Keep getting this message when trying to back up iMac to time Machine: Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume.

Keep getting this message when trying to back up iMac to time Machine: Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume. tried everything.

Pondini's Time Machine FAQ for help with TM problems.  Also you can select Mac Help from the Finder's Help menu and search for "time machine" to locate articles on how to use TM.  See also Mac 101- Time Machine.
Time Machine- Troubleshooting backup issues

Similar Messages

  • My Time Capsule has stopped backing up.  I have an Apple Time Capsule which backs up by wireless. For the last 3 days it has not backed up. I get this message: "The backup was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disk.

    My Time Capsule has stopped backing up.
    I have an Apple Time Capsule which backs up by wireless. For the last 3 days it has not backed up. I get this message:
    "The backup was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disk."
    I have gone into Mac Help and followed this down to stage 4:
    under shared it lists my time capsule and my husband's iMac - both use the time machine but we have switched his off temporarily.  Clicking on my Time capsule I get "Connected" and "Sharepoint" - I didn't have to enter connect or password
    I don't understand stage 5: how and where do I select the disk or volume that contains Time Machine backups ?  How do I know which it is? My disk utility lists 160.04 TOSHIBA MK... with sub-heading Macintosh HD.  It also lists (with a "CD" icon) HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS22N
    Under stage 6, how and where do I Locate your backup ? I try dragging my Time capsule from Finder to the Disk Utility side panel but it won't go.  What is my computer's name?
    Please someone help!  I'm completely stumped.
    Thanks,
    Maggie
    Mac Help says:
    If you back up to a Time Capsule or network disk:
    Open the Time Machine pane of System Preferences, and slide the switch to Off.
    Open Time Machine preferences
    Open Disk Utility, which is in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder. 
    Open Disk Utility
    Make sure the Time Capsule or network disk is turned on and available. 
    Open a Finder window, select your Time Capsule or network disk in the Shared section of the sidebar, and click Connect. If necessary, enter your user name and password. 
    On the Time Capsule or network disk, select the disk or volume that contains Time Machine backups. Depending on how your Time Capsule is set up, there may be one or more disks or volumes. 
    Locate your backup, and drag it to the Disk Utility sidebar.You can identify your backup by looking for your computer’s name in the backup’s filename.

    Hello,
    Thanks to the great Pondini...
    http://pondini.org/TM/C3.html

  • Time Machine will not complete a system backup and terminates with "Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume.  This follows a problem when Time machne terminated when the volume was almost full.

    On 11/1/2011, Time Machine (TM) terminated with an error message I did not record.  I noted that the drive was full and decided to do a separate complete bootable  system backup using Carbon Copy Clone (CCC), before clearing the TM volume and trying to start it over clean.  Part way through the full system backup CCC put up a message that there was a Physical Problem  "Library/Application Support/Techtool Protection/McIntosh HD/Directory Backup 2011-11-01-16-28-16".  That was about the time that TM malfunctioned, so I assumed they were related.  After starting CCC over a couple of times, and getting the same error message, I let it go through to completion of the backup, which took three or four hours.  I then ran tests using Disk Utility and verified that there was nothing physically wrong with both the internal hard drive and the TM volume.  I also erased and reformatted the TM volume.  However, every time I started Time Machine, it would record a few GB and terminate with "Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume".  I restarted the computer with no change in results.  Note that prior to starting the CCC backup, I "Repaired Permissions", "zapped the PRAM" and "re-set the SMC", hoping to have a clean bootable system on the backup.  I ran Techtool and no problems were found.
    I'm running this on an Intel iMac under 10.5.8 and recording to a 500GB My Passport drive.  My hard drive is only about half full at 246 GB.  My assessment is that something happened at 16-28-16 on 11/1/2001 to screwup the Backup Directory in the file at "Library/Application Support/Techtool Protection/McIntosh HD/Directory Backup 2011-11-01-16-28-16". My question is, how do I fix it?
    I had just completed writing everything above here, explaining the problems I had been encountering for the past 24 hours.  I had the Time Machine window standing open on the desktop where I could see it, having recentlycleared it after the last termination.  As I was proofing what I had written, I looked at the window and noted that the clock had started a new run for a full back up, since all prior efforts had failed and the TM volume was empty.  As I watched and waited for it to fail again, as it had been doing at about 13 GB, it kept going and going until it just finished a complete backup, about 4.5 hours later, with my having done nothing.  Now my question would have to be - what could possiibly have happened to make it perform this way?   It will be interesting to see if it continue to operate normally, or if the problem will return, in a later backup run.

    jcm21 wrote:
    CCC put up a message that there was a Physical Problem  "Library/Application Support/Techtool Protection/McIntosh HD/Directory Backup 2011-11-01-16-28-16"
    You should not keep those files for long, and probably shouldn't back them up (if you need them at all -- since you do regular backups, I'm doubtful just how worthwhile that feature is).
    "Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume".
    One of Apple's maddeningly incomplete messages. Most likely, there's a problem with a file (quite possibly the one CCC didn't like).  See #C3 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting for details and instructions on finding and fixing it.
    If you continue running the Directory Protection app, be sure to exclude your Time Machine drive from it (as it will just take up lots of room, and won't help repair your backups if there's a problem);  and exclude the folders it creates from being backed-up by Time Machine (as they'll create large backups, and you probably can't use the backed-up folders anyway), per #10 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions.

