Reset Time Machine Password to Backup Using External Drive

I have been using Time Machine to backup my files regularly on an External drive. I usually backup my files (using Backup Now option) and then turn off Time Machine. I have been doing this successfully for a month on my new MacBookPro (late 2013 version, purchased 5 March 2014). I used this same procedure successfully since 2010 on a previous Macbook Pro I owned.
I just tried to backup my files, all of a sudden Time Machine now asks me for a password which I don't remember setting. Time Machine Preferences looks like this.
When I try to set Time Machine On I cannot do it (I used to be able to do it). When I click unlock and try to input my MacbookPro login username and password, but this login/password is not accepted.
Frankly, I have no idea what happened. I must have pushed the wrong button at some point. I don't mind losing my old backus and resetting the password on Time Machine software, provided I can and backup my files right away.
How can I reset the Time Machine password? Any help will be much appreciated.
Francisco

Dear Eric,
I am using a Western Digital Ultra external drive that I myself formatted Journaled. It is not encrypted.
I went to the keychain and I could not find the password for Time Machine. (Frankly, I am not sure where to look).
I also ran Keychain first aid and no problem was found. I also ran Keychain first aid repair and everything seems fine.
Tomorrow Monday I will call the repair shop, as I suspect they introduced a different password.
Many thanks for now. I will keep you posted.
Francisco

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New Macbook hard drive can't locate Time Machine files of backup on external drive

I just got my hard drive replaced as it was failing. Just before I took it to the apple store I backed up my hard drive using time machine, on a separate hard drive: phew! I checked that time machine was operating fine before I took it in to get the new hard drive - it was fine, I was able to "go back in time" and access my files.
I tried to reload from time machine as soon as it started up, but it wasn't working, so I figured I'd just work on transferring the files after I booted up. Now I have a new hard drive and then plugged my external hard drive with the back up stored on it into my computer, but it cannot get the backup on my fixed macbook! It says it can't find it, and when I've looked at the disk in Finder (in backups.backupdb) it shows as a folder of my computer's name, and the only file inside is It is called: 2013-11-22-133614.inProgress (not even the correct date of the back up!).
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I can't understand that it seemed to be there, but now it is incomplete - this is ridiculous!
What has happened?
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Are the files there somewhere hidden away?

Check here, Pondini has extensive info on TM:
http://pondini.org/OSX/Home.html

Time Machine won't backup my external drive

I have my iTunes library stored on an external drive and I want Time Machine to back it up.
I have a brand new TM drive. I've been using it without problems to backup my 250Gb iMac. As soon as I add the external drive to the TM backup, it fails. I have other data on this drive that I don't need backed up, so I've only included the sub directory iTunes (by excluding all the others).
I followed a couple of similar threads, but the situations don't seem to apply. I did install Time Machine buddy so I could see the error messages.
Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine/Backups.backupdb
Node requires deep traversal:/Volumes/Music:DVDs reason:must scan subdirs|
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The mystery deepens . . .
I tried to replicate the problem. Renamed an empty partition from Misc2 to Misc2/test and copied some docs into it and ran a backup.
Sure enough, the message refers to it as Misc2:test and the deep traversal took almost a minute and a half (one folder, 3 sub-folders, total of about 30 items!), but it ran successfully.
So renamed it again, to Music/DVDs exactly like yours. No deep traversal, and it does call it Music:DVDs in the messages, but it backed-up properly.
Perhaps it was fixed in Snow Leopard? Or just another of TM's many little quirks? Perhaps the phase of the moon?
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Message was edited by: Pondini

Time Machine doing full backup of external drive again

I have a Time Capsule, as well as an external data drive connected to my Mac. The external drive (named Yoda) is NOT excluded from backups. Yoda has about 703 GB of data on it.
I recently replaced the hard drive inside my time capsule. Consequently, a full backup was made, which was to be expected.
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After posting this thread, I did find a similar thread (in the "More Like This" section) and saw your responses in it. You had suggested the same thing, as well as doing #A5 if that didn't work.
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You can, but it is not recommended.
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3. Can I use my TM disk for other stuff?
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When using Time Machine to back up to external drive, does Time Machine back up content in your Trash folder?

When using Time Machine to back up to external drive, does Time Machine back up content in your Trash folder?

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Remove the drive from the list of items set to be excluded. It needs to be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for this to be possible.
(110504)

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http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
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Thank you Thomas,
I should have mentioned that the drive is formated as FAT32 and I ran verify disk on the drive and this error keep coming up until I stop the process :
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2013-02-16 12:06:23 +0000: Truncate? no
2013-02-16 12:06:23 +0000: Extend? no"
Will the tools mentioned in you post work with FAT 32? I am looking at Data Rescue 3 becuase of the FileIQ functionality since I know I have obsure file formats on there
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Howdy Kgkgkg12,
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Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac
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OS X Yosemite: View file, folder, and disk information
Get individual item info: Select the item(s), then choose File > Get Info, or press Command (⌘)-I.
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Sterling

Time Machine: Can I backup an external hard drive?

