Odd Time Capsule behavior

My time capsule was working fine since I set it up in late June. I then returned from a month in Europe (sorry for whining after a month in Europe). I don't know when the strange behavior began precisely. I do know that I saw the desktop icon many times and even saw backups made of August and I think even September.
Now, however, I cannot get my time capsule to work. It shows the last backup as July 7, which is not accurate--I know of August and possibly September backups. And it simply tries to connect "preparing" on the blue activity bar.
The only thing I can think of is a password issue. I don't recall ever setting a password for time capsule but perhaps I'm loosing it. Should I just reset the time capsule (hard reset) and see if it asks me to set up a new password? I occasionally get a message asking for a password and every password I put in that I think could possibly be mine gets kicked back. (BTW, since the first or second time time capsule worked, I have used it only wirelessly. If I hard reset I would probably connect it with hard wire connection.
Context: I'm new to Mac. I was a 20-plus year wintel user until June, 2008.

First, let's find out why it's stuck "Preparing...". So consider the causes I noted in the previous post.
The only thing I can think of is a password issue. I don't recall ever setting a password for time >capsule but perhaps I'm loosing it. Should I just reset the time capsule (hard reset) and see if it asks me to set up a new password?
Again, if the TCs light shows green, then you shouldn't need to reset it.
I occasionally get a message asking for a password and every password I put in that I think could possibly be mine gets kicked back.
It will be important to know what is going on, or what you are doing when it asks for the password. Is it asking for a password only when Time Machine attempts a backup? Consider this:
Launch Airport Utility --> Manual Setup --> Time Capsule tab.
For "Time Capsule password" are there black dots where you would type a password? If so do you remember what you put there? If you don't then enter a new password.
Next, is there a check mark beside "Remember this password in my Keychain"? If not, you will always be asked for a password any time the Time capsule is accessed. Put a check mark there.
Also, click on "Disks" in the tool bar above.
Click "File Sharing" tab.
What is selected beside "Secure Shared Disks"? If it says "With Accounts" or "With a Disk Password" then the system will ask you for a password every time it mounts the TC hard disk. If you switch it to "With Time Capsule Password" then use the password you designated a moment ago in the Time Capsule" tab. It should only ask you once and then never again - because you had checked "Remember in keychain".
If you have made any changes then click "Update".
BTW, since the first or second time time capsule worked, I have used it only wirelessly. If I hard reset I would probably connect it with hard wire connection.
Doing a hard reset, will not erase the hard drive, so you data will still be there. You won't need to connect it directly to your Mac unless you want to start over and do another full backup.
Let us know if any of this helps
Glenn

Similar Messages

Odd Time Machine Behavior Since Mountain Lion Installed

I have used Time Machine to back up to a three-month-old Time Capsule (named 2012 TC) without problems until I updated my iMac to Mountain Lion.
Now, when I awaken my computer from sleep I often (not always) receive an alert window which says:
“Time Machine couldn’t complete the backup to ‘2012 TC’.”
The alert window then goes on to say:
“The backup disk is not in the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format, which is required’.”
and
“Open Time Machine preferences to select a different backup disk.”
And then offers a button to “Open Time Machine Preferences.”
The alert window goes away after some seconds, and if I restart Time Machine backup it seems to work OK. I do seem to be getting proper backups.
This did not occur with Lion, and has only happened since my upgrade to Mountain Lion (including its latest upgrade OS 10.8.1). My Time Capsule is in exactly the same format as before, which was set automatically when I connected it to Time Machine months ago.
What’s going on? Is there a problem? Is there something I should do to fix this?

I have the same problem too and have provided feedback to Apple so hopefully they can fix the bug. I suggest you add your voice too:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/

New hard drive - odd Time Machine behavior

Hi,
I just had my failing HD replaced in my Macbook Pro 17" - The tech. that did it restored from the last good Time Machinr backup to the new HD, and everyrhing seems to work fine. So I then tried to do a full backup of the new HD to a brand new external HD. The first time it stopped about half way through, and yet when I enter Time Machine on the Mac, all the files seem to be there. Then I added a few new photo files, and am now doing another Time Machine backup. But it says it's now backing up 102.95 Gigs (total on HD is 292.07 Gigs). The Time Machine preference pane doesn't seem to recognize the earlier backup (see screenshot) and yet when I enter Time Machine, it's apparently all there. How can I tell if it's working correctly?
Thanks,
Richard

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.
☞ If you’re running Mac OS X 10.7 or later, open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the page that opens.
Select "system.log" from the file list. Enter "backupd" (without the quotes) in the String Matching text field. Post the messages from the last backup, beginning with "Starting standard backup."
Post the log text, please, not a screenshot. If there are runs of repeated messages, post only one example of each. Do not post many repetitions of the same message.
Some personal information, such as the names of your files, may be included — edit that out, too, but don’t remove the context.

ITunes Time Capsule restore to new Mac (Odd setup)

Previously I had an iMac with its iTunes library loaded on an external hard drive connected via USB. I also had a Time Capsule that was backing the iMac up including the external iTunes hard drive.
Well I finally upgraded to a new MacBook Pro. About two days later, the iTunes external hard drive died. So now I'm trying to figure out how can I restore my iTunes library from the Time Capsule to a new external hard drive. I tried the Migration Assistant and selected the Time Capsule option but no luck.
So how can I get that TC iTunes library from an old iMac on an external drive no longer available to a new Mac with a new external drive?
I was thinking I could try to hookup the new external drive to the old Mac and try the Time Machine. Thoughts? Please help!!

Time Capsule forum: https://discussions.apple.com/community/wireless/time_capsule. Also, when you re-post in there it would be helpful to say what you mean by "trouble" and also let them know which iMac you are using and which version of OS X. You have iOS 5.0.1 listed, but that is not the operating system on your iMac, iOS is for iPads, iPods i.e. iDevices. Good luck.

