Time capsule isn't baking up

Hello. my time capsule isn't baking up. spent the whole night "preparing to back up". what can i do?

We need more info.. you need more info..
Load the widget to get log messages so you know what is going on.
A1
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
He also has lots of issues that should cover long preparation.. you should verify the disk and the sparsebundle on the TC.. A5
Look at D1.. stuck in preparing.

Similar Messages

HT1338 My Time Capsule isn't backing up.

My Time Capsule isn't backing up. It appears to be plugged in, etc. - but the "green light" isn't on (orange light isn't either) and therefore it's not backing up. Any suggestions on what I can try to get it backing up again?

Have you received any error messages? If so, what do they say?

Installed Snow Leopard now my Time Capsule isn't functioning.... HELP

Good news- my lovely wife bought me Snow Leopard for my birthday last week.
Bad news- since I've installed it my Time Capsule isn't backing-up....
I've tried two overnight, yes overnight, attempts at backing-up, plus countless other aborted attempts. Time Machine, manages to 'calculate changes' and on one of the occasions even started to back-up but managed only 470MB before failing to register any change for the next 7 hours....!
This is driving me nuts!
I've been into my local Apple re-seller (I wish I was in the States) and suggestions have been:
1. Change the computers name.... the idea being it'll see it as a whole new back-up. Hasn't worked.
2. Erase all my back-up to date and start again..... Really, what and risk losing everything.
Can someone out there help me..... please.
Merry Christmas.

Hi, and welcome to the forums.
It's probably something simple, but you need to know why the backups are failing.
Start with the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip,* also at the top of this forum.
It will show you how to locate the message(s) that describe the problem, then help you fix it.
If that doesn't help, post back with details, including all the messages, your setup, what you've done, and the results.

My time capsule isn't turning on.

I've used it once before and it's turned on and wroked fine. But I had to unplug it and move it to a new location. Now it won't turn on at all, even when I use the reset button/unplugging it. Any suggestions?

These are the hardest because it isn't the power supply. The board has gone faulty in a way that suggests poor soldering.
The give it a bash method can sometimes work to get it going at least if you just want to recover your files.
Put your ear on it.. is the hard disk spinning.. if so it is dead and you need to try to get apple to replace it.
Method described here.
https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s/apple-time-capsule-repair/gen4-a1409-issues
Buy something you can get applecare on.. eg apple tv.
In Europe or Australia have a shot at statutory warranty requirements.

Time Capsule isn't talking to Time Machine. Need HELP!

I am experiencing a problem with my Time Machine & Time Capsule
For starters, I'm not much of a techie ....
Have been deleting data stored on Time Machine to make more room for backups. Started getting error message: "Backup volume could not be mounted”
Even though I had not changed passwords, I did this,
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2048 and it didn’t work.
So then re-set up the Time Capsule.
That didn’t work and I got a different set of error messages.
Now, “Connecting to backup volume” takes long time then I get this error message “The storage location for Time Machine could not be found”
Did this : http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1337
Didn’t fix it.
I can copy files to the drive, the WIFI still works, I just can’t use Time Capsule on it.

R30144 wrote:
t does look like I've damaged or destroyed the sparsebundle (whatever that is)
It's the container that Time Machine puts your backups in. It's an odd, special sort of disk image.
I tried both A4 & A5 with no success. Can I completely wipe the airport and reinsall everything?
You can, but that will delete everything.
What happens if I simply delete the sparsebundle?
That will delete only your backups; nothing else. Then you can start over with Time Machine.
How much "other" stuff do you have there? Were you deleting old backups to make room? If so, that's going to be a problem again, sooner or later. The reason is, Time Machine will, by design, fill up all the empty space available to it, then begin deleting the oldest backups when it needs room for new ones. That's great, unless you want to put other things there.
There are a couple of ways around that problem. One is simple: connect a USB drive to your Time Capsule, and put your "other" data there.
The other is to make a (normal) disk image on the Time Capsule's internal disk, to "reserve" a fixed amount of space on it, then put your other files in it.
For future reference, you can delete selected Time Machine backups, or all backups of selected items. See #12 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of this forum.

My time capsule isn't broadcasting

My time capsule is having power issues (?). When I unplug it to reset and plug it back in, the indicator light is on for a few seconds then shuts off. It does not broadcast a signal.
There are no issues with the modem or the connections.