Hi,
I've been using time machine to back up my internal drive to an external with no probs. its really a boon to use. I make music mainly using logic. I have recently started using an external drive to record all my audio to and to save all my logic projects. My question is:
Can I get Time Machine to recognise and back up my (other, new) external drive that holds all my audio files as well? I thought it might do it automatically when i connected the new drive and also connected my Time Machine dedicated back up drive, but it only backed up my main system drive as before. I can continue to back up manually but I'm keen to use the Time Machine feature to manage backing up my other, new audio dedicated drive - it'll save me time and worry!
I hope this makes sense!

open system preferencs->time machine->options and remove your new drive from the exclusion list. TM will back it up from now on along with your main drive.

Time Machine won't back up external drive to Time Capsule

I recently got a Time Capsule, and successfully set it up to back up my iMac's primary drive, but for some reason Time Machine won't back up my external drive to the Time Capsule.
I removed the external drive from the exclusion list in System Preferences > Time Machine > Options, and from what I've read this should be sufficient to make Time Machine back up the drive.
The external drive is connected to my iMac via Thunderbolt > Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adaptor > Firewire 800 input, and the Time Capsule is connected via Ethernet to my LAN.
Since I'm using Ethernet, I've disabled Wi-Fi on the Time Capusule by going to AirPort Utility > My Time Capsule > Edit > Wireless > Network Mode > Off.
The reason I believe the external drive is not being backed up is because when I click the Time Machine icon in the upper-right status bar and choose "Enter Time Machine", none of the folders on external drive show any older versions.
Furthermore, when I click Finder > Time Machine Backups > Backups.backupdb, I can see only one sub-folder which has the name of my iMac's primary drive. I can't see any equivalent folder for my external drive.
Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

I don't see anything you have done wrong.. perhaps it does backup in a different way.
Load the widget.. A1 here... http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
That will allow you to track the log of TM to see what it is doing.
I would also try rebooting the computer.. exclude the drive again.. reboot.. and remove the exclusion.
You should be able to check the actual settings of TM in plist file.
And you can do a full reset of TM as well.. See A4. Check what is in the file. Pondini lists the location for you.
Nothing surprises me with Mountain Lion ...!!

Time Machine isn't backing up external drive

I've been using Time Machine successfully for some time now. Recently I decided to move my iTunes music to an external drive (my internal drive was nearly full.) So I moved 150+ GB of iTunes library to the external drive successfully, but Time Machine seems to completely ignore the external (FireWire) drive. It's formatted as Mac OS Extended (that's HFS+, right?) so I don't understand what the problem might be.
Also, if I can get Time Machine to start backing up both drives correctly, should I erase the backup drive and start over? Otherwise, I assume that I'm going to be wasting a lot of (backup) drive space, since the 150GB iTunes library will be backed up from its original location on my internal drive, as well as from its new location on the external drive… what's the best way to deal with that?
Thanks in advance for the help.

Dave Troup wrote:
If V.K.s suggestion doesn't work, try excluding the drive, quitting System Preferences, then removing the exclusion.
Also, if I can get Time Machine to start backing up both drives correctly, should I erase the backup drive and start over? Otherwise, I assume that I'm going to be wasting a lot of (backup) drive space, since the 150GB iTunes library will be backed up from its original location on my internal drive, as well as from its new location on the external drive… what's the best way to deal with that?
You may not need to. TM will, eventually, delete it's copies of anything not still on your internal HD. When is just a question of how soon the TM drive/partition gets near full, and TM must start deleting your oldest "weekly" backups. You are supposed to get a message about that, if you have the appropriate box checked in TM's Preferences, but several folks here report they never did, so assume nothing.
Still, if you want, you can delete all the backups of a file or folder. Enter Time Machine, find and select the folder in question (presumably iTunes on your internal HD) in one of the "cascade" of Finder windows, then click the "gear" icon. That will give you an option to +Delete all backups of <folder>.+
You'll then get a confirmation prompt (may take quite a while, considering the size), then the usual place to enter your Administrator's password. The actual deletion will probably take quite a while, also. There was a report the other day that the item was still visible for quite some time after TM seemed to have finished the deletion, but eventually it did disappear.
Then make some change to the folder, or something within it, so TM will consider it changed and back-up the new (smaller) version.

Reset Time Machine Password to Backup Using External Drive

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