Problem with sparseimage backup: LOSS OF DATA

[dnanian]

Then, it seems the problem might have been the controller, germ. Things were mounting and looking correct before you used the enclosure, so it seems that's what changed...

And, yes: as I discuss in the User's Guide, a sparse image is less reliable than writing directly to disk. It's why I suggest writing directly to the drive if possible... the less indirection, the better.

That said, I've found sparse images to be quite reliable in my experience. I copy to them multiple times a day, every day, and haven't had a problem.