Backup in Time Machine is Still Slow

I have installed the latest update for my MacBook Pro which is Mac OS X Lion version 10.7.5 (11G63) and Time Machine backup still says it will takes days to do a full backup to the external hard drive!

Are you using wireless?
If so use ethernet at least for the main backup.. but if the TM keeps trying to do full backups you have a problem.
I don't have a particular suggestion as we don't have enough info.
Certainly load the widget..
A1 http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
So you know what TM is doing.
In the rest of the document Pondini has some suggestions for how to overcome long and painful backups.. but there might not be a solution. TM can sometimes just be difficult.. especially if you loaded it as upgrade on the laptop. And are using an old TM backup.. a clean start can often be the only way.

Similar Messages

HT1175 I have OSX Lion 10.7.5 and the backup in time machine is extremely slow

I have OSX 10.7.5 installed on my MacBook Pro and the backup to time machine is extemely slow. Time Machine indicates 4 days or more. Why?

Did you happen to update early in the piece.. there is a supplement.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1599
Test regime for software patches is now left to end users it seems.

I have already used time machine backup and I last used on june 2012 . Today when I tried to backup the time machine is still stuck on preparing my backup?What shallI do?

I have already used time machine backup and I last used on june 2012 . Today when I tried to backup the time machine is still stuck on preparing my backup?What shallI do?

See Section C here > http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
From Here > http://pondini.org

Time Machine is extremely slow in Yosemite

Hello all. Anyone else having extreme slowness with backups to Time Machine in OS X Yosemite? I started a backup after I did the upgrade (and changed a few things like app installs) and it's backed up about 5.6MB of data in 30 minutes. It still says "Calculating time remaining..." in system preferences for Time Machine.
Is anyone else seeing this slowness when making backups?
Thanks

Apple doesn’t routinely monitor the discussions. These are mostly user to user discussions.
Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.
Feedback
Or you can use your Apple ID to register with this site and go the Apple BugReporter. Supposedly you will get an answer if you submit feedback.
Feedback via Apple Developer

Backups without Time Machine?

I'm wondering what the options are for backups without Time Machine. I'm a tech support guy from a way back who's primarily worked with *nix and Windows machines, and I'm no stranger to setting up networks, NAS devices and filers, etc.
This is an all-Apple setup - MacBook Pros, iMacs, iPads, iPhones, etc. There were 2 Time Capsules in the mix, but they both began to fail so we replaced them with a single Seagate 4-bay NAS attached to 2 LAN ports. This is a 10/100/100 network with N-wireless and Gigabit switches.
Both before and after swapping out the Time Capsules for the NAS, we received the "
Time Machine completed a verification of your backups. To improve reliability, Time Machine must create a new backup for you.
message on the MacBooks, less often on the iMac. Post-NAS implementation, we are still seeing on the MacBooks. I've tried relaxing the backup settings to every 3-4 hours since all machines were set to backup every hour as default and I believe they were stepping on each other.
I'm not ruling out the network, or anything at this point, but it seems odd that Time Machine will complete a backup, then at some point in the future find that it's not valid and need to go again from scratch. It's not ideal to use Time Machine if it needs a new full backup every ~2 days or more.
So I'm simultaneously looking for any advice on how to resolve the Time Machine error, and/or how to perform routine backups to the NAS without Time Machine.
Thanks in advance.
MM

