External (Backup) Disk: Not In Fiunder

[Marrk]

I erased my external backup disk. Now, it does not appear under Locations and TimeMachine can't see it.

1) I checked cabled connections.

2) I changed USB-C ports.

3) I ReStarted the laptop.

4) I reset NVRAM.

5) I tried "Mounting" the disk in Disk Utilities. It appears to be already Mounted.

6) The power light on the external disk seems to be functioning appropriately.

Any suggestions on how to fix this?

Thanks.

 

[RadDave]

Hello - can you post a screenshot like mine below (an SSD mounted in Disk Utility) - make sure 'Show All Devices' is selected - might help in offering possible solutions? Dave

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[Marrk]

Hello - can you post a screenshot like mine below (an SSD mounted in Disk Utility) - make sure 'Show All Devices' is selected - might help in offering possible solutions? Dave

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View attachment 39988

 

[MacInWin]

I suspect that your process of erasing the drive has mucked up the drive's directory structure. From the screenshot you provided, click on "Erase" on the menu bar and reformat the entire drive. Make sure you have selected "LaCie Rugged..." in the left column to do that. If this is to be a backup drive for TM, you will then need to format it for APFS and then tell TM about it again and let TM format it to be APFS Case Sensitive and encrypted. Then make a backup using TM. It will be a full backup, so it could take some time to complete as it has to make a copy of everything on the source drive for that first full backup.

If this was a TM drive, you should not have messed with it directly. TM takes care of space management on the backup drive. When a user intervenes, TM loses the complex set of interlinks that are in the backups and gets corrupted. Next time, let TM do what it does.

 

[RadDave]

Thanks - if you click on 'Container disk5', what file system (e.g. APFS, macOS Extended, etc.) is installed? Dave

 

[IWT]

On your Screenshot @Marrk, I see a LaCie EHD. Is that the one you are trying to use for a Time Machine backup?

I ask, because it seems that LaCie is being recognised by your Mac ie it is Mounted; in which case TM should also recognise it.

I think that you need to Erase the LaCie again and make sure that it is setup properly. Just a thought.

Ian

 

[IWT]

Ah; Jake & Dave beat me to it. But we all seem to be giving the same advice.

Ian

 

[Marrk]

Thanks - if you click on 'Container disk5', what file system (e.g. APFS, macOS Extended, etc.) is installed? Dave

APFS

 

[Marrk]

TM takes care of space management on the backup drive.

It was taking more than an hour to complete a backup.

 

[pm-r]

It was taking more than an hour to complete a backup

That would be quite normal if you have a fair amount or a lot of data to be backed up or if there is a slow connection between your Mac and your TM backup Drive, but in either case it's still one **** of a lot faster than you could ever type or try and back up your stuff yourself.

Just congratulate yourself for doing a backup for if and when you might need it.

Like most types of backups, the first time can take a considerable amount of time but later incremental backups are often very short and fast.




- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

Your action to try to speed up TM basically destroyed the backups on the drive and left TM in a state where it expected to find something on that drive and did not. That is why TM doesn't "recognize" the drive, you erased the identification TM used. Now the only path is to completely reformat the drive, redesignate it to TM as a "new" backup drive and let it start all over again. Next time don't interfere with what TM is doing. If TM starts taking a long time to make a backup, look into what may be causing that to happen, don't take a brute force hammer to the backup drive.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but the reality is that TM is a very complex application with very compex ways to work it's magic to have multiple backups on a drive without having to actually copy files and folders over and over again. But reaching into that complex system is a bit like trying to change the oil in a car as it is on the highway at 60 MPH. The outcome is usually a disaster.

 

[Marrk]

Now the only path is to completely reformat the drive, redesignate it to TM as a "new" backup drive and let it start all over again.

How?

 

[MacInWin]

How?

Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

If you have a USB drive or other external storage device, you can use Time Machine to automatically back up your files, including apps, music, photos, email, and documents.

support.apple.com

To get rid of the "old" drive in TM settings, just click once to highlight it, then click on the "-" below that and remove it. Then add the reformatted drive as the backup, following the instructions in the article at Apple.

 

[Marrk]

I erased my external backup disk. Now, it does not appear under Locations and TimeMachine can't see it.

Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

If you have a USB drive or other external storage device, you can use Time Machine to automatically back up your files, including apps, music, photos, email, and documents.

support.apple.com

To get rid of the "old" drive in TM settings, just click once to highlight it, then click on the "-" below that and remove it. Then add the reformatted drive as the backup, following the instructions in the article at Apple.

Neither the Finder nor TimeMachine knows that an external drive is plugged in.

 

[MacInWin]

Did you erase and reformat it as I suggested in Post #4?

 

[Marrk]

Did you erase and reformat it as I suggested in Post #4?

Just now. That did the trick. TimeMachine is backing up now. Thank you, and thank you to all.

One last question: If the laptop goes into Sleep mode, will it interrupt or interfere with the backing up process?

 

[MacInWin]

One last question: If the laptop goes into Sleep mode, will it interrupt or interfere with the backing up process?

It should not. However, to make sure, open Settings>Battery>Options and turn ON "Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off" to keep the CPU running when the display goes dark. Techically, the laptop will not actually be in full "sleep" then, but the biggest power draw, the screen, will be off and the CPU running to keep the backups going.

 

[Marrk]

It should not. However, to make sure, open Settings>Battery>Options and turn ON "Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off" to keep the CPU running when the display goes dark. Techically, the laptop will not actually be in full "sleep" then, but the biggest power draw, the screen, will be off and the CPU running to keep the backups going.

Got it.

How about "Put hard disks to sleep when possible"? Click or Unclick?

 

[IWT]

"Put hard disks to sleep when possible

Uncheck is my view.

Ian

 

[Marrk]

Uncheck is my view.

Ian

Will do.