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Time Machine not completing backup due to backup disk already in use
I’ve been using an USB disk attached to an Airport Extreme lately, and for some any reasons I go, after being able to use it as a Time Machine backup disk, I received the message
Time Machine could not complete the backup. The backup disk image"/Volume/.....sparsebundle " is already in use.
Searching for a solution on the web, most of the time this issue is said to be fixed by deleting the sparsebundle file and reinitiating the backup. You’re probably thinking that this is not exactly what can be “acceptable“.
Hopefully, and thanks to a cnet review, I figure out that the following steps can fix the issue, and keep your previous backups safe:
- Access the Airport Extreme using the AirPort Utility
- Go to Manual Setup
Go to Disks
- Click on Disconnect All Users…
- At this stage, unplug or turn the external HD off, the plug it back or turn it on
Everything should be back to normal 
10 comments
Comment from: Brian [Visitor]
Thanks so much. I had the same problem and your solution fixed it.
02/23/10 @ 19:04
Comment from: Ron MH [Visitor]
Thank you very much. It worked like a charm. Now if only Apple would fix this.
03/27/10 @ 22:15
Comment from: Danny [Visitor] 
Yes, this did fix it... temporarily. Unfortunately it seems I have to do this almost ever other day! Have any permanent solutions?
05/08/10 @ 02:56
Comment from: Abhimat [Visitor] · http://sites.google.com/site/abhimatgautam/
Thanks! That helped a lot!
06/13/10 @ 04:32
Comment from: Rick [Visitor]
Fantastic tip, thanks! As for your comment @Danny: I think the cause of the problem is the backup being prematurely stopped. My system backs up one an hour, and if while it is backing up, I close my laptop, it seems to make the next backup have this problem. I presume that the backup volume thinks it's still connected and so when the backup tries to get access, it tells it it is already in use.
08/27/10 @ 15:10
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