How to Configure DHCP/NAT in Time Capsule

Assuming I can get my Comcast Cable model to act as a bridge, I see advice for setting up my Time Capsule as a DHCP/NAT.
On the Comcast Cable modem:
WAN IP address = 174.13.188.121. <- fake IP
WAN IP gateway = 174.13.188.122.
WAN subnet mask = 174.13.188.122.
LAN IP address = 10.1.10.1.
LAN subnet mask = 255.255.255.0.
I'd like to use 10.1.10.11 for Time Capsule, 10.1.10.13 for Mac Mini Server, 10.1.10.17 for iMac#1 and 10.1.10.19 for iMac#2.
But nooooooo. The AirPort Utility offers only the following DHCP Ranges:
10.0.1.3 - 10.0.1.200, or
176.16.1.3 - 176.16.1.200, or
192.168.1.3 - 192.168.1.200
There's a checkbox for "Enable NAT Port Mapping Protocol," but the documentation on it is poor. There's also a checkbox for "Enable default host at: 10.0.1.253, or 176.16.1.253 or 192.168.1.253," but its documentation is equally poor. Apparently Apple didn't see the need to explain how these things work.
If I use a LAN IP of 10.0.0.1 for the Comcast Cable Modem, then use AirPort Utility to set a DHCP Range of 10.0.0.3 to 10.0.0.200 I receive a warning message that "The DHCP range you have entered conflicts with the WAN IP address of your base station."
I don't see the conflict -- what is wrong? Better yet, how do use AirPort Utility to set up Time Capsule?

Thank you for your response, but I remain completely overwhelmed by this mess. What should be something simple has become an enormous task.
Internet
^
Cable Modem WAN IP: 174.13.188.121 (fake IP address)
   Subnet Mask WAN: 255.255.255.252
Cable Modem LAN IP: 192.168.0.1
    Subnet Mask LAN: 255.255.255.0
I'd like all requests to my public static IP 174.13.188.121 to be served up from my Mac Mini Server with private static IP 192.168.0.19.
   Time Capsule IP: 192.168.0.11
Mac Mini Server IP: 192.168.0.19 running Server.app
iMac #1 Client IP: 192.168.0.17
iMac #2 Client IP: 192.168.0.13
I want the Server.app to serve the public. The above is what I have configured now. Some behavior is odd. For example, I can access the internet from the iMac clients but not the Mac Mini Server. I don't know why.
In other words, how do I string together my Comcast Cable Modem, Time Capsule, Mac Mini Server, iMac#1 and iMac#2 into a useful LAN that can browse the Internet and provide FTP and Web service?
I would think this is a common setup with several sample setups available on the web. No such luck.

Poor Time Capsule Performance in a Roaming Configuration

I have a bit of an odd problem. I recently added a Time Capsule (4th Gen) to my network alongside my existing Airport Extreme (4th Gen). Both devices are set in Bridge Mode and connected to a 1000Base-T backbone which accesses the Internet through my AT&T U-Verse gateway (WiFi off). My intention is to have the devices in a roaming network with the AE upstairs and the TC downstairs in my office.
Coverage-wise this has been excellent, but performance has not been up to par. Through a great deal of troubleshooting, hair-pulling, and even a replacement TC, I have determined that, for some reason, the TC has trouble forwarding my frames if it is on the same SSID as the AE. (Which is, of course, a required for a real roaming network.)
Both devices are running 7.6 firmware and I have manually set the radio channels at the far extremes from each other in both bands to rule out interference. My neighbors' APs are still visible, but aren't causing any intereference in those bands.
If I configure both devices with identical WiFi settings (SSID, WPA2-Personal, PSK, etc.) devices that are associated with the TC experience very poor performance. The radio part of the connection is great. (Strong signal, low noise, etc.) Data throughput is awful, though. Web pages won't load, and when I ping local devices on the wired side of the network I'm lucky to get 500ms round-trip. Most of the pings are in the >1000ms range with many timeouts.
Devices connected to the AE, however, average about 1ms round-trip to the same devies and see no issues getting to the Internet or transfering files locally. In fact, Time Machine backups work just fine to the TC.
That said, if I simply change the SSID for the TC radio, leaving *everything else* the same, it works like a dream. Unfortunately, that isn't exactly the roaming network I would like to have.
Has anybody else seen this behavior or have any ideas on how to fix it? I'm stumped. What really concerns me is that I've seen this with two different TCs.
For the record, I have already reflashed, defaulted, and configured both devices from scratch with no change in performance.

Replying to my own post is probably bad juju, but I thought I'd provide an update for those who may have also seen this issue.
First, it turns out that having the separate SSIDs didn't actually matter. WIthin a day or two of my OP, the Time Capsule on the separate SSID began exhibiting the same problem as before. It seems that this is part of the problem. When it occurs it can take a few days to a week to turn up, but it can also happen right away.
Eventually, the Time Capsule began to exhibit other issues as well. For instance, in my testing, I would need to reboot it to apply new settings, but it would hang on a reboot for 20 minutes or more and I would have to pull the power cable. I finally called Apple and they replaced it again.
When the new Time Capsule arrived, everything seemed to work well, but before I was even able to get the backups moved from the old one to the new one, the problem showed up on the new one.
At this point, I found a few forum threads where other people were having similar problems and were able to get around them by downgrading form firmware 7.6 to 7.5.2. I was about to try that when Apple released 7.6.1.
On a whim, I decided to try the new release, even though Apple only referred to vague WiFi performance fixes. I have to say that I noticed immediate improvement across the board.
So far, so good. I am hopeful that the new 7.6.1 is the fix to the problem.

I have a time capsule that has worked flawlessly for several years. I recently upgraded my iMac OS to 10.8.4 and coincidently (or not) have started having some issues with backups. When I go into time machine, it struggles to find the time capsule disk

I have to unplug my time capsule and reboot it. Is there a diagnostic routine I can run or any error detection I can look for?

