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I keep getting a response in Time Machine that "Time Machine couldn’t complete the backup to “Time Machine Drive” and "An error occurred while preparing the backup." I've read the articles, and don't know what's wrong.
dave
What brand, model and size is the external hard drive?
Is the external drive new or being used for something else?
If new, then you need to format it using Disk Utility.
If used, the you need to copy the data on it to another drive and reformat it using Disk Utility.
see > Types of disks you can use with Time Machine on Mac - Apple Support
Something else is wrong, because you can use Time Machine on an HDD to backup a new M2 Mac.
If you have exhausted everything at > Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support
Then it is time to contact > Official Apple Support for assistants.
Other good backup options include using clone-ware like CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
https://bombich.com/ https://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
I reformatted the hard drive with Disc Utility, using AFP. I selected it in the Time Machine app, the disc got the icon common to Time Machine Drives, but I keep getting a notice that "An error occurred while preparing the backup." I've tried about 6 times with variations, but have no luck. It's a Seagate Backup Plus drive, 4TB.
Further experimentation: I reinitialized the hard drive on a different computer using Mac OS Extended. The new M2 refused to use it as well.
Conclusion: you can't use Time Machine on HDDs in the new Apple world.
APFS is best for SSDs. Try using the Mac OS Extended format with that external HDD.
Open Disk Utility & run Disk First Aid on all drives.
Unfortunately, that isn't an option with the newest Disc Utility. Only APFS in four varieties. And none of those work for this, so you're probably right, that's what would be needed.
You can use Drive DX to possibly get a better view of Drive health…
https://binaryfruit.com/drivedx
Thanks to Jack-19…
It may be wise to run SMART Utility to check the drives' health.
Can't get Time Machine to work on new Mac Mini M2
