GarageBand: "Disk too slow" error message sometimes occurs when recording to external drive

  • Last Modified: May 02, 2008
  • Article: TS1215

Symptoms

When you record to an external drive in GarageBand, you sometimes get a "Disk too slow" error message.

Products Affected

GarageBand, Mac OS X 10.5

Resolution

This can happen if you record to an external drive that is also used for Time Machine backups. If a backup runs while you are recording, the error message may occur. Here are some suggestions for avoiding this:

  • If possible, use separate drives for recording and backing up to Time Machine.
  • Avoid recording audio in GarageBand while Time Machine is doing its initial backup of your computer.
  • If you must use the same drive, temporarily turn off Time Machine while recording audio in GarageBand. Be sure to re-enable Time Machine when you're done.

This document will be updated as more information becomes available.

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