Verify will not start

I've been using True Image 11 build 8101 for some time now on a Vista 64 bit SP2 machine, and all has gone perfectly up until my last backup job. I do a full backup/complete C drive image about every 2 weeks. While performing the last full backup, the process went into something of a permanent "hold" just as the verify phase was about to began. True Image does not freeze or hang and neither does the computer -- it is just that "verify" never makes any forward progress. Uninstalling and reinstalling TI 11 offered no improvement, and repeated attempts at a backup resulted in the problem repeating itself exactly each time.

Here's my only discovery that may be helpful in finding appropriate suggestions for a fix. I backup to an external drive via a SATA cable (with as much as I back up it is the only way to go from a time saving standpoint). In looking for ways to at least get a current backup accomplished to cover my butt in the event of some soon to happen disaster, I decided to backup to the same hard drive but with a USB cable -- it worked and with a complete verification. Additional attempts at using a SATA connection resulted in the "permanent hold" just before or as verify starts. 

Since it has been two weeks between backups, a thousand things may have occured that created this issue. I'm trying to retrace my steps to isolate a cause, but that is proving very difficult. I believe some registry entry or file has been corrupted or deleted. Any suggestions for a fix will be greatly appreciated.

Texas Big Ed