wds0410 Loc: Nunya

Recently I have tried using My Passport (on a WD 4TB drive with over 3TB free, my Mac only has 250GB total disk space) to perform a backup of my Macbook Pro which is running Mojave 10.14. I have run backups successfully up and till recently. Lately, the backup runs and then fails at the end with a message to try again and then run Disk Utility if that doesn't work. I ran the Disk Utility repair option and the WD drive checked out ok.

Well, after confirming the definition of insanity by doing the same thing 3-5 times with no successful back up I'm open to suggestions as to what to do. I was able to successfully copying some individual files to the WD drive but rather have the comfort of a full back up.

Is the WD drive toast? Should I try something else like repartitioning or reformatting the drive (don't even know if this is an option)? Open to any suggestions from the Mac users.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

For starts, don't do anything radical until you know why you are having the problem. Don't go erasing or reformatting whatever you do! Watch the posts today and someone will be able to point you in the right direction.

LarryFB Loc: Depends where our RV is parked

What software are you using for back-up?

Chops Loc: Long Beach, CA

You may have some corruption in the directory structure (as opposed to the drive hardware or the data). For this I highly recommend Disk Warrior. Find it on Alsoft.com. It is a tool that repairs and rebuilds the disk directory. Think of it as the card catalog that tells the computer where files are located on the disk. It can get corrupted, and Disk Utility will never know, but Disk Warrior can probably fix it. At $120 it isn't cheap, but after 20 years supporting Mac users in a large university setting I can say that it is the most useful tool I have in my troubleshooting software collection.

On back-ups:

First, I don't usually back up the entire drive, which is why I also don't use Time Machine. I recommend users back up their home directory only, which should contain all their irreplaceable data. This economizes disk space, and the OS and applications can (and should) be completely reinstalled after a drive failure anyway, so backing them up is pretty pointless.

Second, I tend not to buy backup drives larger than 1 TB (unless the user is working with a lot of video) as having too much data on one device constitutes a glaring single point of failure. I prefer to use a redundant backup system consisting of optical disks (used to be DVD, now it's BluRay) as deep backup for the original photos, and bare 1TB drives with separate power supplies and SATA-to-USB adapters as working disks which are retired annually. This way the points of failure are isolated, I can replace parts cheaply and easily, and redundancy is maximized. I recommend buying at least one 1TB drive a year and a good disk catalog software (NeoFinder!) so you can keep track of what is on the drives you collect over the years. Each drive gets it's own Lightroom library with which you work throughout the year. At the end of the year back up the disk catalog and any other miscellaneous files you choose onto that year's drive, label it, and put it on a shelf. During that process you'll copy any current projects onto the new year's drive.
I hope that helps...

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

I have been using a WD Passport 1TB drive for backup using Time Machine on my 2013 Macbook Pro for several years, with no problems. Nor did I have any problems with a previous hard drive, except that it did not have enough storage space. I upgraded to Mojave recently, with no problems. One other thing I do is a monthly backup to a HD (a WD) off site, just to minimize my losses should something disastrous happen.
Chops' answer was both enlightening, and somewhat frightening. It is very "high end," and seems to be a near-perfect solution, although one that I do not want to do right now. I focus on two things: don't do anything rash, like erasing anything from computer or HD yet; the use of Disk Warrior seems like a good idea.
I wish I could help more--it's a rotten feeling to be confronted with such a problem.

pmorin Loc: Huntington Beach, Palm Springs

I have had that same trouble. The cure for me was to eject then unplug the drive, reboot and plug the usb back in. I have read on the comments for WD drives that others have had the exact same trouble. My next move is to call Apple tech support.

burgold2 Loc: Cheshire. U.K.

As a mac user since 2012 ,iMac and MacBook pro i've been using Carbon Copy Cloner by Bombich.com. Its easy and intuitive to use with user guidance and help. I paid less than £20 back in 2016 and still receiving free updates. Its fully compatible with Mojave , i have multiple cloned drives on both macs and they are exact copies and bootable.Try their webpage https://bombich.com hope you get sorted. III

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Thanks for that!

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

Thanks for all that detailed help. Much appreciated.

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

Thanks and yes, it is frustrating.

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

Thanks and I hope to get it "sorted", too. (I love that expression.)

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

I'll definitely give it a try. Thanks.

odujim Loc: New Jersey

If you haven't already done so, try checking the internal 250GB drive with Disk Utility. I hope you resolve this issue.

alltoptom

I am having the same problem. I see that other people on MAC forums are having the same problem. My last backup was September 14th. I still have not found a fix, but am getting close. I have done all the things suggested above with no success. I know it is not the drive, because I have the same problem on 2 different backup drives. According to MAC users, it is a corrupted file in the backup process. I found the issue using the following steps but it started to get a little too technical and I need more time to figure it out. Here are the steps I have taken so far. Apple, system preferences, Help, System preferences help, Search time machine troubleshooting. This is where it got to the point where it showed how to find the guilty file. I have not had time to pursue the research yet. Got a little technical. Maybe some of you techies out there can simplify the procedure. I may go to the Apple store. Whatever you do not format your drive, it will not help! Will update when I get an answer.

BruceT4891

Check the Trash.