I'm wondering what the options are for backups without Time Machine
Time machine is NOT a data backup, its a system (/emergency) backup. (whats the difference? the system is data?!, Yes, however the difference is huge).
....and most pros (nearly all) are absolutely NOT using Time machine as a source, and never as a single source to archive important data.
Time machine by definition is absolutely not a data archive, nor a storage nexus for vital data, which is secure by definition.
here you go:
Methodology to protect your data. Backups vs. Archives. Long-term data protection
Data Storage Platforms; their Drawbacks & Advantages
#1. Time Machine / Time Capsule
Drawbacks:
1. Time Machine is not bootable, if your internal drive fails, you cannot access files or boot from TM directly from the dead computer.
OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks include OS X Recovery. This feature includes all of the tools you need to reinstall OS X, repair your disk, and even restore from a Time Machine
"you can't boot directly from your Time Machine backups"
2. Time machine is controlled by complex software, and while you can delve into the TM backup database for specific file(s) extraction, this is not ideal or desirable.
3. Time machine can and does have the potential for many error codes in which data corruption can occur and your important backup files may not be saved correctly, at all, or even damaged. This extra link of failure in placing software between your data and its recovery is a point of risk and failure. A HD clone is not subject to these errors.
4. Time machine mirrors your internal HD, in which cases of data corruption, this corruption can immediately spread to the backup as the two are linked. TM is perpetually connected (or often) to your computer, and corruption spread to corruption, without isolation, which TM lacks (usually), migrating errors or corruption is either automatic or extremely easy to unwittingly do.
5. Time Machine does not keep endless copies of changed or deleted data, and you are often not notified when it deletes them; likewise you may accidently delete files off your computer and this accident is mirrored on TM.
6. Restoring from TM is quite time intensive.
7. TM is a backup and not a data archive, and therefore by definition a low-level security of vital/important data.
8. TM working premise is a “black box” backup of OS, APPS, settings, and vital data that nearly 100% of users never verify until an emergency hits or their computers internal SSD or HD that is corrupt or dead and this is an extremely bad working premise on vital data.
9. Given that data created and stored is growing exponentially, the fact that TM operates as a “store-it-all” backup nexus makes TM inherently incapable to easily backup massive amounts of data, nor is doing so a good idea.
10. TM working premise is a backup of a users system and active working data, and NOT massive amounts of static data, yet most users never take this into consideration, making TM a high-risk locus of data “bloat”.
11. In the case of Time Capsule, wifi data storage is a less than ideal premise given possible wireless data corruption.
12. TM like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
13. *Level-1 security of your vital data.
Advantages:
1. TM is very easy to use either in automatic mode or in 1-click backups.
2. TM is a perfect novice level simplex backup single-layer security save against internal HD failure or corruption.
3. TM can easily provide a seamless no-gap policy of active data that is often not easily capable in HD clones or HD archives (only if the user is lazy is making data saves).
#2. HD archives
Drawbacks:
1. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
2. Unless the user ritually copies working active data to HD external archives, then there is a time-gap of potential missing data; as such users must be proactive in archiving data that is being worked on or recently saved or created.
Advantages:
1. Fills the gap left in a week or 2-week-old HD clone, as an example.
2. Simplex no-software data storage that is isolated and autonomous from the computer (in most cases).
3. HD archives are the best idealized storage source for storing huge and multi-terabytes of data.
4. Best-idealized 1st platform redundancy for data protection.
5. *Perfect primary tier and level-2 security of your vital data.
#3. HD clones (see below for full advantages / drawbacks)
Drawbacks:
1. HD clones can be incrementally updated to hourly or daily, however this is time consuming and HD clones are, often, a week or more old, in which case data between today and the most fresh HD clone can and would be lost (however this gap is filled by use of HD archives listed above or by a TM backup).
2. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
Advantages:
1. HD clones are the best, quickest way to get back to 100% full operation in mere seconds.
2. Once a HD clone is created, the creation software (Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper) is no longer needed whatsoever, and unlike TM, which requires complex software for its operational transference of data, a HD clone is its own bootable entity.
3. HD clones are unconnected and isolated from recent corruption.
4. HD clones allow a “portable copy” of your computer that you can likewise connect to another same Mac and have all your APPS and data at hand, which is extremely useful.
