Time Machine backup disk questions

[abr88]

I've started getting this warning when I boot up my Imac (first screenshot). Second screenshot is current info about the "My Passport for Mac" external drive that I have been using for Time Machine backups for a number of years.
Is the warning because my "My Passport" is damaged in some way, or because it is full? Disk Utility says it is half full -- is that because there are 2 partitions and only 1 is being used? Is that supposed to be the case, or did I do something wrong when I originally installed Time Machine? I have a brand-new unused 4 tb "My Passport" waiting "in the wings." I'm not an advanced computer person (obviously!) but would appreciate any advice about how to proceed to set things up so that Time Machine can continue to back up files. Thank you very much! -- Alan Rosenthal

 

[Tagbert]

That looks like the disk either corrupted or ,given that you mentioned it is older, it may be dying. I would not trust it at this point and would just setup a new, replacement drive. Prices are generally pretty low for that kind of drive and it is some cheap insurance against data loss.

You mentioned that it has two partitions. That is not generally a good idea for your backup disk. Does that mean that you are using one portion for backup and one for data? That just means that the data partition is not really backed up since the backup is on the same disk. It is better to have physically separate drives for data and for backup.

 

[abr88]

Thanks very much!! ? I am switching over to another WD "My Passport" (my new, empty one) as the Time Machine backup drive. I was going to copy all the backups from the old "My Passport" (going back to 2016, when I first set up Time Machine) onto the new drive but I got discouraged when after 12 hours the copy operation still seemed hard at work -- plus there's no indication of what point one has reached in the total process. (It just said "Preparing to copy [600k or so] "items", none of which had actually appeared on the new drive...and that 600k number was steadily going up! Anyway, if the first backup on the new drive collects all my user files currently residing on the Imac, creation dates going all the way back to 20 years or so ago, that will be fine for me (please tell me if I'm wrong to assume this!!).
Again, thank you so much!!

 

[Tagbert]

Thanks very much!! ? I am switching over to another WD "My Passport" (my new, empty one) as the Time Machine backup drive. I was going to copy all the backups from the old "My Passport" (going back to 2016, when I first set up Time Machine) onto the new drive but I got discouraged when after 12 hours the copy operation still seemed hard at work -- plus there's no indication of what point one has reached in the total process. (It just said "Preparing to copy [600k or so] "items", none of which had actually appeared on the new drive...and that 600k number was steadily going up! Anyway, if the first backup on the new drive collects all my user files currently residing on the Imac, creation dates going all the way back to 20 years or so ago, that will be fine for me (please tell me if I'm wrong to assume this!!).
Again, thank you so much!!

I’ve never tried to copy over any older backups to a new TM drive so I have no idea what that process is though I would expect that it is very time consuming assuming that it works. I have always just plugged in the new drive formatted it for TM and left it to do a new, fresh backup without any of the old problems from the old drive. Eventually it will be done with the first back and then subsequent backups with just be smaller differentials.