It appears that the power supply is faulty in your Time Capsule. I would suggest that you take it to your local Apple Store to have them confirm your findings. Unfortunately there are no user serviceable parts.
To get an idea on what's inside check out this Apple Insider article.

Time Capsule isn't doing right

I have backed up hundreds of GBs since I bought it last march. My average daily back ups is around at least 500mb per day because of updated digital photos. Out of blue, from the time machine window back up meter says shy over 200 GB. It is definitely something wrong with the system. Is there any way for me to solve the problem. It still shows at least 200 gb after I click cancel button many of times. Does my time capsule needs to be reset or what else? Your help will be greatly appreciated.

bmiles,
*_Incremental Backups Seem Too Large!_*
Consider the following, it might give you some ideas:
Time Machine performs backups at the file level. If a single bit in a large file is changed, the WHOLE file is backed up again. This is a problem for programs that save data to monolithic virtual disk files that are modified frequently. These include Parallels, VMware Fusion, Aperture vaults, or the databases that Entourage and Thunderbird create. These should be excluded from backup using the Time Machine Preference Exclusion list. You will, however, need to backup these files manually to another external disk.
One poster observed regarding Photoshop: “If you find yourself working with large files, you may discover that TM is suddenly backing up your scratch disk's temp files. This is useless, find out how to exclude these (I'm not actually sure here). Alternatively, turn off TM whilst you work in Photoshop.” (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1209412)
If you do a lot of movie editing, unless these files are excluded, expect Time Machine to treat revised versions of a single movie as entirely new files.
If you frequently download software or video files that you only expect to keep for a short time, consider excluding the folder these are stored in from Time Machine backups.
If you have recently created a new disk image or burned a DVD, Time Machine will target these files for backup unless they are deleted or excluded from backup.
Installing new software, upgrading existing software, or updating Mac OS X system software can created major changes in the structure of your directories. Time Machine will backup every file that has changed since the installation.
Files or folders that are simply moved or renamed are counted as NEW files or folders. If you rename any file or folder, Time Machine will back up the ENTIRE file or folder again no matter how big or small it is.
George Schreyer describes this behavior: “If you should want to do some massive rearrangement of your disk, Time Machine will interpret the rearranged files as new files and back them up again in their new locations. Just renaming a folder will cause this to happen. This is OK if you've got lots of room on your backup disk. Eventually, Time Machine will thin those backups and the space consumed will be recovered. However, if you really want recover the space in the backup volume immediately, you can. To do this, bring a Finder window to the front and then click the Time Machine icon on the dock. This will activate the Time Machine user interface. Navigate back in time to where the old stuff exists and select it. Then pull down the "action" menu (the gear thing) and select "delete all backups" and the older stuff vanishes.” (http://www.girr.org/mac_stuff/backups.html)
*TechTool Pro Directory Protection*
This disk utility feature creates backup copies of your system directories. Obviously these directories are changing all the time. So, depending on how it is configured, these backup files will be changing as well which is interpreted by Time Machine as new data to backup. Excluding the folder these backups are stored in will eliminate this effect.
*Backups WAY Too Large*
If an initial full backup or subsequent incremental backup is tens or hundreds of Gigs larger than expected, check to see that all unwanted external hard disks are still excluded from Time Machine backups.
This includes the Time Machine backup drive ITSELF. Normally, Time Machine is set to exclude itself by default. But on rare occasions it can forget. When your backup begins, Time Machine mounts the backup on your desktop. (For Time Capsule users it appears as a white drive icon labeled something like “Backup of (your computer)”.) If, while it is mounted, it does not show up in the Time Machine Prefs “Do not back up” list, then Time Machine will attempt to back ITSELF up. If it is not listed while the drive is mounted, then you need to add it to the list.
*FileVault / Boot Camp / iDisk Syncing*
Note: Leopard has changed the way it deals with FileVault disk images, so it is not necessary to exclude your Home folder if you have FileVault activated. Additionally, Time Machine ignores Boot Camp partitions as the manner in which they are formatted is incompatible. Finally, if you have your iDisk Synced to your desktop, it is not necessary to exclude the disk image file it creates as that has been changed to a sparsebundle as well in Leopard.
Let us know if any of the above was helpful.
Cheers!