You are absolutely right.. when apple changed significant features in Lion and Mountain Lion .. they introduced a bunch of issues into networking which are bugs to this day..unacknowledged.. and without much that will fix them.. other than your reboot strategy.. which is like.. well that other OS.. where continual reboots are considered normal.
Old TC may also just suffer from age.. we continually tell people they have a lifespan.. 3years is the reliable span.. after that expect anything.. sudden death.. slow decline.. continual hassles and problems. If the backups are important to you.. then it is telling you in a very clear way.. replace me.. I am no longer happily providing services promised.
Now to specifics.. we don't know what the problem is.. if we knew we could give some work around.
The problem is odd in that it doesn't affect everyone.. if it starts .. people find it starts several months in to ownership.. it is never cured.. or even curable.. something like DNS or ARP table is being lost.. but it is not either of those things.
Is there a diagnostic routine I can run or any error detection I can look for?
Nothing much shows up anywhere. Including the TC log or local logs. It simply has lost the TC disk but not internet.
So.
Some things do help.
I don't know if you have pondini's resources.. TM is a complex piece of software.. it has multiple issues.
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
Look at A1 .. load the widget.
A5 .. verify the backup.
A4 .. reset TM.
All of those things can help.. look at some of the typical problems.. C12 and C17 being the most common since Lion.. and exacerbated in Mountain Lion.. not fixed.
Some suggestions.
1. Keep names short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric. See C9 http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
2. Do not use 7.6.3 firmware... go back to 7.6.1 or even better 7.5.2 on an old one.
Firmware downgrade is easy in new utility. Hold down the option key whilst selecting version.
3. I recommend a very short dhcp lease time.. 20min for example. In whatever device is the router .. that can help keep things up to date.. and use dhcp reservation again to see if the address info helps to keep things updated.
4. Do turn on ipv6 local link.. which you need to anyway with 6.3 utility.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4597
5. If you are using a desktop.. an external drive is faster.. more reliable and easier than TC for Time Machine backups..
6. Consider using CCC or another backup software.. if you want to continue to use network drive.
7. Although using 6.3 airport utility has some advantages.. it is also devoid of a lot of tools that are in v5.6 airport utility.. well worth loading into at least one computer on the network.. if you only have Mountain Lion now here is one method.
How to load 5.6 into ML.
1. Download 5.6 for Lion.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482
Click to open the dmg but do not attempt to install the pkg.. it won't work anyway.
Leave the package open on the desktop so you can see the file. AirportUtility56.pkg
2. Download and install unpkg.
http://www.timdoug.com/unpkg/
Run unpkg on the desktop.. If your Mac refuses to run the software, because it wasn’t downloaded from the Apple store, go to security in preferences and allow other software to work.. this is limitation of trade methinks. You can set back later if you like.
Now drag the AirPortUtility56.pkg file over to unpkg.. and it will create a new directory of the same name on the desktop.. in finder, open the new directory, drill down.. applications, utilities .. there lo and behold is Airport utility 5.6 .. drag it to your main utilities directory or just run it from current location.
You cannot uninstall version 6 (now 6.3 if you updated) so don't try.. and you cannot or should not run them both at the same time.. although I have had no problems when doing so.
For screen shots see this post.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4668746?tstart=0

Problems wirelessly extending 5Ghz network with Time Capsule

Summary:
My Time Capsule wirelessly extends a 5Ghz "n" network provided by my Airport Extreme, but the Time Capsule frequently fails and stops providing Internet access to connected computers. I'm not sure if the problem is with the Time Capsule or with the Airport Extreme it's connecting to.
Setup:
Airport Extreme (dual band) connected to cable modem. It provides a 5Ghz "n" network and a 2.5Ghz "b-g-n" network. This is in the bedroom.
Time Capsule (non-dual band) joins the 5Ghz network and extends it. This is in the office, maybe 40 feet away, line-of-sight. There is a laser printer connected to the Time Capsule via ethernet.
My MacBook is set to join the 5 Ghz network, and since it's in the office, it ends up joining via the Time Capsule. This is the desired behavior, as connecting through the Time Capsule seems to result in the fastest possible backup speed.
There are no wireless devices, such as cordless phones, in the house. The microwave is NOT in use when the problems arise.
*The Problem:*
Frequently, the MacBook loses its Internet connection, though it is still connected to the 5Ghz network through the Time Capsule. When this happens, it can only see the Time Capsule it's connected through (and other devices that are connected to it) but no other devices on the network.
When this happens, other devices that are connecting to the 5Ghz network through the Airport Extreme can no longer see the Time Capsule or any devices connected to it, such as the laser printer or my MacBook. This includes the living room computer, which has never been able to complete a backup due to this problem.
The Time Capsule's and the Airport Extreme's indicator lights both stay green.
If I change the Macbook's connection to the 2.5Ghz network, it can see the devices connected to the Airport Extreme, but can no longer reach the Time Capsule.
*Unsuccessful Solutions:*
This was happening in a previous incarnation of the network, when I had a non-dual band Airport Extreme providing the main network, the Time Capsule connected via 5Ghz, and an Airport Express connected via ethernet to the Time Capsule to provide a b-g network.
I replaced the Airport Extreme with a new dual-band unit to simplify the setup, but it did not solve the problem.
Since the Time Capsule seemed to be the weak link in the network, I reported the problem and got the unit replaced, but the problem still persists.
I've reset both the Airport Extreme and the Time Capsule to their factory settings numerous times, and set them up again from scratch (no imported settings). I've gone in and made sure that there were no WDS settings leftover from the earlier configuration, as the 5Ghz network does not need it to extend itself.
*Plea for help:*
Is anyone else experiencing a similar problem?

Update
The other day, I modified the setup so that the Time Capsule doesn't extend the wireless network wirelessly, only through Ethernet (so the attached printer will work, but the computers will connect directly to the AEBS. The Time Capsule stayed connected long enough for me to do a full backup (125GB) from the downstairs computer.
I thought I had it "solved" (though extending the 5Ghz network would be preferable so the office computers can have faster backup speeds.)
But yesterday, I went to print to the Ethernet-attached printer, and it got only one page out before it disappeared off the network again, and the print job failed. I noticed it did it again, today.
So the problem is not tied to wirelessly extending the network.

