# General Time Machine hell, with external drive /fdsk hell \[need answer fastish, because no backups\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2018, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843 "2018-03-19T19:59:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2018, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843/1 "2018-03-19T19:59:53Z")
Now I’m wondering why Disk Utility on my 2 terabyte external is hanging on “checking multi-linked files.” This is a working backwards check following hours of trying to fix the following (unfixed) problems. OSX 10.13.3, Macbook Pro. External drive backups fine until 3 weeks ago. Now, Time Machine “preparing backup” takes hours; then tells me it will back up 350 Gig (!) (after 3 weeks?), then, next day checked, froze at 2 Gig anyway. Repeatable under my usual tries. My diligence: checked a lot of googling, beginning with [Fix Time Machine When Stuck on “Preparing Backup” in Mac OS X](http://osxdaily.com/2014/03/31/time-machine-stuck-preparing-backup-mac-fix/), and all its sisters and brothers. Safe mode boot then reboot; delete backup list, for reindex, others. There was a suggestion one one site, affirmed elsewhere, to unthrottle the backup CPU attention, which I sort of understand, but I’m sure I’m in no postition to even go there. Any help? Working backwards, I guess, from even trashing the external, which would be fine to live dangerously for a cloning or new backup–but I don’t even know if that is doable now from my startup Time Capsule processes, if they’re corrupted. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843/2 "2018-03-20T03:37:50Z")
Get a new external drive, and start a new TM backup. 4TB drives are under $100. Keep the old one - it might still be useful if disaster strikes before your BU is completed. Also, copy all your most critical files to an external store (DropBox, USB drive, etc.) right now. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843/3 "2018-03-20T14:10:39Z")
Thanks for cutting through all the Mr Fix-It crap in my head. FTR, fdsk did complete, finally, with no errors, ostensibly. Yeah, BU overnight began, finally, but quit at ca. 2 Gig. I read that you could use some tool or other to find the file at which it choked, remove that, and everything will be peaches and cream. But the hell with it. ETA: Sophie’s choice time on critical files…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843/4 "2018-03-20T15:01:03Z")
Diks Warrior is able to fix directory issues that fsck can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843/5 "2018-03-20T15:31:02Z")
I don’t have an Apple Macintosh computer, so perhaps I’m not understanding something here. But isn’t Time Machine attempting to backup the Macbook Pro to the external drive that appears to be giving you problems? So why isn’t the solution to simply _buy a replacement external drive_? Why are you still futzing around with fsck or whatever? As said above, a four-terabyte drive is under a hundred bucks. (Heck, a four-terabyte external WD My Passport 2.5" drive is only just over a hundred bucks. I prefer those drives for backup purposes because they’re small and don’t require external power sources.) ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843/6 "2018-03-20T15:42:57Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t have an Apple Macintosh computer, so perhaps I’m not understanding something here. But isn’t Time Machine attempting to backup the Macbook Pro to the external drive that appears to be giving you problems? So why isn’t the solution to simply _buy a replacement external drive_? Why are you still futzing around with fsck or whatever? As said above, a four-terabyte drive is under a hundred bucks. (Heck, a four-terabyte external WD My Passport 2.5" drive is only just over a hundred bucks. I prefer those drives for backup purposes because they’re small and don’t require external power sources.) Yes, see post #2 and reply at #3. Going to buy two drives, and Carbon Copy: one drive gets clone, other one fresh. Maximum props to Many thanks to **AHunter3** for help on this too, off-board. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843/7 "2018-03-20T15:54:56Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t have an Apple Macintosh computer, so perhaps I’m not understanding something here. But isn’t Time Machine attempting to backup the Macbook Pro to the external drive that appears to be giving you problems? So why isn’t the solution to simply _buy a replacement external drive_? Why are you still futzing around with fsck or whatever? As said above, a four-terabyte drive is under a hundred bucks. (Heck, a four-terabyte external WD My Passport 2.5" drive is only just over a hundred bucks. I prefer those drives for backup purposes because they’re small and don’t require external power sources.) Also, last line in OP. [Gotta have my own last word, now with a “so there!”…:)] ---
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843/8 "2018-03-21T20:48:26Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Diks Warrior is able to fix directory issues that fsck can’t. That’s the filthiest sentence I’ve ever read in a thread about computers. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-time-machine-hell-with-external-drive-fdsk-hell-need-answer-fastish-because-no-backups/810843/9 "2018-03-21T23:38:24Z")
> [@TwoCarrotSnowman](#): > > That’s the filthiest sentence I’ve ever read in a thread about computers. Snerk. The typo really makes it, doesn’t it?