Time Capsule isn't working

Can someone give me a quick run-down on the steps to take to bring our Time Capsule back on-line. It doesn't seem to be doing the automatic backups it's supposed to do. Thanks!
CaptMike123

Is the light on the TimeCapsule Green ? (which means TC is configured okay) or Amber ?(issue is with the configuration/hardware network connectivity and accessibility).
You can power cycle it by pulling the power plug in the back and see if there is a change in the Status light.
If the light on Time Capsule is Green then please use Airport utility on your Mac to look at the configuration.
If Config looks okay, focus on the Time Machine Settings, deselect the Time Capsule disk and then reselect it and try a BackUp Now.
Please post the exact error message in time machine, perhaps a snapshot if possible as well.
Hope this helps.

Time Capsule isn't responding/factory default setting?

I bought a Time Capsule few months ago. Thefirst time it all worked succesfully, it was connected with a iMac i borrowedon a school. Now I plugged it in at home, trying to back-up my Macbook Pro. I got serious problems finding the Time Capsule anywhere and TC flashing amber. I’ve tried to connect the TC with my MBP with usb, but it still don’t show up. I’ve also tried to plug the ethernet cord, but still nothing happens.
Now I’m thinking that I have to reset the TC to factory default setting, but will it then delete all my files that I've transferred to the TC? I would be so sad if these files was deleted, because it’s the only place where I got them. Is there another way to do this?
Hope for some help!

First to answer the last part.. a reset will not wipe the files. So take it easy. But what you did is dangerous.. the TC is not a NAS, it is a backup device. you should always keep the files in another location.
TC is missing fundamental aspects of a NAS.. like a mirrored drive and accessible and replaceable HDD.
Now you say you plugged it in.. how?
You should plug the laptop straight into the TC with no other connection.
If the laptop does not get an IP address from the TC you might need to reset the TC or reset the ethernet on the laptop to auto.
What does I’ve tried to connect the TC with my MBP with usb mean because the USB cannot be used on the TC to connect to the laptop.
When you open the airport utility it may not find the TC if it is in bridge.. if that is the case plug it into your normal router and then plug the MBP into the TC. You should use WAN port for the router connection and LAN port for laptop to be on the safe side. See what happens.

My time capsule isn't completing backup

Hi
My time capsule doesn't complete back-up with Imac. Stopped working about 2 days ago - gets about 70% of the way through then I receive a message stating backup incomplete. Everything else is working fine. Any suggestions?
Thanks

Do a verify of the backup by ethernet.
A5 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
If you are using wireless, do at least the verify and the next backup in full isolation by ethernet.
Then you might need to sort out wireless issues.

My time capsule isn't responding after soft, hard and factory resets... what next??

My time capsule isnt responding after I've done soft, hard and factory default resets I'm afraid Ive lost my data... what else can I try to get my time capsule to respond??

What is the front LED doing?
If it is solid amber the drive is dead.. there is no way to recover the Gen2 drive unless you remove it and pass it to data recovery specialist along with your wallet, credit card and bank account.
TC is not designed as a file server so I just hope you were not saving your itunes or iphoto store on it without a backup.
If it is flashing amber.. plug it into a computer by ethernet in complete isolation from the network.
Use the old airport utility if you actually are running Lion as per your profile.
How to load 5.6 into later Lion & 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.

Time Capsule won't connect to internet, Airport Utility

Tonight we lost power, and ever since our Time Capsule been out of commission. The cable modem is working when I directly connect it to my computer via the ethernet cable. I've unplugged the Time Capsule several times. When I plug it back in the amber light comes on solid for about 30 seconds, then goes off. I have tried the hard reset by putting a pin in the reset button while plugging the Time Capsule in. The amber light will flash, but then I'll remove the pin and the amber light comes on for the same 30 seconds, then goes off again. It is not findable by Airport Utility.
Someone please tell me my Time Capsule isn't dead...

Someone please tell me my Time Capsule isn't dead...
Sorry but more than likely it is.. If the LED goes off completely there is no power.. the LED will always be on and doing something the whole time the TC is powered unless it fails.
What model is it? How old?
30sec is a long time for the power supply to run before failure.. put your hand on it and feel if the hard disk is starting up.. you will feel the vibration.. if you put your ear to it, you should hear the fan start up, within a couple of seconds of power on.. and turn off again at around 30sec mark..
Observe also the ethernet connectivity LEDs.. do they go green.. during startup they should all flash green briefly and then one of them should come on. Try leaving out the ethernet and see if just wireless works.
But all of that will prove is working or not.. if dead check age.. less than 3years and still have apple care on a computer, Apple will replace it. Otherwise you can get it fixed. but not via Apple, they will not open them.

