Issues with Mac Time Machine and Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive V1 3TB

[sultanoflondon]

Hi all,

I am getting an error message (screenshot attached) when my Mac (automatically) tries to make Time Machine back ups to my Time Machine back up drive ("Seagate 3TB"). I am trying to erase the disk, after completing other troubleshooting steps which have been ineffective. However, when I try to erase the disk using Disk Utility, I get another error message (another screenshot attached).

Can anyone help? The HDD is almost three years old now.

Thanks!



First screenshot:

Second screenshot:

 

[CoastalOR]

I've seen the same problem occasionally with my external USB drives not able to unmount with Disk Utility in El Capitan. A restart of my Mac fixes the problem.

 

[ColdCase]

Otherwise it could be the disk starting to fail.

 

[matreya]

Instead of choosing to erase the partition "Seagate 3TB", try erasing the actual drive (the icon above the one selected in the screengrab) "Seagate Backup+..."

Other than that, Seagate had a terrible batch of 3TB drives a few years ago, so maybe it's dying.