  • My time machine always stops at some point... It always shows this message: "Time Machine Error. Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume.

    My time machine always stops at some point... It always shows this message: "Time Machine Error. Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume. I have tried everything and even did time machine in safe boot as told by an apple suppoprt advisor. still the same error after 16gb

    If you have more than one user account, these instructions must be carried out as an administrator.
    Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:
    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
    ☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
    ☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.
    Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left. If you don't see that menu, select
    View ▹ Show Log List
    from the menu bar.
    Enter the word "Starting" (without the quotes) in the String Matching text field. You should now see log messages with the words "Starting * backup," where * represents any of the words "automatic," "manual," or "standard." Note the timestamp of the last such message that corresponds to a failed backup. Now
    CLEAR THE WORD "Starting" FROM THE TEXT FIELD
    so that all messages are showning, and scroll back in the log to the time you noted. Select the messages timestamped from then until the end of the backup, or the end of the log if that's not clear. Copy them (command-C) to the Clipboard. Paste (command-V) into a reply to this message.
    If all you see are messages that contain the word "Starting," you didn't clear the text field.
    If there are runs of repeated messages, post only one example of each. Don't post many repetitions of the same message.
    When posting a log extract, be selective. Don't post more than is requested.
    Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.
    Some personal information, such as the names of your files, may be included — anonymize before posting.

  • Using Time Machine to back up two systems, OS10.8.3, and OS 10.6.8. Sometimes it backs them up, sometimes I receive this: Backup was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disc. The problem may be temporary...

    Using Time Machine to back up two systems, OS10.8.3, and OS 10.6.8. Sometimes it backs them up, sometimes I receive this: Backup was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disc. The problem may be temporary...

    Hello,
    Thanks to the great Pondini...
    http://pondini.org/TM/C3.html

  • What does this mean: "the backup was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disk?

    Our time capsule isn't working...we keep getting the message: "The back up was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disk."

    This means you are probably not running snow leopard as your profile shows.
    What OS are you running?? Mavericks.. is the most likely as it has the most network bugs.
    See Pondini.
    http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
    C3 .. but the error might have nothing to do with the real problem.. ie bad networking.
    If your MBP has ethernet have you tried turning off wireless and attempting the backup by ethernet??
    No luck give me more info.

  • I am receiving a backup error message" ther backup was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disk"

    I am receiving an error message: " the backup was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disk". I have used the Disk Utility tot "Repair Disk" and it appears that there are no problems with the back up file..
    I continue to receive the error message. What can anyone suggest I do?

    One of Apple's less-than-informative messages. 
    Most likely, there's a damaged file on your system; see #C3 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.  It will show you how to locate the message(s) that describe the problem, then help you fix it.  

  • HT3275 This help article says Red "i" message: "Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume."  Restart, then try the backup once again."  OK, I've done that a few times and still receive the same error message. No

    My Time Machine backup is repeatedly failing -- instead I receive a message saying it's unable to complete backup because an error has occured.  The only "Help" advice is to restart the computer and try to back up again, but that did not solve the problem. Help, please?

    Restart the whole network.. not just the computer.. restart in correct order with everything off.
    modem
    TC or router
    clients
    2min gap.
    If you still have trouble, give us the whole network layout.. what broadband? what modem? any other router? are you using wireless? what mode is the TC in?
    I am assuming you are using a time capsule.

  • HT3275 Time Machine error. Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume. Tried restarting, remounting external WD drive. Still cannot backup.

    Time Machine quit backing up files. Bought a new WD external drive. Worked for awhile, then quit backing up. Tried restarting computer, remounting drive. Message: Time Machine Error. Unable to complete backup. An error occurred when copying files. Suggestions?

