How to delete backups.db

[seneca2008]

I used an external drive to create backups using time machine. I then bought time capsule and carried out a full back up of my ibook. I have tried to delete the old backup on my external drive but I get an error message saying "the operation cannot be completed because the item ByHost is in use".

Can anyone please help me?

Thanks

 

[Thiol]

I realize that this may be annoying, but how about just erasing the external drive with Disk Utility? That presumes you have nothing else on there...

 

[netnothing]

Have you turned Time Machine off?

-Kevin

 

[seneca2008]

Thanks for your replies.

No I cant erase the external disc its full of stuff I need.

Yes time machine is off. I have a time capsule now and the backups happen there.

I had been trying to delete the folder through my wireless steup using time capsule but that clearly is not working.

I have tried to plug the external drive into my mac directly and that looks more promising.

 

[blueicedj]

While in Time Machine, click the file or folder you want to delete. Press the action button (the one that looks like a gear) and an option will come up that says "delete all backups of (your file/folder)" Click that. It will erase all the versions of that file/folder that it has, except the newest one, which you can just delete normally. Hope this helps