Time Machine keeps 'breaking' external HDD

[MattZani]

I've got a Hitachi Tuoro USB3 external HDD, I use it for Time Machine, but after a while it will keep saying backup failed and that it couldn't create the backup folder, something to do with Time Machine not allowing enough time for the HDD to wake up? When this happens Disk Utility cannot unmount the device, or verify/repair it.

What can be done?

 

[MattZani]

Not telling hard drives to sleep when possible fixes this, but does mean its constantly spinning, which is annoying.

 

[justperry]

Use Carbon Copy Cloner instead, it also has the advantage of making bootable backups contrary to TM.
And, you can have multiple backup schedules, for instance each hour on Home folder, daily for Library, weekly on the whole disk.

CCC <= 3.4.7 = Free

 

[Bear]

Use Carbon Copy Cloner instead, it also has the advantage of making bootable backups contrary to TM.
And, you can have multiple backup schedules, for instance each hour on Home folder, daily for Library, weekly on the whole disk.

CCC <= 3.4.7 = Free

This doesn't answer the original posters question. Also with CCC keeping a bootable backup, it sounds like it doesn't keep the point in time copies that Time Machine does.

Some say the best backup strategy is keeping a clone (which ever software package) and using Time Machine.

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I've got a Hitachi Tuoro USB3 external HDD, I use it for Time Machine, but after a while it will keep saying backup failed and that it couldn't create the backup folder, something to do with Time Machine not allowing enough time for the HDD to wake up? When this happens Disk Utility cannot unmount the device, or verify/repair it.

What can be done?

Is the drive directly plugged into the system? If not try that.

It could be a design flaw with the drive. You could have a bad drive or it could be (unlikely but it happens) a bad USB cable. Check with the drive manufacturer and mention it's slow to spin up.