If you encounter the error message ‘Time Machine couldn’t complete the backup. The backup disk image SparseBundle could not be accessed‘ on your Mac, here’s how to solve it.
This error often occurs because Time Machine doesn’t have full permission to access the disk.
Go to Settings, select Security & Privacy, click on the lock and enter your password. Then, select Full Disk Access, and toggle on Time Machine.
If Time Machine is not on the list, add it and then toggle it on.
Save your settings, restart your Mac and check if Time Machine can successfully backup your system.
Remove and Re-add Your Drive
Go to Settings, select General and go to Time Machine. Select your TM drive and select Forget Destination to remove it from the list.
Restart your computer, go back to Settings, launch Time Machine again, select Add Backup Disk and re-add your drive. Check if TM can back your system.
Fixes for Synology Drives
If you’re using a Synology drive, go to the Control Panel, select File Services, go to Advanced, and Enable Bonjour discovery by SMB.
Other users have resolved this issue by verifying their backups. Go to Time Machine Settings, right-click on your disk and select Verify Backups.
If Time Machine finds some issues, follow the on-screen suggestions. If the folders on your disk are corrupted, the tool may even ask you to delete everything and start from scratch.
Other users got rid of this error after disabling and re-enabling the SMB settings.
Go to File Services, disable SMB Settings, save the changes, wait for one minute and then re-enable the same settings. Create a new Shared Folder and initiate a new Time Machine backup.
Another solution is to rename your Mac to something as simple as MacBook. If your computer name contains special characters, that could prevent Time Machine from accessing the backup folder.
When you use Time Machine with a backup server, there’s always a chance that the disk image you create (SparseBundle) may get corrupted. These issues are less frequent when using Time Machine with a storage device.
However, if multiple users need access to those files, indeed, a local storage device is not a good enough option.
We hope one of these potential solutions did the trick for you. As always, if you found other ways to fix SparseBundle errors, share your tips in the comments below.
Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies — AI and DNA computing in particular.
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