5. Rather than, as many users do, thinking of a HD clone as a “complimentary backup” to the use of TM, a HD clone is superior to TM both in ease of returning to 100% quickly, and its autonomous nature; while each has its place, TM can and does fill the gap in, say, a 2 week old clone. As an analogy, the HD clone itself is the brick wall of protection, whereas TM can be thought of as the mortar, which will fill any cracks in data on a week, 2-week, or 1-month old HD clone.
6. Best-idealized 2nd platform redundancy for data protection, and 1st level for system restore of your computers internal HD. (Time machine being 2nd level for system restore of the computer’s internal HD).
7. *Level-2 security of your vital data.
HD cloning software options:
1. SuperDuper HD cloning software APP (free)
2. Carbon Copy Cloner APP (will copy the recovery partition as well)
3. Disk utility HD bootable clone.
#4. Online archives
Drawbacks:
1. Subject to server failure or due to non-payment of your hosting account, it can be suspended.
2. Subject, due to lack of security on your part, to being attacked and hacked/erased.
Advantages:
1. In case of house fire, etc. your data is safe.
2. In travels, and propagating files to friends and likewise, a mere link by email is all that is needed and no large media needs to be sent across the net.
3. Online archives are the perfect and best-idealized 3rd platform redundancy for data protection.
4. Supremely useful in data isolation from backups and local archives in being online and offsite for long-distance security in isolation.
5. *Level-1.5 security of your vital data.
#5. DVD professional archival media
Drawbacks:
1. DVD single-layer disks are limited to 4.7Gigabytes of data.
2. DVD media are, given rough handling, prone to scratches and light-degradation if not stored correctly.
Advantages:
1. Archival DVD professional blank media is rated for in excess of 100+ years.
2. DVD is not subject to mechanical breakdown.
3. DVD archival media is not subject to ferromagnetic degradation.
4. DVD archival media correctly sleeved and stored is currently a supreme storage method of archiving vital data.
5. DVD media is once written and therefore free of data corruption if the write is correct.
6. DVD media is the perfect ideal for “freezing” and isolating old copies of data for reference in case newer generations of data become corrupted and an older copy is needed to revert to.
7. Best-idealized 4th platform redundancy for data protection.
8. *Level-3 (highest) security of your vital data.
[*Level-4 data security under development as once-written metallic plates and synthetic sapphire and likewise ultra-long-term data storage]
#6. Cloud based storage
Drawbacks:
1. Cloud storage can only be quasi-possessed.
2. No genuine true security and privacy of data.
3. Should never be considered for vital data storage or especially long-term.
4. *Level-0 security of your vital data.
Advantages:
1. Quick, easy and cheap storage location for simplex files for transfer to keep on hand and yet off the computer.
2. Easy source for small-file data sharing.
#7. Network attached storage (NAS) and JBOD storage
Drawbacks:
1. Subject to RAID failure and mass data corruption.
2. Expensive to set up initially.
3. Can be slower than USB, especially over WiFi.
4. Mechanically identical to USB HD backup in failure potential, higher failure however due to RAID and proprietary NAS enclosure failure.
Advantages:
1. Multiple computer access.
2. Always on and available.
3. Often has extensive media and application server functionality.
4. Massive capacity (also its drawback) with multi-bay NAS, perfect for full system backups on a larger scale.
5. *Level-2 security of your vital data.
JBOD (just a bunch of disks / drives) storage
Identical to NAS in form factor except drives are not networked or in any RAID array, rather best thought of as a single USB feed to multiple independent drives in a single powered large enclosure. Generally meaning a non-RAID architecture.
Drawbacks:
1. Subject to HD failure but not RAID failure and mass data corruption.
Advantages:
1. Simplex multi-drive independent setup for mass data storage.
2. Very inexpensive dual purpose HD storage / access point.
3. *Level-2 security of your vital data.
Time Machine is a system hub backup, not a data hub backup
Important data you “don’t dare lose” should not be considered ultimately safe, or ideally stored (at the very least not as sole copy of same) on your Time Machine backup. Hourly and daily fluctuations of your system OS, applications, and software updates is the perfect focus for the simple user to conduct ‘click it and forget it’ backups of the entire system and files on the Macbook HD.
Bootable clones are the choice of professionals and others in that Time Machine cannot be booted from and requires a working HD to retrieve data from (meaning another computer). Your vital data needs to be and should be ‘frozen’ on some form of media storage, either in a clone, as an archived HD containing important files, or on DVD blank archival media.
A file that is backed up to Time Machine is unsafe in that if that file is deleted off the computer by accident or lost otherwise, that file will likewise vanish from Time Machine as it reflects changes on the internal computer HD/SSD.

