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Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

snooplewand
Aspirant

Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

I struggled big time to get Time Machine to work correctly with my new Stora/Snow Leopard/Wifi combination. I kept getting the following error message:

"Time Machine could not complete the backup. The backup disk image could not be created (error 45)"

This is how to fix it and get your backups working (follow carefully and in order and you'll have it up and running in no time):

The basic concept is Time Machine needs to create a sparsebundle image to save the backups to. The key here is creating your own, BUT knowing where to save it on the Stora and knowing where to point Time Machine to using it.

1) Firstly, be sure to enable the 'Computer Backups' feature in the Stora Preferences (through the landing page), and assign a password (I found it worked best for me to use the same password that i used for the main admin user of the Stora).

2) Go to System Preferences on your Mac > Sharing and make sure you have a computer name, no more than 8 characters. For instance i use: mymac. Remember this name, you will need it later!

3) Open Utilities > Terminal and type in:

ifconfig en0 | grep ether


This will display your ethernet address. You will get something similar to 00:1f:f3:46:61:04. Keep this window open, you will need it later!

4) Open Utilities > Disk Utility

a) Select the "New Image" option to create you new disk image and save it to your Desktop.

b) Start at the bottom with changing the Image Format to "sparse bundle disk image".

c) Change "Partitions" selection to "No partition map."

d) Leave "Encryption" as is, set to "None".

e) Change "Volume Format" to "Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled)".

f) Change "Volume Size" to "Custom" and enter a volume size that suits your needs. I chose GB (Gigabyte) instead of MB (Megabyte) and set it to 300, effectively reserving a maximum 300GB backup size for Time Machine.

g) Change "Volume Name" to something like "My Backup" (can be anything you like).

h) Make sure "Where" is set to "Desktop". There is a known issue where if you try to create the sparse bundle disk image on a network drive, it will fail.

i) Here is where you need your Computer Name that you set earlier and the Ethernet Address that you found in Termnial.

Choose "Save As" name as the "ComputerName_EthernetAddress.sparesebundle", in my case I entered "mymac_001ff3466104".

j) Click on "Create" to finish the process.


5) After the sparsebundle disk image is created, exit out of the Disk Utility application.

6) Mount your Netgear Stora by pressing ⌘K (or going to Go > Connect to Server).

Type in the smb:// and the server address (IP) that your stora is using, for me it was smb://192.168.2.4

Then, crucially choose MyComputers from the list to mount that folder (your sparsebundle must be saved here for Time Machine to work)


7) Move the .sparsebundle disk image file you created on your desktop to the MyComputers folder you have just mounted.

😎 Open up the Time Machine preferences, and click on "Choose Backup Disk".

9) Select 'MyComputers' and then click on "Use for Backup".

10) Enter you Stora username and password as a "Registered User"

11) Thats it! Your backups should now start and complete successfully.

Hope this helps!

http://www.somelifeblog.com/2009/02/fixed-time-machine-backup-to-network.html for some of this information. I have just edited and customised this original resource to suit the use of Time Machine with the Netgear Stora>
Message 1 of 12
itsmeyousee
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

Hi. I could never have worked all this out myself! Any idea if it will work with Leopard rather than Snow Leopard? Thanks.
Message 2 of 12
BalooBear
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

Thank you for this information. It worked perfectly on snow leopard 10.6.5
Message 3 of 12
runnerhiker
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

The string of action to make the Stora work with Time Machine makes me think I am in a Windows machine. Why can't Netgear make this work with their software for installation?

I have had this Error 45 problem several times, why does it keep coming back?
Message 4 of 12
jbainesy
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

Didn't quite work for me... Is there a way I could modify your procedure to use my user dir and username instead of comutersbackup? I think it's a conflict with my keychain or something, 1 server with 2 different logins, doesn't like it... Also - I used my airport (wireless network) MAC address, should I use the ethernet MAC address even though I connect through wireless? is this perhaps my problem? Thanks for the effort though - netgear haven't really provided a WORKING "how to" for this yet...
Message 5 of 12
sillyname
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

Although I'm not the author of this post and I do not use this method, I'll take a shot at a problem area. As I stated previously this post was written before the firmware change that created the Stora and Stora2 devices. So some modifications are needed to this procedure.