Using TIME MACHINE with a TIME CAPSULE

There's often a bit of confusion about this terminology: +*Time Machine+* vs. +*Time Capsule:+*
_*Time Machine*_ is Apple software that performs backups, to an external HD, a Time Capsule, etc.; and also allows you to browse and restore from them. It comes with Leopard and Snow Leopard, but cannot run on any previous versions of OSX.
A _*Time Capsule*_ is a piece of Apple hardware that combines a wireless router and hard drive, that can be used for Time Machine backups and/or other data.
Most Time Machine questions & problems are not unique to Time Capsules. For those, or if you don't find what you need here, try one of these:
Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions
Time Machine - Troubleshooting
They can also be found in the *User Contributed Tips* section of both +Time Machine+ forums:
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard > Time Machine
Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard > Time Machine
Contents
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QUESTIONS
*Q1. How do I set up Time Machine to back up to my Time Capsule?*
*Q2. How do I set up Time Machine to back up to a USB drive connected to my Time Capsule?*
*Q3. Can I use my Time Capsule for Time Machine backups AND other data?*
*Q4. My Time Capsule is too small to back-up my Mac(s). Now what?*
*Q5. Should I delete backups? If so, how?*
*Q6. How do I back-up my Time Capsule and/or USB drive(s) connected to it?*
If you don't see your question here, try the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
|
PROBLEMS
*P1. The Backup disk image could not be created.*
*P2. Time Machine could not complete the backup . . sparsebundle could not be accessed. (Error 109).*
If you don't see your problem here, try the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
QUESTIONS
|
_*Q1. How do I set up Time Machine to back up to my Time Capsule?*_
|
First, set up your Time Capsule via +Airport Utility.+ Keep the name you assign to it, your Computer, and your network short (under 25 characters), and avoid embedded spaces, special characters, and punctuation (see item #P1 below for details). Make sure your Mac can connect via an Ethernet cable, if at all possible, as well as wirelessly.
The setup and first backup (of your entire system) will be much faster if you connect via Ethernet.
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a. If the +Time Machine+ icon isn't already in your Dock, drag it there from your Applications folder. See below for more about it's use.
b. Right-click it and select +Open Time Machine Preferences,+ click the +Show Time Machine status in the menu bar+ box (see below), then click +Select Disk+ (on Leopard, this button will be either +Choose Backup Disk+ or +Change Disk).+
c. A list of possible destinations will appear. It should include your Time Capsule (with the name you gave it via Airport Utility), and may show other internal or external drives as well. Select your Time Capsule and click the +Use for Backup+ button.
d. A prompt for your name and password will appear. In some cases there won't be a Name field, but if there is, enter your short user name. Also enter the password you set up for the Time Capsule via Airport Utility, then click the Connect button.
e. A 120-second countdown to the start of your first backup will appear in the +Next Backup+ area of the TM Preference panel.
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Note that this first backup will copy the entire contents of your system, except for a few things that are skipped automatically, such as system work files, most caches, your logs, trash, etc., and anything else you may have excluded (see #10 and #11 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum). So it will be rather lengthy, depending on how much data is on your system, whether you're connected via Ethernet or WIFI, and if WIFI, how good the signal is.
You can continue to use your Mac while TM is backing-up, and you can even cancel a backup if necessary, but to make this first full backup as fast as possible, try not to overload your Mac or cancel the backup.
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_*The Time Machine Icons in your Menubar and/or Dock*_
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In the steps above, you dragged the TM Application's icon into your Dock, and clicked the +Show Time Machine status in the menu bar+ box.
For detailed info about them, see question #24 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
+Go to Top+
_*Q2. How do I set up Time Machine to back up to a USB drive connected to my Time Capsule?*_
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Mostly the way you set it up to use the Time Capsule's internal HD.
But first, attach the drive directly to your Mac, and erase and format it per the instructions in #5 of the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum. Note, however, that it doesn't matter whether you use the +Mac OS Extended (Journaled)+ or +Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, journaled)+ Format, since Time Machine will put your backups in a sparse bundle that's case-sensitive. You cannot change that.
Unlike the Time Capsule's disk, you can partition the USB drive. That's highly recommended if you're going to be putting other data there, so the backups don't completely fill the disk (but be aware that Time Machine cannot back that "other" data up. See question #Q6 below).
If you're backing-up multiple Macs to the same drive, you can make one partition for each, but it's not as helpful on a network drive, because each Mac's backups will be in a separate sparse bundle. So you can let them share the disk or a partition.
Also note that if you've been doing backups to an external disk connected directly to your Mac, you cannot continue the same set of backups when you connect it to your Time Capsule. They are stored differently, and Time Machine will put them in a sparse bundle, alongside but *completely separate from* the backups made locally, and the first backup will be a full backup of your entire system.
Once the USB disk is set up the way you want it, use the setup procedure in question #Q1 above, but in step (c), select the USB drive/partition, not the Time Capsule's internal HD.
*RAID Sets connected to a Time Capsule:*
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Time Machine will back up to a +Hardware Mirrored RAID set,+ also called +RAID 1,+ (sold that way, with multiple drives in the same enclosure). However, if you partition the +Hardware Mirrored RAID set,+ once you start using it with TIme Machine, you cannot change the sizes later and continue to back up to the same set of backups.
While you can connect multiple USB drives to a Time Capsule via a USB hub (a powered one is best), Time Machine +*will not+* back up to a +software Mirrored RAID+ set (where you combine the drives into a single volume via Disk Utility).
+Go to Top+
_*Q3. Can I use my Time Capsule for Time Machine backups and other data?*_
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You can put other data on your Time Capsule's internal HD, but there are three major considerations:
Especially for things like photos and videos, access may be too slow for convenient viewing, and worse for editing. So test this a bit before you decide what to put there.
Time Machine cannot back-up that other data, so you'll need some other method. See question #Q6 below.
Time Machine will, by design, fill up all the space available to it, so there may be a conflict between the sparse bundle it puts your backups in, and the other data. There is a workaround, to "reserve" some space there, by creating a disk image of the desired size and storing your data there, but it's a bit cumbersome, and two Macs can't share it at the same time.
An alternative is to connect a USB drive to your Time Capsule. Then you can back up to the TC's disk and use the USB drive for other data, or vice-versa. But note that Time Machine cannot back-up the USB drive while it's connected to the TC (see question #Q6 below).
If you want to reserve space on the TC's internal disk, here's how:
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a. Start the +Disk Utility+ app (in your Applications/Utilities folder). Click the +New Image+ icon in the toolbar (or select +File > New > Blank Disk Image+ from the menubar). If the little arrow to the right of the "Save As" box points down, click it so it points up.
b. Give it a name in the "Save as" box. This name will appear on the TC's disk, with ".dmg" appended. (Similar to the way the sparse bundle containing your Time Machine backups appears, with ".sparsebundle" appended).
c. Click your TC in the sidebar. It may take a few moments for Disk Utility to recognize it, and show it in the center pane.
d. In that center pane, select the blue Share folder for your +Time Capsule+ (you may need to scroll down, or enlarge the window, to see it). Once selected, you'll see any existing disk images in the right pane.
e. Give the Image a name. This name will appear on your desktop and/or Finder sidebar when you mount the .dmg by double-clicking it, if you have the +External Disks+ box checked in +Finder > Preferences > General+ or +Finder > Preferences > Sidebar.+