Why won't my MacBook Pro backup to Time Machine (on my 1TB Time Capsule) when I'm running Lion OSX 10.7.5.? What does it mean when this error pops up: MacBook Pro.sparse bundle could not be assessed (error - 1).???? Please help me fix this!

Apparently I am not the only person having this problem as I have seen many threads about it. If ANYONE OUT THERE CAN HELP ME, I WOULD SINCERELY APPRECIATE IT.
I try and run my backup as I always have, but it HAS NEVER COMPLETED SINCE I UPGRADED TO LION. As many mentions, I updated from 10.7.4 to 10.7.5 hoping that would fix my issue and it didn't help at all. I also unistalled WD SmartWare to no avail. It's really starting to annoy me since I have as much money invested in my MacBook Pro and Time Capsule as I do in my car....
I have more than enough space on the Time Capsule, but Time Machine is still failing and coming up with an error message: MacBook Pro.sparsebundle could not be assessed (error - 1).
Someone, anyone, please help!

. . . sparse bundle could not be accessed (error -1)

Multiple iPhone backups in Time Machine

I have my wife's iPhone and she was charging it on our Mac via cable. Our iTunes is instructed not to sync automatically. We have two phones in iTunes. Child comes along and somehow resets or wipes phone: not sure which one.
My question is, if I were to enter into Time Machine is it possible to discern which backup is for which phone? The phone is not synced often and I'm guessing the last one was in September, if she even synced at all during that month .
I'm on os x10.8 which was a recent upgrade. Our previous version residing on Time Machine is SL. I have been told to be careful on the restore just in case we need to resort to other (cough) measures in order to (cough) the data.
Thanx

pcp0827 wrote:
Is there a way to delete multiple backups in TIme Machine and not have to delete old files one by one by slow one by one?
Yes, sort of. You can delete indiividual backups, or all backups of selected items,via Time Machine. See #12 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions. You can only select one backup at a time, but they're deleted in a separate process, so you can select another before the first one completes. When you exit from Time Machine, you may see one or more progress bars for the individual deletions. (As noted there, never delete anything from your backups via the Finder.)
But you really shouldn't have to do that. Time Machine will delete your oldest backups automatically, when it needs room for new ones.

HT201250 Original files after I backup on time machine?

What happens to the original files still on my computer after I backup on time machine? Should I trash them now to free up disk space. In other words are the backups all I need now?

bevmaccat wrote:
... In other words are the backups all I need now?
No. This is Not how TM operates. If you delete the files off your Mac they will (eventually) be Deleted from TM.
bevmaccat wrote:
What happens to the original files still on my computer after I backup on time machine? ...
They need to remain on your Mac.
See here > How Time Machine Works its Magic
bevmaccat wrote:
... Should I trash them now to free up disk space. ...
If you need to Free Disc Space... See Here...
what-to-do-when-your-hard-drive-is-full.html

HT201250 Is there any way to schedule backups on Time Machine? I hate it that backup happens every dang hour. I would like to have it back up at night.

Is there any way to schedule backups on Time Machine? I hate it that backup happens every dang hour. I would like to have it back up at night.

Richard Campbell2 wrote:
I hear you, I do. But the problem is that with my Mac, I have to stop and postpone whatever project I am working on while the backup occurs. It just slows down my computer.
Then something is wrong with your backups. Changing the interval will only deal with they symptoms, not the actual problem, and you won't be as well protected as with hourly backups.
If the backups are much larger than they ought to be, see #D4 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.
If the sizes are reasonable, but it seems to take too long, see #D2 there.

HT3275 can't backup with time machine

I can't backup with time machine and I do not receive any errors, time machine just stays in the 'looking for backup disk' mode and will not go any further. I went as far as buying a new usb backup disk to replace the old one and still the same issue occurs. I've tried using different usb ports on my mb pro and that doesn't work. No amount of restarting, ejecting discs or checking preferences helps. Disk utility states the drive is fine (even the new one), the permissions or sharing haven't changed.
My system is up to date with the latest updates, and this all just happened out of the blue one day. I suppose I could do a system restore but I'm afraid of losing my data; and I'm not 100% sure how to do that.
I'm running OSX 10.8.2, 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, 4GB memory

There is good advice available about Time Machine. Go to Pondini's paper(s) before you do anything so drastic as a system restore.
Time Machine - Troubleshooting
Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions

How to erase iPhoto picture backups in Time Machine

Hello.
I can't seem to find a way to erase pictures directly in iPhoto while beeing in Time Machine as I do with the finder's wheel button. Delete key or ctrl-clic won't work. How does one do that ?
Thanks for your reply.