Remember time machine by design of the Axentra's firmware wants to be mounted to a volume called //stora2/computersbackup$

Therefore, I would modify step 6 as follows;
    . So two different logins shouldn't cause conflicts. The default username assigned to Stora2 is computersbackup and the password is whatever you have chosen in the preference setup of Computers Backup.

    Just my guess on this, hope it helps. I've not seen the OP on this board in quite some time.
Message 6 of 12
sillyname
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

Also FWIW, ...
Axentra/Netgear does provide a mac setup utility to help setup your backups from time machine. I believe this utility reserves 200GB of space on your Stora for the backups. The posted method reserves 300GB, or you can modify this to whatever you want. That's all this post tries to accomplish, is to increase the reserved sparsebundle space allocation for time machine from 200 to 300.

If all you want is simple time machine backups and are happy with just 200GB space, than just use the provided utility. 🙂
Message 7 of 12
jbainesy
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

😕 strange of them to assume I have a HDD less than 200GB... what happens when my 240GB of data tries to copy itself to a 200GB sparsebundle? Well, I'll retry snooplewand's method with your update - thanks for that - will report on how it works (OSX 10.6.5, latest stora firmware) Cheers! Jazz
Message 8 of 12
jbainesy
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

working GREAT - thanks!
I think the firmware update also helped - having stora2 as a second SMB avoids the 2 users for 1 server problem I seemed to be having.

I followed the "time machine setup" provided by netgear, changing the server to smb://stora2/ instead of stora as described, then when I got to the step where time machine opens up I navigated to the computersbackup directory and:

First (easier than opening terminal) copy the NAME of the sparsebundle that's on the stora... Then delete it. make a sparseBUNDLE (noticed I originally made a sparseIMAGE which didn't work for me) as per above instructions, and in the "save as" box simply paste the name you copied 😉 can't get it wrong that way ay!

And yes! I am backing up as we speak 😉 Thanks to all who helped with this - glad to finally feel secure (well, I did feel secure, but glad to finally be rid of plugging in a USB drive each night!
😄
Message 9 of 12
ma33709
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

I had this error and after hours I figured it out
your answer should be like this
MyMac_002500cdd708.sparsebundle
where 002500cdd708 is en0 EVEN if you do not use en0 to connect to your network. In my case I used en1 (Airport MAC address which kept giving me the error 45) change to en0 address and it worked. remember no - or : in address delete them and try to stay to 8.3 naming convention
Message 10 of 12
jbainesy
Aspirant

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

Yeah, for some reason this worked sweet for a week or so, then I got an error that my backup was corrupted and I'd need to restart backing up, wiping everything that had backed up so far... It tried in vain to fix the problem automatically and eventually says the same error again, cannot connect... This is pitiful, would a situation like this be covered by warranty? Do they warrant the software or just hardware?
Ive tried this enough times now, it's a slow process also, I'm going back to a USB backup drive, there's GOTTA be a netgear tech reading these posts right? How about some support for Macintosh? As promised on the box!! This unit is N.O.T. time machine compatible at all! If I hadn't done a cisco course, there's NO WAY I'd have time machine even recognize the stora!!! 😞
Hope it keeps working for the luckier ones here!!
Message 11 of 12
MRConsulting
Novice

Re: Solution to: "Time Machine could not complete the backup. Error 45"

Netgear Stora and Apple Mac Time Machine OSX 10.8.2 (Mountain Lion) - the auto setup seems to work well now (2013 Jan)

I have read a number of posts about difficulties using Netgear Stora and Time Machine (with very complicated set ups). I set up Time Machine on the new OSX 10.8.2 in about 5 minutes using following set up (not sure if Stora or Apple settings have changed).

As noted in other posts, the main thing to remember is the new user name:

Netgear Stora Time Machine OSX Set up - 2013 Jan

- Open Time Machine (under System Preferences or from top menu if "show in top menu" option selected)
- Select add or remove backup disk
- select "Stora Time Machine" on "Stora"
- A Name and Password Box will pop up, replace your normal admin user name or computer name with the following user name:
Name: computersbackup
Password: [Normal Password]
- time machine should add stora as a time machine backup and then start the backup

When I used my normal username and password I got the following error:

"Time Machine can’t access the backup disk “Stora TimeMachine”.
The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error 2.)"

When I replaced my normal username with "computersbackup" set up and backup worked perfectly
Message 12 of 12
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