Help! Still can't back up MacBook on Hammer Firewire

[k8conant]

I'm a newcomer to SuperDuper! and haven't yet been able to successfully backup my MacBook (74.5GB = 66 GB on MacBook HD partition and 8 GB on Untitled Windows XP partition) to my Hammer external drive (320GB shown as 298.1 in Disk Uility). I have the Hammer formatted GPT (GUID Partition Table) and 2 partitions right now (Intel_Boot @ 148.92GB HFS+ and PPC_Boot @ 148.73GM HFS+[for Mac Mini G4 running Tiger later]).

I've tried for days to get a full backup of "MacBook HD" and it hangs no matter what options I use. I see in the discussions that there have been problems with OS X 10.4.8. My backups have stopped at different points from 1.7GB to ~6GB.

Detailed instructions would be appreciated. I've verfified the disks repeatedly, repartitioned the Hammer, prayed, cursed, whatever.

Help!

[dnanian]

"Hangs", as in "looks stuck"? If so, how long have you left it: it could just be copying a large file or -- if you're using FileVault -- you might not be following the User's Guide instructions to back up from a non-FileVault account...

[k8conant]

last night I started it then hid it and 2 hours later checked on it and it had hung 1-1/2 hours earlier.

[k8conant]

I don't think I have FileVault turned on.

[k8conant]

FileVault is turned off.

[dnanian]

OK. Again, "hang" is different than "crash". So: we need to determine what file is causing the problem.

When it's stuck, please open Terminal. Then, copy the following to the clipboard:

sudo lsof | grep SDCopy

Paste that into Terminal. Press Return, enter your password (it won't echo) and press Return.

That'll have a list of what we have open. The last two lines are what we're copying (from and to), and should help determine what's really happening here.

[k8conant]

| 01:50:12 PM | Info | SuperDuper!, 2.1.3 (80), path: /Applications/SuperDuper!.app, Mac OS 10.4.8 build 8L2127 (i386)
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | Started on Tue, Feb 6, 2007 at 1:50 PM
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | Source Drive: MacBook HD, mount: /, device: ST98823AS, interconnect: Internal SATA, file system: "Journaled HFS+", OS: 10.4.8 (8L2127), capacity: 66.00 GB, used: 54.89 GB, directories: 111945, files: 489557, ejectable: NO, ACLs: Disabled
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | Target Image: /Volumes/Intel_Boot/SuperDuperBackup.sparseimage, name: SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | Copy Mode : Erase, then copy files
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | Copy Script : Backup - all files.dset
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | Transcript : BuildTranscript.plist
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | PHASE: 1. Prepare to Copy Files
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | ...ACTION: Preparing MacBook HD
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Verifying the integrity of volinfo.database
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | volinfo.database OK
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Enabling permissions on MacBook HD
| 01:50:12 PM | Info | Refreshing Disk Arbitration ...
| 01:50:13 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Verifying that permissions are enabled for MacBook HD
| 01:50:13 PM | Info | Permissions on '/' are enabled.
| 01:50:13 PM | Info | ...ACTION: Mounting SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:13 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Preparing SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:19 PM | Info | created: /Volumes/Intel_Boot/SuperDuperBackup.sparseimage
| 01:50:19 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Setting ownership and access modes for '/Volumes/Intel_Boot/SuperDuperBackup.sparseimage'
| 01:50:19 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Mounting SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:20 PM | Info | ...ACTION: Erasing SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:20 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Preserving SuperDuperBackup UUID
| 01:50:20 PM | Info | CB7069584BE33B4F
| 01:50:20 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Preserving spotlight indexing state
| 01:50:21 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Erasing SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Restoring SuperDuperBackup UUID (SDUUID.hexString)
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | CB7069584BE33B4F
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Restoring Spotlight search indexing state on SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ...ACTION: Preparing SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Enabling permissions on SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | Refreshing Disk Arbitration ...
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Verifying that permissions are enabled for SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | Permissions on '/Volumes/SuperDuperBackup' are enabled.
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Verifying that SuperDuperBackup ACL support matches MacBook HD
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ...ACTION: Preserving Spotlight state on SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Disabling Spotlight search indexing on SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | PHASE: 2. Copy Files
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ...ACTION: Copying files from MacBook HD to SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Cloning MacBook HD to SuperDuperBackup
| 01:50:28 PM | Info | Copying copy files using script: /Users/Kate/Library/Application Support/SuperDuper!/Copy Scripts/Standard Scripts/Backup - all files.dset
| 01:50:29 PM | Info | Loading 19 commands from copy script /Applications/SuperDuper!.app/Contents/Resources/Copy Scripts/Exclude system temporary files.dset
| 01:50:29 PM | Info | Loading 6 commands from copy script /Applications/SuperDuper!.app/Contents/Resources/Copy Scripts/Exclude system cache files.dset
| 01:50:29 PM | Info | Loading 1 commands from copy script /Applications/SuperDuper!.app/Contents/Resources/Copy Scripts/Exclude Norton FileSaver files.dset
| 01:50:29 PM | Info | Loading 2 commands from copy script /Applications/SuperDuper!.app/Contents/Resources/Copy Scripts/Exclude Spotlight search index.dset
| 01:50:29 PM | Info | Loading 0 commands from copy script /Users/Kate/Library/Application Support/SuperDuper!/Copy Scripts/Standard Scripts/Backup - all files.dset

