Time Machine "looking for backup disk"

[meech36]

I'm having trouble with Time Machine trying to backup my computer, as it always stalls on "looking for backup disk. I did some searching on google and through these forums and found the problem to be ntfs.kext. I have setup my computer to dual boot Mountain Lion 10.8.2 and Windows 8 using separate drives. Whenever, the ntfs.kext is loaded, my Windows 8 partitions are present (System Reserved and Main Partition), Time Machine gets stuck on the "looking for backup disk". When booting into safe mode or removing the ntfs.kext, Time Machine seems to run fine because the Windows 8 partitions aren't mounted. For right now, I have removed the ntfs.kext from loading but I would like to have access to my Windows 8 main partition. Does anyone know how to solve this issue? Also, are there going to be any future problems by not having ntfs.kext load? Thank you.

 

[RehabMan]

I'm having trouble with Time Machine trying to backup my computer, as it always stalls on "looking for backup disk. I did some searching on google and through these forums and found the problem to be ntfs.kext. I have setup my computer to dual boot Mountain Lion 10.8.2 and Windows 8 using separate drives. Whenever, the ntfs.kext is loaded, my Windows 8 partitions are present (System Reserved and Main Partition), Time Machine gets stuck on the "looking for backup disk". When booting into safe mode or removing the ntfs.kext, Time Machine seems to run fine because the Windows 8 partitions aren't mounted. For right now, I have removed the ntfs.kext from loading but I would like to have access to my Windows 8 main partition. Does anyone know how to solve this issue? Also, are there going to be any future problems by not having ntfs.kext load? Thank you.

I wish I would have seen your message about ntfs.kext a few days ago when I was having the same issue (maybe I would have gone that route with ntfs.kext). Your NTFS drive doesn't happen to be a Western Digital HDD? Because I solved my issue by swapping the WD HDD for a Hitachi HDD...

See this: http://www.tonymacx86.com/mountain-...e-i7-2600k-hd3000-ml-10-8-2-a.html#post502204

 

[meech36]

I'm using a G.Skill 120gb ssd for my Windows 8 drive. I would try swapping it, but I don't have a spare drive and I'm not sure how to clone the windows 8 drive.

 

[RehabMan]

I'm using a G.Skill 120gb ssd for my Windows 8 drive. I would try swapping it, but I don't have a spare drive and I'm not sure how to clone the windows 8 drive.

Not having a spare drive makes it tricky to try. I use gparted to do my NTFS cloning.

Does it work to unmount the NTFS volume(s) in Disk Utility before running Time Machine?

 

[meech36]

I believe I tried to unmount the partitions and Time Machine acted the same way, stuck on "looking for backup disk". I would go buy a spare drive, but I remember Time Machine working during the first setup when the ntfs partitions were mounted. It was after the first backup that it stopped working and was giving me problems. I tried a couple of things, such as choosing the drive again in TM Preferences, erasing the drive, choosing another partition on the drive, a full reset of Time Machine (deleting com.apple.TimeMachine.plist). None of them seem to work, the only thing that works so far is to delete the ntfs.kext to keep it from loading.

 

[RehabMan]

I believe I tried to unmount the partitions and Time Machine acted the same way, stuck on "looking for backup disk". I would go buy a spare drive, but I remember Time Machine working during the first setup when the ntfs partitions were mounted. It was after the first backup that it stopped working and was giving me problems. I tried a couple of things, such as choosing the drive again in TM Preferences, erasing the drive, choosing another partition on the drive, a full reset of Time Machine (deleting com.apple.TimeMachine.plist). None of them seem to work, the only thing that works so far is to delete the ntfs.kext to keep it from loading.

I had the same thing: TM worked for a while, then suddenly stopped. Swapped drives as I read other people with WD drives were showing the same problem. And now it is fine... for now.