How to safe TimeMachine-Backup (Urgent)
 

Hi,

I am facing the problem that the external HD were my TimeMachine-Backup resides is having a serious file-system-problem (probably not hardware) leading to failing TimeMachine-backups, hanging Finder. So far attempts to repair it with Harddisk-utility have failed (cannot be repaired, cannot be ejected: make backup, reformat! ).

The drive is partitioned, one part (1a) for SD-cloning (internal HD: very day) and another part (1b) for TimeMachine and other files I donot want to keep on my HD. The troubles seem to be limited to that particular partition.

I have been able to copy those other files to free space on yet another external HD (a SD-clone of internal HD every week) (2) and to my internal HD.

I'm am unwilling to loose the last six month of TimeMachine-Backup. Is there a way to safely copy the "Timemachine.backup" to another HD or partition? I have only the one other, were currently a weekly SD-clone resides.

What would be the best procedure given my ressources: clone Timemachine.backup to drive 2 or partition 1a, while erasing the clone, if yes, how can this be done?

Thanks a lot

Rolf

MBP C2D 2.33 GH 2GB RAM, OSX 10.5.4 German

If the Time Machine data is damaged and it can't be repaired with Disk Utility? No: I think your Time Machine backup cannot be copied in a way that would 'un-damage' it.

How to save TimeMachine.backup-data
 

Hi, sorry for my unclear question…

as far as I can say, the TimeMachine.backup data is intact (wouldn't know until I tried… wouldn't I). Is there a way to copy that data from one volume to another, then reformatting the drive and copying it back? I have been able to copy all the other data via Finder onto other volume(s) even though only the folders could be seen, not their content, Finder did display size information (get-info). Because of the special type of data in TimeMachine-backup I am hesitant to do the same (copying via Finder).

Rolf

SuperDuper! is happy to copy proper Time Machine backup data, Rolf. I'm just saying that if Disk Utility can't repair the drive, and Time Machine can't back up to the drive, and Finder hangs (etc), it's likely quite corrupt.

So how to do this? Use a special selector ("*.backup") in SD? I do not want /cannot copy all the rest of the data because of space on available volumes.

I will try and see - either it works (data can be copied and is functional) and TimeMachine can resume or not … then I am just unlucky (WD MyBook pro)

Rolf

You'd want to create a copy script that included "Exclude all files" and then added a command to copy "Backups.backupdb".

But, again: I think it's quite unlikely this is going to work, given what you've said. You can try, of course.

Hi Danian,

well you were right, SD ran into problems (send you the log-file) and I have abandoned the task, reformatted the drive and started anew setup: TimeMachine side-by-side with a clone, will later add a partition for some stuff I donot want to keep on my internal HD. Get a bit paranoid about HD-reliability and will get yet another drive… I wonder if I would have been able to repair the drive with any other tool than Disk Utility but hav had no chance to try. Sigh.

Advice to others: keep backup of backup, and TimeMachine-backups are frail in certain circumstances. notably disk-corruption.

Rolf

Since you're starting from scratch, go side-by-side in partitions, Rolf, OK?