around" and that it's only the TM partition you've "lost", rather than your music partition.
Have you tried using the "repair disk" option in Disk Utility?
There are disk recovery applications that will attempt to restore "lost partitions" or recover the data from them - such as "Data Rescue" and "Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery". They are "pay for" apps, however.
But I don't think you really need them.
Instead, if Disk Utility can't repair the drive and restore the missing partition, I'd suggest you do this:
1. BE SURE YOUR MUSIC FILES ARE BACKED UP SOMEWHERE ELSE (shouting intentional). You might consider buying a second hard drive on which to have "a second backup". If those files are important to you, you want them in AT LEAST TWO PLACES - probably three.
2. Re-initialize and re-partition the Maxtor drive.
3. Start over with Time Machine on one partition.
4. Re-copy your music and movie back to the second partition.
Final suggestion: STOP using Time Machine for a backup. Instead, use CarbonCopyCloner. It should create for you a BOOTABLE backup copy. TM can't do this. And your files will be immediately available in plain, open, "finder format". It's "the better way"....
Have you tried using the "repair disk" option in Disk Utility?
There are disk recovery applications that will attempt to restore "lost partitions" or recover the data from them - such as "Data Rescue" and "Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery". They are "pay for" apps, however.
But I don't think you really need them.
Instead, if Disk Utility can't repair the drive and restore the missing partition, I'd suggest you do this:
1. BE SURE YOUR MUSIC FILES ARE BACKED UP SOMEWHERE ELSE (shouting intentional). You might consider buying a second hard drive on which to have "a second backup". If those files are important to you, you want them in AT LEAST TWO PLACES - probably three.
2. Re-initialize and re-partition the Maxtor drive.
3. Start over with Time Machine on one partition.
4. Re-copy your music and movie back to the second partition.
Final suggestion: STOP using Time Machine for a backup. Instead, use CarbonCopyCloner. It should create for you a BOOTABLE backup copy. TM can't do this. And your files will be immediately available in plain, open, "finder format". It's "the better way"....
BlueRevolution: Disk Utility says the volume is there, but it is "not mounted" and formated as "Mac OS X Extended (Journaled)"
Fishrrman: I haven't tried running the "repair disk" option yet. I'll be picking up a new external today and backing EVERYTHING up before I attempt this... just to be on the safe side.
Thank you for your help thus far. I'll let you know what comes of the situation after I back everything up.
Fishrrman: I haven't tried running the "repair disk" option yet. I'll be picking up a new external today and backing EVERYTHING up before I attempt this... just to be on the safe side.
Thank you for your help thus far. I'll let you know what comes of the situation after I back everything up.
I've successfully backed up all the information that I possibly could and attempted to remount the TM partition. Immediately it tells me "the disk could not be mounted, try running first aid on the disk and retry mounting." I have also tried verifying the volume, but to no avail. It prompts me that "first aid failed, disk utility sopped verifying 'time machine' because the following error was encountered: filesystem verify or repair failed."
I didn't mention before, but I had a few movies on this partition in addition to my time machine back ups. I would like to salvage them if at all possible.
I didn't mention before, but I had a few movies on this partition in addition to my time machine back ups. I would like to salvage them if at all possible.
Update:
Still no luck. I've tried using a couple of freeware applications such as Mount Me!, but the drive still won't mount. Mount Me! will tell me that the drive has been successfully mounted, but Disk Utility continues to tell me that the drive has not been mounted. Any suggestions at this point would be helpful. Thanks!
Still no luck. I've tried using a couple of freeware applications such as Mount Me!, but the drive still won't mount. Mount Me! will tell me that the drive has been successfully mounted, but Disk Utility continues to tell me that the drive has not been mounted. Any suggestions at this point would be helpful. Thanks!
"Any suggestions at this point would be helpful."
Read post #3 again.
My guess is there is no "easy-cheap" way to get the Time Machine partition back. "Do-it-yourself" file recovery (i.e., "Data Rescue" or "Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery") may work, but they're not free, and there is a "learning curve".
If the second partition with the music MOUNTS for you, get that second drive up and copy over EVERYTHING from the second partition right away.
I'd write off the data on the TM partition. A backup is really not a whole lot more than a "copy" of what's on your "main" hard drive, and can be quickly reproduced on another [working] volume, in any case.
As I advised above, I'd write off _Time Machine_, too. Yours is but one more in a continuing saga of postings I've seen from folks who suddenly can't access Time Machine volumes/backups/partitions (take your pick).
Download CarbonCopyCloner (it's free). Use CCC to clone your main hard drive to a backup partition created for that purpose.
No, it's NOT "automatic", like TM. You have to launch it and tell it to run (I'm not sure if CCC can do "sceduled backups" - it might be possible, but I've never bothered). Run CCC once a week, or even once daily, and you'll be protected much better than you would be with TM.
I'm _guessing_ that once you get the files off the second partition on the malfunctioning drive, that it _might_ be possible to re-initialize it. If that's the case - if the problems were due to a corrupted directory and NOT a result of "hardware damage" to the drive itself, it can live a new life. I'd suggest that you use it to maintain a "second copy" of the music/movie files. This way you have those files in TWO places, not just one.
Read post #3 again.
My guess is there is no "easy-cheap" way to get the Time Machine partition back. "Do-it-yourself" file recovery (i.e., "Data Rescue" or "Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery") may work, but they're not free, and there is a "learning curve".
If the second partition with the music MOUNTS for you, get that second drive up and copy over EVERYTHING from the second partition right away.
I'd write off the data on the TM partition. A backup is really not a whole lot more than a "copy" of what's on your "main" hard drive, and can be quickly reproduced on another [working] volume, in any case.
As I advised above, I'd write off _Time Machine_, too. Yours is but one more in a continuing saga of postings I've seen from folks who suddenly can't access Time Machine volumes/backups/partitions (take your pick).
Download CarbonCopyCloner (it's free). Use CCC to clone your main hard drive to a backup partition created for that purpose.
No, it's NOT "automatic", like TM. You have to launch it and tell it to run (I'm not sure if CCC can do "sceduled backups" - it might be possible, but I've never bothered). Run CCC once a week, or even once daily, and you'll be protected much better than you would be with TM.
I'm _guessing_ that once you get the files off the second partition on the malfunctioning drive, that it _might_ be possible to re-initialize it. If that's the case - if the problems were due to a corrupted directory and NOT a result of "hardware damage" to the drive itself, it can live a new life. I'd suggest that you use it to maintain a "second copy" of the music/movie files. This way you have those files in TWO places, not just one.