Time Machine Error - Can't STOP IT!

I'm on OX 10.5.4.

A while back, I started my Time Machine backups. Recently I wanted to STOP them, so I went in and flipped the little switch to OFF.

Later that day, it started backing things up again.

So I went back into the preferences and chose NO DISK to deselect the disk drive that it was previously backing up to.

Now I get a message that says...

Time Machine Error - No backup volume has been selected. To select a backup volume, open System Preferences and choose Time Machine.

How can I stop this monster from trying to run!

Thanks,
Bill

Try turning it off again in preferences but this time click the small lock closed at the bottom of the dialog box.

Regards.

And download and install this as it may sort things for you. Big file 768 MB and keep a copy just in case u need it again.

Still broken

Thanks guys. I tried those two fixes, but I'm still getting that stupid error message. Other ideas?

OK. Try this:

Navigate to: /Volumes/MacIntosh HD/Library/Preferences/

Find the following file: com.apple.TimeMachine.plist

Copy it to your desktop. Then delete the original. Restart your computer, select the TM preferences and make sure it's off. Let's see if that works. If not, post back and we'll try another idea.

Regards.

Thanks... you'd a thunk that would work, but it didn't. I had tried it before, but I tried it again.

When I shut down and restarted, I went into the Time Machine preferences. The switch was already set to NO, but the lock at the bottom was unlocked so I locked it. Sure enough an hour or so later... the dreaded message popped up.

So I went back in to look at the preferences... the lock was still on, but now the switch had been moved to YES.

As I'm typing this, I've thought of another thing to try. I've unlocked it and moved it back to NO. It had been showing up in my Status Bar at the top (the icon). So I've turned that off now as well. It would be ridiculous if it was true, but maybe that's the fix.

I'll reply in a couple of hours to let you know.

Thanks!

Nope... it's still showing up.

can you connect the backup drive back or is it corrupted or something? if you can connect it, let it finish the backup and then goto time machine preferences and turn the backup off. Then it will work. Also, make sure your preferences are set to manual rather than weekly/daily automatic ones when you hook the backup drive...

Another choice - download and install this and leave it selected OFF in Sys Prefs > Time Machine;
Download TimeMachineEditor for Mac - Change the one-hour interval of Time Machine backups. MacUpdate Mac Software Downloads

that might sort it.

sau124 said:

can you connect the backup drive back or is it corrupted or something? if you can connect it, let it finish the backup and then goto time machine preferences and turn the backup off. Then it will work. Also, make sure your preferences are set to manual rather than weekly/daily automatic ones when you hook the backup drive...

Click to expand...

I don't think I can do that... I've already deleted all the backups and reformatted the drive to make room for other stuff.

Collin Bl said:

Another choice - download and install this and leave it selected OFF in Sys Prefs > Time Machine;
Download TimeMachineEditor for Mac - Change the one-hour interval of Time Machine backups. MacUpdate Mac Software Downloads

that might sort it.

Click to expand...

I'm trying this today. Thanks. I'll let you know.