Hi Barry ! Thanks, I'm happy to be finally subscribed.
Sorry if I wasn't clear enough before, let me restate it.
(excuse my english)
erasing pictures is no problem in iPhoto, but I can't seem to find a way to erase backups while browsing iPhoto Library in the past in Time Machine. Say I have pictures I've deleted, some pictures I don't want anymore (in the present), but Time Machine made a backup of them during many days, weeks, months maybe, how to erase these pictures in Time Machine ?
I found how to erase backup in the Finder by pressing this button that has a wheel on it and then click on "erase all copies of this file" (I don't know how it's called in english, my system runs in french), but the iPhoto window (while being in Time Machine) doesn't seem to have any kind of buttons. Pressing delete (or backspace) while selecting a picture or an event doesn't erase it. In fact, there's nothing I found that can be done in iPhoto's Time Machine browsing except swiping events and restore pictures.
My question is: how do you erase backup pictures in Time Machine ? Is it possible to erase directly in Time Machine iPhoto pictures, events ?
I've look many different forums, including this one, everybody talks about restoring, but I could find very little subjects about deleting backups, and nothing while being in iPhoto directly.
in fact, the same applies for adressbook application. How to permanently erase contacts ? If I erase them in the program, there's still a backup in Time Machine, and there seems to be no way of erasing them directly in Time Machine, just like in iPhoto. No button or normal functions work for that matter (backspace, ctrl-clic > delete eventually, etc.)
Sorry for the long post.
Message was edited by: Nordlaser

Incremental Backups in Time Machine taking forever

Greetings all,
I have read the various posts about slow initial backups with Time Machine. I, on the other hand, had no such problem. However, now that my initial backup is complete I find it takes quite a long time for Time Machine to do its hourly thing. I mean a LONG time. The machine will sit for minutes at a time doing nothing, then copy a few kilobytes of a reported 239 MB backup. Then when it finally does complete - roughly 30 minutes later - it will sit for 10 or 15 minutes at the "Finishing backup" stage. At this rate Time Machine is running almost constantly - by the time the darnned thing finishes it's almost time to start again. It didn't do this on my G5 quad core with the same amount of data (about 850 GB). Does anyone have any ideas why this might be happening?
Thanks for your help.

Your Majesty!!
Sounds like your incremental backups are quite fast!
I have a mid 2011 iMac with SSD and 2TB HDD, and Time Machine incremental backups take anything up to 5 hours, sometimes longer. Trivial amounts of data are usually involved, but the log reports very large numbers of files.
One time I completed a Time Machine backup, rebooted and initiated another backup immediately with very few apps running (Console, Activity Monitor), and after several hours, the backup log said it had backed up over 800,000 files but only a very small amount of data.
I have a case open with AppleCare since July 1st. They have a whole lot of logs and other information being analyzed.
You will find others who have the same unresolved problem at - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3144862?start=0&tstart=0

Delete multiple backups in time machine?

Is there a way to delete multiple backups in TIme Machine and not have to delete old files one by one by slow one by one?

pcp0827 wrote:
Is there a way to delete multiple backups in TIme Machine and not have to delete old files one by one by slow one by one?
Yes, sort of. You can delete indiividual backups, or all backups of selected items,via Time Machine. See #12 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions. You can only select one backup at a time, but they're deleted in a separate process, so you can select another before the first one completes. When you exit from Time Machine, you may see one or more progress bars for the individual deletions. (As noted there, never delete anything from your backups via the Finder.)
But you really shouldn't have to do that. Time Machine will delete your oldest backups automatically, when it needs room for new ones.

I cannot restore my backups using Time Machine - please help!

My iMac has been returned from repair and as part of this was reset to its factory settings, depeting everything. I took backups using Time Machine to an external hard drive before it went off for repair, and after it came back I restored the data - so I thought. It seemed to work for a long time, but on completion no files had been restored, and all the backups from before the iMac went for repair are now inaccessible in Time Machine. However as far as I can see they are still on the hard drive however.
The iMac has since been backing up the now empty machine to this hard drive, over-writing the data, but I have now switched Time Machine off.
How can I restore my back-ups and recover my data please?
John Wood

'depeting' is a typo for 'deleting'. I don't seem to be able to edit this out above

HT201250 Can I do a backup using Time Machine on a server, or it needs an external drive only?

Can I do a backup using Time Machine on a server, or it needs an external drive only?

Time Machine can back up to a server. The drive or partition used still needs to be formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
(65169)

Backup in Time Machine is Still Slow

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