f. Select the Size for the amount of space you want to reserve, either one of the pre-sets or Custom which allows any size. Avoid taking all the remaining space for the disk image, as Time Machine needs a bit of room to operate. Also note that if very little space is left, it will begin deleting old backups very soon, to make room for new ones.
g. Select the desired Format, probably the default of +Mac OS Extended (Journaled).+
h. If you want it encrypted, select the desired type.
i. Select single partition, either GUID or +Apple Partition Map.+
j. Select +Read/Write disk image+ for Image Format.
k. Click the Create button. The larger the image size, the longer this will take.
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When complete, the new disk image will be automatically mounted on your Mac's desktop, ready to receive the files you want to move into it. (When you first open a disk image, there may not be a sidebar and/or toolbar; if so, select +View > Show Toolbar+ from the Finder menubar.)
To access this disk image from another computer, you must first eject it from this one, since only one can mount it at a time. Otherwise, the other one will see a message that the disk image is "Temporarily unavailable."
Note that you may be able to change the size of the disk image later, via +Images > Resize+ from the Disk Utility menubar (while the disk image is not mounted or selected in Disk Utility's sidebar).
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_*Q4. My Time Capsule is too small to back-up my Mac(s). Now what?*_
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You can attach a USB drive to your Time Capsule. Then you can back up to the USB drive instead of the Time Capsule's internal HD. If you have multiple Macs, you can back some up to the TC's internal drive, and others to the USB drive.
If you need even more space, you can connect multiple USB drives via a hub (a powered one is usually best), and back up different Macs to each. What you cannot do, however, is have one Mac's backups continue from the Time Capsule's internal HD to a USB drive connected to it, or have the backups for any one Mac "span" two drives.
The exception is, you can connect two (or more) drives that are in a +concatenated RAID+ set (sometimes called +RAID 0).+ In that configuration, all the drives in the set are treated as a single volume (see +Concatenated RAID+ in the Help for Disk Utility for details). This configuration may cause some other difficulties; once they're in a RAID set, you cannot connect any drive to your Mac separately -- it's all or none. And if one drive fails, you risk losing everything on all the drives in the set.
See question #Q2 above for setup instructions for backing-up to the USB drive.
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_*Q5. Should I delete backups? If so, how?*_
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It depends on exactly what you want to do, and why.
Under normal circumstances, you shouldn't have to delete anything. TM automatically "thins" (deletes) backups every time it does a new backup, on the following schedule:
"Hourly" backups after 24 hours (except the first of the day, which is a "Daily" backup).
"Daily" backups after a month (except the first of each week, which is a "Weekly" backup.)
"Weekly" backups are kept until TM needs the space for new backups; then one or more of the oldest weeklies will be deleted.
However, TM will never delete the backup copy of anything that was on the disk being backed-up at the time of any remaining backup. So all that's actually deleted are copies of items whose originals were changed or deleted before the next remaining backup.
But if you do need to delete backups, here's how:
To delete individual backups, or all backups of selected item(s), see #12 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
To delete everything on the Time Capsule's internal HD, use +*Airport Utility.+* Select +*Base Station > Manual Set-Up+* from the Menubar, then Disks in the tool Bar, then Erase.
To delete everything on a connected USB drive/partition, you can delete via the Finder, but that may take a very long time. It may be faster to disconnect it from your Time Capsule, connect it directly to your Mac, and use Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utilities folder) to erase the disk/partition.
To delete all the backups for one Mac, without disturbing anything else on the Time Capsule's internal disk, open the TC via the Finder and delete the sparse bundle associated with that Mac.
To delete all the backups for one Mac, without disturbing anything else on a connected USB drive, either open the USB drive via the Finder and delete the sparse bundle associated with that Mac, or disconnect the drive from the TC, connect it directly to your Mac, and delete the sparse bundle from there.
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_*Q6. How do I back-up my Time Capsule and/or attached USB drive(s)?*_
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That depends to some extent on what you want to back up, and where it is.
It's generally not a good idea to try to back-up your Time Machine backups. If there's a problem with them, it will be copied to (and perhaps magnified on) the copy.
A better solution is probably to use either Time Machine or a different application to make separate, independent backups of your Mac, to a different destination. A portable external hard drive is great for this; you can periodically connect it to your Mac, make a backup, then take it to a secure off-site location, so you're protected against fire, flood, theft, direct lightning strike on your power lines, etc. If you use Time Machine for this, you'll have to use the disk selection process each time you want to switch, via +Time Machine Preferences.+
Many folks use the CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper! apps to make "bootable clones" of their internal HD to an external HD. While these usually don't have "archived" copies of previous versions of things you've changed or deleted, you can boot and run your Mac from them if your internal HD fails. Your Mac may run a bit slower, but it will be usable. Both are easily found via Google.
Since Time Machine cannot back up your Time Capsule's internal hard drive, or a USB drive connected to it, if you have other data there, you'll need a different method to back up that other data.
In a pinch, you can disconnect a USB drive from your Time Capsule, attach it to your Mac, and copy or back it up that way.
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There is a procedure that will let you "archive" the TC's internal disk to a USB drive connected to it.
But it's not quick, since since the data must be read from the TC's internal disk to your Mac, then sent *back through the Time Capsule* to the connected USB drive. And it's "all or nothing" -- you can only use this procedure to copy the entire contents.
All users will be disconnected from both the internal HD and the connected USB disk (but the network will remain usable).
Attach a USB drive with at least as much free space as the total amount of data on the TC's internal HD (see #5 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum, for formatting instructions).
Turn Time Machine "Off" via +Time Machine Preferences.+ Stop all processes that may be accessing the Time Capsule's disk. If possible, connect your Mac to the Time Capsule with an Ethernet cable -- it will still be slow, but faster than WIFI.
Then follow this Apple procedure: Using AirPort Utility 5.3.1 or later to make a copy of the Time Capsule disk.
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PROBLEMS
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_*P1. The Backup disk image could not be created.*_
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Oddly enough, Time Machine can be rather picky about the way certain things are named.
Check your +*Computer Name*+ at the top of the System Preferences > Sharing panel.
It must not be blank; it should not be more than 25 characters long; and you should avoid punctuation, spaces, and special characters.
After changing it, click the Edit button and make the corresponding change to the +*Local Hostname.+*
If that doesn't help, apply the same rules to the name of your Time Capsule and Network, via +Airport Utility.+
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_*P2. Time Machine could not complete the backup .. sparsebundle could not be accessed. (Error 109).*_
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The sparsebundle containing your backups is corrupted.
Try Repairing it, per #A5 in the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
If the sparsebundle is on your Time Capsule's internal HD, and Disk Utility can't fix it, your only option is to delete it (or erase the TC's disk), and let Time Machine start over. You may be able to prevent this from happening again by changing the names per problem #P1 above.
If the sparsebundle is on a USB drive connected to your Time Capsule, and Disk Utility can't fix it, it's possible a heavy-duty 3rd-party +Disk Repair+ application, such as +Disk Warrior+ can. (You'll have to connect the drive directly to your Mac.) These are not cheap, and there's no guarantee they can fix it. Be certain whatever you use is compatible with your OS. For Disk Warrior, you need at least version 4.1.1 for Leopard, 4.2 for Snow Leopard.
+Go to Top+