[k8conant]

Sorry, I lost Part 2 because SuperDuper froze up the system. I couldn't unmount the external or run any other programs. I've cycled the external HDD and rebooting on the MacBook and preparing to plug in the firewire again. I have to leave in a few minutes to pick up my daughter at school, but will try a few more times this evening and send the results.

[dnanian]

OK. SD! can't freeze a system, only low-level items can. So... you seem to be backing up to an image, rather than directly to the destination. Any reason for that?

[k8conant]

| 01:50:53 PM | Info | Ignoring /private/var/tmp/45b1606c21fd4
| 01:50:53 PM | Info | Ignoring /private/var/tmp/452fc4072043e
| 01:50:53 PM | Info | Ignoring /private/var/vm
| 01:50:56 PM | Info | /sbin
| 01:50:56 PM | Info | /Sibelius 4.app
| 01:51:09 PM | Info | /System
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | Ignoring /System/Library/Extensions.kextcache
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | /.Trashes
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | /dev
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | /.vol
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | Ignoring /.vol
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | /.Spotlight-V100
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | Ignoring /.Spotlight-V100/.journalHistoryLog
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | Ignoring /.Spotlight-V100/.store.db
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | Ignoring /.Spotlight-V100/_IndexPolicy.plist
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | Ignoring /.Spotlight-V100/_rules.plist
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | Ignoring /.Spotlight-V100/ContentIndex.db
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | Ignoring /.Spotlight-V100/store.db
| 01:59:59 PM | Info | /Applications
| 02:15:43 PM | Info | WARNING: Caught I/O exception(5): Input/output error
| 02:15:43 PM | Info | WARNING: Source: /Applications/Internet Explorer.app/Contents/Resources/Spanish.lproj/Customize Toolbars Page, lstat(): 0
| 02:15:43 PM | Info | WARNING: Target: /Volumes/SuperDuperBackup/Applications/Internet Explorer.app/Contents/Resources/Spanish.lproj/Customize Toolbars Page, lstat(): 0
| 02:15:43 PM | Info | Attempting to copy file using copyfile().
| 02:21:55 PM | Info | Attempting to copy file using ditto.
| 02:35:52 PM | Error | ditto: /Volumes/SuperDuperBackup/Applications/Internet Explorer.app/Contents/Resources/Spanish.lproj/.BC.2w0hES: Input/output error

[k8conant]

The destination didn't work before either so I thought the image might.

[dnanian]

Nah, an image is more likely to fail than direct to drive.

Please save a System Profile report to the native (XML) format, then archive/zip it and send it into the support email address, would you? Make sure the drive is attached.

[k8conant]

How do I generate a System Profile report?

[k8conant]

I have it ready to send, but my system's gotten rather funky since the last SD failure. I have to kill and restart it because nothing will run right.

[Gryzor]

| 02:15:43 PM | Info | WARNING: Caught I/O exception(5): Input/output error
| 02:15:43 PM | Info | WARNING: Source: /Applications/Internet Explorer.app/Contents/Resources/Spanish.lproj/Customize Toolbars Page, lstat(): 0
| 02:15:43 PM | Info | WARNING: Target: /Volumes/SuperDuperBackup/Applications/Internet Explorer.app/Contents/Resources/Spanish.lproj/Customize Toolbars Page, lstat(): 0
| 02:15:43 PM | Info | Attempting to copy file using copyfile().
| 02:21:55 PM | Info | Attempting to copy file using ditto.
| 02:35:52 PM | Error | ditto: /Volumes/SuperDuperBackup/Applications/Internet Explorer.app/Contents/Resources/Spanish.lproj/.BC.2w0hES: Input/output error


There seems to be a problem with the Internet Explorer.app, which means that you either have Panther and/or upgraded to tiger from panther, since IE is no longer part of Mac OS X. In either case, I'd try to execute the offending app and see if it has a problem. (Why not thrashing it anyways, IE for mac is quite old). ;)

Just an idea.

Good luck!

[dnanian]

Actually, this user had a drive that uses a Prolific chipset, which is notorious for failing under load (as is the Initio one). For all users, again, please try to get a drive with a real Oxford chipset. They're much more compatible with OSX!

[Gryzor]

It would be nice to tell users where to get that information (in case somebody is looking for new drives).

I don't see the chispet of the drives listed nowhere in system profiler.

:p

[dnanian]

Often, Prolific and Initio devices list the fact that's what they are in System Profiler. I do suggest a number of drives in the User's Guide that have proven to have Oxford chipsets...