    Thanks so very much for your help!! I'm boggled by it and now just about ready to dump the whole idea of Time Machine and backup using a cloning program. Maybe TM is only guaranteed to work well with Time Capsule these days?
    Today there again was no backup. I did as you suggested, looked into Console. It showed many lines of "(Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup" and also repeatedly "(Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch...".
    So I created a marker and attempted to initiate a backup, keeping Console open and refreshed. Here's what I got:
    8/19/13 5:18:40.385 PM Console:  Marker - Aug 19, 2013 5:18:40 PM
    8/19/13 5:19:48.844 PM com.apple.backupd: Starting standard backup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.484 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.484 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.484 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.494 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.502 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.506 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.506 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.506 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.506 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.506 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.506 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.506 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.507 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.507 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.507 PM mds: (Error) DiskStore: No block in wakeup
    8/19/13 5:20:00.507 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:37ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:00.507 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:37ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:00.507 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:37ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:00.507 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:37ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:00.507 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:37ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:00.508 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:38ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:00.510 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:40ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:00.511 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:41ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:00.511 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:41ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:00.511 PM mds: (Warning) DiskStore: Ignored bogus fetch for <MDSQueryWithBlockTask: 0x7fd15ce03400>{taskID:0x0000103a age:41ms} (not live not complete) _kMDItemQueryPath=418546
    8/19/13 5:20:20.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58091.976          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:20:51.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58122.985          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:21:22.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58153.992          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:21:53.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58185.  2          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:22:24.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58216. 14          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:22:55.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58247. 25          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:23:26.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58278. 41          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:23:57.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58309. 51          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:24:28.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58340. 59          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:24:59.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58371. 68          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:25:30.275 PM xpchelper: for uid: 501 -- timeout while waiting on FSEvents flush; clearing cache.
    8/19/13 5:25:30.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58402. 82          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:26:01.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58433. 96          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:26:32.027 PM com.apple.backupd: Backing up to: /Volumes/TMBackups/Backups.backupdb
    8/19/13 5:26:32.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58464.112          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:27:02.653 PM com.apple.backupd: Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd.HostUUID path:/Volumes/TMBackups/Backups.backupdb/David’s iMac size:37
    8/19/13 5:27:02.657 PM com.apple.backupd: Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd.HostUUID path:/Volumes/TMBackups/Backups.backupdb/David’s iMac size:37
    8/19/13 5:27:03.000 PM kernel: USBF:          58495.121          AppleUSBEHCI[0xffffff800a927000]::Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! (Addr: 7, EP: 1)
    8/19/13 5:27:12.668 PM com.apple.backupd: Backup failed with error: 2
    During this 9-minute timeframe Finder also was inoperative - according to Activity Monitor: "Not Responding".
    I'm thinking it's the standalone Buffalo backup drive not waking up, and so everything comes to a screeching halt. Do you also think I should abandon TM and just do manual backups every day using a clone program?

  • I keep getting this message: "The back up was not performed because an error occurred while copying files to the backup disk. The problem may be tempory. Try again later to back up.  If the problem persists, use Disk Utility to repair your backup disk."

    I've repeatedly "tried again" over the past month with no luck.  I'd rather not delete everything if that's what "repairing" the back disk involves. 

    On a time capsule the error message is meaningless. That would only apply to an external drive...TC is a network drive.
    I recommend you just reboot the whole network.. from off..
    Restart in order.. modem.. TC.. clients. Wait 2 min between each one.
    If the disk still won't mount give us more info..
    Are you using wireless or ethernet?
    How is the TC configured?
    What sort of internet?

  • I get this message when I try to sign in to convert a Pdf to word. "an error occurred while signing in"

    Why am i not able to sign in?

    Hi GHercik,
    I'm going to venture a guess that you're trying to log in via Adobe Reader, as we have had recent reports of login issues with Reader. Are you able to log in via the web interface at https://cloud.acrobat.com/exportpdf?
    Best,
    Sara

  • HT3275 Red "i" message: "Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume."  Restart, then try the backup once again. "

    I have tried reset, worked last week.
    But today got the same message and does not work yet, even with restart.
    Please help

    Is this Lion or Mountain Lion (ML)?
    We were hoping the new OS would fix the issues with ML.. but they got worse.
    Read C12, C17 and a brief scan over the rest.
    http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
    If you upgrade installed ML I would expect issues to abound.

  • HT201210 i keep getting this message when trying to update my old 3g-"the iphone could not be restored-an unknown error occurred (-1)-any ideas? anyone?

    i keep getting this message when trying to update my old 3g-"the iphone could not be restored-an unknown error occurred (-1)-any ideas? anyone?

    i have done that
    same result
    the phone has a sim in it that is not active. does this cause the fault in question?

  • I keep getting this message when trying to watch TV or filmsThis content requires Adobe Flash Player, which is not supported by your device

    I keep getting this message when trying to watch TV or films
    This content requires Adobe Flash Player, which is not supported by your device
    Is there an app that will play this. I can't find one....

    Flash is not supported on the iPad - and as Adobe have announced that they are stopping development on all mobile versions of it, it probably never will be.
    Browser apps such as Skyfire, iSwifter, Puffin and Photon 'work' on some sites, but judging by their reviews not all sites. Also some websites, especially news and media sites, have their own apps in the App Store.
    If you do a search on this forum you will find hundreds of other threads on the subject.

  • Why do i keep getting this message when trying to view a movie: The shared library "iCloud Purchases" is not accepting connections at this time. Please try again later.

    why do i keep getting this message when trying to view a movie: The shared library “iCloud Purchases” is not accepting connections at this time. Please try again later.

    Same issue. What are they doing?
    Macbook Pro Retina Yosemite 10.10.2

Maybe you are looking for