This tip is ready for consideration.
It is an update to the current Tip at: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2296894
Changes:
Q1: replaced info about the TM icons with a link to the TM FAQ tip.
Q2: added info about RAID sets attached to a TC
Q6: reworded a bit and replaced last paragraph with a link to the Apple article.

I have just update my MacBook to Snow Leopard 10.6.3. Unfortunately I can not now connect to the internet. I have a time capsule that is connected to a router. This is working with other devices but if I try to connect with the MB everything stops?

I have updated my MB to Snow Leopard 10.6.3 - I know this means I am a little behind the times but the problems I am now having seem to justify my reluctance. Now am unable to connect to the internet! I use a time capsule connected via a router. Everything is still OK with every other device (PC, I phone, Ipod) in the house so I know the "Network" is still enabled and there is no problem with the ISP. Strangley whenever I boot up the MB it appears to freeze the network such that the other devices also will then not access the internet. To regain access I have to turn off the MB and reset the router. Any help gratefully recieved as I have tried some of the ideas i have found in the internet but nothing is working. Thanks.

That's odd.
Try this: Unplug your Time Capsule and your router. On your MBP, click the Wi-Fi icon and select "Open Network Preferences".
Click the lock icon to authenticate, then click the "gear" and select "set service order". Wherever AirPort (or Wi-Fi - I forget what Snow Leopard calls it) appears, drag it elsewhere in the list. Click OK, then Apply, then power up your router and TC.
If that doesn't result in any change, repeat the above but try making the service(s) you do not need "inactive".
The purpose of this is to reset or at least change your Network Preferences, which somehow got confused upon upgrading to SL.

My Time Capsule won't let me copy files to it any more

I've got 2 Time Capsules, one 2TB a couple of years old. I use it to back up a MacBook Pro and iMac via Time Machine, plus store a large number of files. Until recently it's worked absolutely fine - haven't even had the usual "horribly slowMacine since upgrading to Mountain Lion" problem. But now I can't back up with Time Machine at all. Till today it's gone through the motions, but after appearing to copy a couple of megs (of about 15GB) it stops with no apparent error message.
Today I've noticed it's also begun to behave oddly if I try to copy any files to it. I wondered if it had somehow become read only, but it allows me to create folders, rename files etc. But if I try to copy any files to an existing folder, I get the informative "The operation can't be completed because an unexpected error occurred (error code -50) The disk isn't full - over 300GB free (or reported as free by Airport)
Incidentally I have another, newer Time Capsule which I was keeping as a duplicate device for photos / music / documents etc (rather than letting the sparsebundle file gobble up the space as it's done on the 2TB device) I started to create a new backup on that (over ethernet) but have lost patience after about 6 hours watching it get slower and slower. Current projection would be the initial 200GB backup will take around a week. But that's another story.
So can anyone suggest how I can resolve the error code -50 problem and get back to a functioning Time Capsule please
Thanks

Not really any definite source of endless set of streams of (very helpful) consciousness.
I do not like 7.6.3 as it has a lot of issues.. but see how it goes for you.
If you want fast backup.. connect by ethernet and turn off wireless. Difficult to really suggest much else for now.
I am definitely of the opinion that Apple needs to get a few programmers off iOS and onto Mac OS and particularly networking and firmware on their routers.. which has shown less than stellar reliability in later versions.
I think using SMB compliant names helps.. for everything.
That is short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric.
If you need to isolate the TC from the network and do backups that way. You might need to turn off wireless in the computers until you finish the first round backup.
Erase done (very quickly)
That is not a low level format. That is merely wiping the allocation tables.
I do strongly recommend a one pass erase.
In the version 5 utility it is zero out data. But it is a single low level format.
And keep your eye on the SMART.. although the TC should throw up disk error if it goes off.

Time Machine and Time Capsule don't seem to work well together?

Reposted.
I get the feeling there are some serious problems with the combination of Time Machine and Time Capsule.
This is extremely disappointing, as the idea of a centralized backup device on the network (instead of disks attached to each and every computer we have running Leopard) seemed like such a good idea and a good way to supplement our tape-based backup that takes place with Retrospect.
In reality, it's a disaster on both Intel and PowerPC systems. All systems and the Time Capsule are fully up to date with software updates from Apple. I have two 1TB Time Capsule units. It goes something like this:
1. I have a few systems (mainly Intel) that work perfectly with the Time Capsule. There are no complaints and no issues at all. These systems just quietly run their backups as they should. They are the definite minority--maybe one or two have worked properly.
2. I have some systems that complain from time to time (mainly PowerPC) but will back up with a little encouragement. These too are the minority.
3. And finally, I have systems that are nothing but pain. These are both Intel and PowerPC systems. They are also the majority of the systems I have. The most common problem is sudden loss of the credentials needed to access the Time Capsule hardware--a user will be going along about their business when the Mac OS asks for the Time Capsule user name and password--after it's already been supplied and backups have been running. This should simply never ever happen.
Another charming behavior I've seen is corruption of the sparse disk image file that each computer creates on the Time Capsule. Time Machine will complain that it can't perform the backup, and examining the disk image file with Disk Utility shows it to be severely damaged. Turning off Time Machine, deleting the corrupted sparse image file, and starting over fixes it. For a while.
Finally, there are the machines (again, both Intel and PowerPC) that just can't seem to actually get through the first backup run. They either go so far and can't continue, or never actually manage to get started. I've checked the disks in these computers and found no problem with the hardware or file system. The installations are fresh and fully up to date.
Meanwhile, I have computers running Leopard with directly attached disks configured for use with Time Machine. One is a QuickSilver that isn't even officially supported by Leopard, with a Firewire attached disk. It doesn't skip a beat. The other is an Intel Mac mini being used with Mac OS X Server 10.5.4 and a USB external hard drive. These machines just do their thing, and I never have to babysit them.
These problems with the Time Capsule have been so severe that I've just given up on most of the computers and shut off Time Machine entirely. We have tape backups that run over the week, so it's not a huge loss. But that's not what really made me throw up my hands and say "enough"...no, that was the speed. Even with just one computer backing up to it, the Time Capsule seemed terribly slow. Watching the progress indicator was just painful.
I put in a word about all of this to my independent Apple dealer, and they say I'm definitely not the first to complain about some or all of these problems. In fact, they told me they were going to set up a test lab in their shop to see if they could duplicate these findings. I have no doubt that they can.
There are a total of seven computers backing up to one Time Capsule. They all store maybe ~40GB worth of data including the OS. There are about six computers on the other. Because of the way the network is laid out, the Time Capsule is connected to a Gigabit switch (and that is the only thing it's connected to). It cannot be used as the router, although I know Apple suggests this. The Airport section is disabled--I have no need or desire to use it. Some computers link up at 100 megabits, others at 1 gigabit. There are no network problems--we have no problems moving large amounts of data across the same network to our tape backup machine.
Is anyone else seeing these kinds of problems? Am I doing something wrong or expecting too much from Time Capsule?

I may be on to something. The Time Capsules I have live in a telephone equipment room that is indoors but not directly air conditioned or heated. It doesn't ever get too hot to be comfortable in there--the highest I've ever seen the temperature was 80 degrees (F). Most of the time the temperature is between 60-78 degrees.
I happened to touch one of them the other day while it was in use, and I noticed that the casing was hot to the touch...not dangerously so I suppose, but much hotter than I would have expected.
So I turned a small fan on both Time Capsules and have left it running. And I've noticed that not only do backups seem to complete more quickly, the reliability is also better. I am going to try some of my most troublesome computers once again just to see what happens.
I know there is a fan pointed at the hard drive in the Time Capsule, but I can't see how it does much in the way of cooling things down. In my opinion, it's just surrounded by too many heat producing devices to do much good...after all, not only is there a 7200 RPM hard disk in there, but also a 500MHz Marvell processor and radio set.

How do I get the Time Capsule to automatly erase old back ups?

I have a 1TB Master HD in my Mac Pro that I back up using a 1 TB Time Capsule. So far I've used just over 500GBs on the Hard Drive which has really stumped my Time Capsule because it comes up saying it needs 400 odd gbs to do a full back-up of my Master HD. So now when ever its on and trys to do a back up it comes up failed because it says it doesnt have enough room to do its thing. Arnt Time Capsules supposed to delete the older back ups once its full? I exclude all other HDs from the Time Capsules back-up but I cant workout what more I can do....I can understand it if a 1TB Time Capsule could only back up 900gbs of Data but I'm only asking this 1TB TCaps to back up 500odd gbs. Anything I could or should be doing? I dont use the Airport as I only bought it to do backups. And because I have a wireless router for the houses PCs, Apple cant even tell me why I cant back up wirelessly so I have to use an ethernet cable.
Any advice or help would be much apperciated!

Time Machine has no problem automatically erasing old backups if your new backup is a normal size for an "incremental" backup. So it can handle things up to approximately 2-3 GB without running into trouble.
If the backup is too large, then you have to decide whether to erase the Time Capsule disk entirely and start over with a new "master" backup and move forward.....or.....manually delete enough backups to create enough space on the drive....which can get tricky.
See Pondini's excellent Time Machine - Troubleshooting, in particular #C4 and the pink box.
http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/C4.html

Time Capsule

Time Capsule & Apple support - is it really this pathetic?
I bought a 2TB TC at the weekend. I backed up my Mac for the first time (via ethernet) and saved 163GB of my files/photos/movies etc.
Looking into TM after a few hourly back ups I noticed in the finder on the left side where the list of items are (movies/pictures etc) that the word 'music' was greyed out.
I clicked on the other folders and was able to see the contents, pictures etc, saved in TM. BUT music was always greyed out in all the TM backup versions.
The odd thing is that in my Mac (live now) the size is about 163GB including music which is 73GB alone. So it looks like TM has included music somewhere (as backed up size is the same) but is not allowing me to view it which is odd, as I say, because I can view all else.
I arranged a call with Apple support and after discussing the issue, and the helpful advisor had consulted his senior manager, I was told that APPLE TC WILL BACKUP MUSIC BUT THAT MUSIC IS NOT SUPPORTED BY APPLE SUPPORT!!!!!!!
Forgive me Apple, but I thought itunes is an apple product that makes billions of dollars and TC is an Apple product recommended and advertised as an Apple backup solution BUT I'm being told by a senior Apple support 'technician' that they can't help me or give support for 'music' ???!!!!
Being an Apple fan for 10+yrs and (honestly) about to place an order for a new iMac tonight (hence the TC purchase to back up everything) I am seriously not impressed and am being put off AAPL.
And yes I have not excluded any folder or file in the options section.
Surely this Apple product should work simply and seemlessly with other Apple products.
If I can't get music backed up then I will have to return this product asap. Reliability is a basic requirement.
please any help much appreciated ?

thank you edex67
I wiped the TC overnight, now showing the full 2TB available.
Knowing there is about 170GB to backup I've just started to backup again and its showing 104Gb to backup. So it looks like its not going to copy the music folder again but I'll have to wait until its complete tomorrow to see if thats the case.
If that is the case I think my next step is to bring it back to Apple
...unless anyone has any other suggestions??
many thanks gain

Time Capsule & Airport Express Extended Network loses connection!

OK, so I am an Apple virgin of 2 months experience, after many many years with Windows based PCs, so please be patient and gentle with me. Sorry about the long explanation.....
My set-up comprises of a Time Capsule, which is connected to the Internet via a NetGear ASDL modem. Both pieces of equipment are situated in my wife's office on the first floor of our house. My office is on the ground floor, where I have a 27" iMac and an Airport Express which is connected to a printer via the USB port. The Airport Express is sited about 10 feet from the iMac.
All software and firmware are lastest versions - TC v7.5, AX v7.4.2 & Airport Utility v5.5.
For the past 2 months, I have only been using the AX to print wirelessly and the set-up has worked faultlessly.
Earlier this week, I decided change the configuration to extend the network to allow me to use my laptop & iPhone in areas of the ground floor where I had no signal. I followed the online instructions and first changed the TC to check the box to 'allow this network to be extended', after updating the configuration successfully I moved to the AX. Here I changed the wireless mode to 'Extend a wireless network', selected the network name and checked the 'Allow wireless clients' box. This also updated successfully.
Everything ran correctly and the range of the network was greatly increased.......great, job done...not!
After about 3 hours the iMac lost the connection and the TC disappeared from the Airport Utility pane and refused to reappear. I checked but also couldn't connect or see any network on the laptop or iPhone, so have dismissed a fault with the iMac. I finally got things back up after doing a power reset of the TC, but after a few hours same problem occurred, and occurred and occurred. By clicking the Airport Utility icon on the top right of the screen and following the prompts from 'no Internet connection', I can at least get things up and working without a power reset of the TC, but the connection still drops after 2-5 hours each time.
My first call to Apple Support led to a full reset and re-config of both the TC and AX, setting the extended network up as I had done originally. The only difference was an iMac reset (alt/cmd P&R on power up) and changing the 2.4Ghz channel from 1 to 11. This had no affect and the connection drop-out problem continued.
My second call to Apple Support led to me being passed to a Level 2 Techie, who first suggested that I tried disabling the Guest Network - tried it, and it made no difference. I was then told to try a WDS network, which whilst not losing connection, is slower and has less range than the original extended network and frankly sounds a cop-out.
Has anyone had a similar problem, anyone solved the problems, can anyone offer any help or advice please.. I'd appreciate any input....thanks.

Similar problem here. Cable Modem (Moto SB6120)->AEBS (802.11n dual-band)>AX (802.11n) for wireless connection to MacBook Pro running Mac OS X 10.6.2. AEBS configured as dual-band: 801.11a/n at 5GHZ and 801.11b/g/n at 2.4 GHZ. AX configured to wirelessly extend the AEBS 5GHz 802.11a/n network. I am able to run on the extended 5GHz network (via AX) for varying lengths of time, until the internet connection dies. When this occurs, I am able to switch over to the 2.4GHz network to get back online. Solution up until now has been to unplug the AX, then plug it back in. After the AX restarts, I am able to hop back onto its 5GHz signal and get to the internet. However, the internet connection on this band will drop again after some time.
I was on the phone with Apple Support twice in the past week to get this resolved, but no joy. Senior Advisor seemed to think that my AX was working properly, and that that the problem could be with my AEBS -- perhaps the 5GHz antenna might be bad in my AEBS? Seems odd to me, since both my AEBS and AX are less than 2 months old...
I just read the post from LocoDoc and decided to see if I could replicate the problem. Sure enough, when I am connected to the internet via my AX extended 5GHz network signal and a Time Machine backup starts, the internet connection quits. Only recourse is to restart the AX. Note that I do not experience this problem with Time Machine while connected wirelessly straight to the AEBS 5GHz signal. Only when I am connected to the "extended" signal via the AX.

Odd Time Capsule behavior

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