Time Capsule vs. Airport Extreme w/ HD vs NAS

It looks like I'm having trouble with my current Time Machine drive and will need to replace it.
I'm considering several options.
I mainly use Time Machine with a FireWire 800 drive for quick backup of my iMac. I'm pretty lax about backing up my MacBook, though--months going by before I remember to attach it to a different drive to back it up, too. So, I've been considering a network solution; the dying Time Machine drive is sort of the kick I needed to go ahead.
Obviously, a Time Capsule is a quick and easy solution to it all. However, one concern is that, as with other multipurpose devices, is that if one part dies, that pretty much kills the second part--i.e., if the hard drive fails, then I must (potentially) replace the whole unit (from what I've heard, replacing the drive in a Time Capsule isn't for the faint of heart).
Then there's an Airport Extreme; from what I understand, you can attach a USB drive to the newest models for use as a Time Machine backup:
http://tidbits.com/e/14347
Of course, that's USB 2, which'll be on the slow side as compared to FW 800, but there's the benefit that if I need to restore, I can detach the drive from the AE and hook it up straight to the Mac, which should be quicker than a wifi restore (for the MacBook; I'd have the iMac hooked via Ethernet).
But there's the consideration that I have a FiOS router, so I don't really NEED another one; I don't think the Time Capsule or Airport really gives me much more than the FiOS router does, and I'd still need the Verizon router attached anyway for other services.
So, the last choice is an NAS drive. It might not play as well as a TM drive, as Apple did take some pains to support their own hardware... are there NAS drives that work better as Time Machine drives than others?
So, the essential question is, what would make the best Time Machine backup, if I want to back up two Macs (one by wifi)?

Well thought out question.
Not easy to answer.
Some considerations..
1. A fast wireless router is worthwhile.. I am not sure of the FIOS but if it has only 2.4ghz it is restricted to 130Mbps in the Apple products even if it can do 270 or 300Mbps on all the rest. Apple deliberately restrict 2.4ghz to N lite. So you need a router that is 450Mbps or better the new AC version at 5ghz. And you need that router near where the Macbook usually resides. 5ghz fast connections are not going to be long range.
So you can buy a Gen5 AE.. or even a second hand Gen4 TC.. either are pretty good buys. The Gen5 AE I see on ebay all the time for around the $80 mark including post. The Apple refurbished store might even have stock.
And of course Apple are not the only brand.. you can buy excellent high speed wireless routers .. Asus RT-AC66U soundly beats the AC apple version.. (wonder how long that sentence will last!!)
AC is worthwhile if your Macbook is AC .. otherwise the older Gen5 AE are good value.
2. I reckon a 1 year old TC Gen4 is also a good buy.. they sell around $150 in our market. Easy to setup.. fairly reliable. And you are not going to be worried to open it up and swap the hard disk.. which is actually easy.
ifixit rate it as moderate.. really it is less than that .. if you can read instructions.
http://www.ifixit.com/Device/Apple_Time_Capsule
3. A fast drive.. FW800 are still very good.. USB3 better and Thunderbolt tops but bank account emptying experience. It is possible to share the drive to the network.
http://code.stephenmorley.org/articles/time-machine-on-a-network-drive/
That is the best combo.. use the local external with TM.. and do it over wireless with to the iMac shared drive from the Macbook.
4. NAS is a good but they can be unreliable.. even a USB drive on the AE can be unreliable. Up to the Gen5 Apple said it was not supported. Many people found out it was NOT supported... really.. not supported.. although it works for some.. How much is your data worth??

How can I get my Panasonic 3D TV and BluRay Player to go online using Time Capsule?

So I've extended my home network using my Time Capsule so that I have a stronger signal in different parts of my home. My Time Capsule isn't hard wired to the modem, but I'm now getting a stronger signal in parts of my house that never had good signal strength. That being said, I've set up my Time Capsule in my living room right next to my home theater system. I thought since Time Capsule is connected to the internet, I would be able to connect my 3D TV and BluRay player (both Panasonic) to it. I did wire connect the tv and BD player to the Time Capsule, but no connection is happening between the tv and BD player and net. Can anyone help me out a bit? Does the Time Capsule need to be hard wired to the modem for this to work?

Let's check your settings first on the Time Capsule.
Open AirPort Utility - Click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab below the row of icons
What setting do you see for Wireless Mode?
What type of router (make / model number) is providing the "main" wireless network that the Time Capsule is trying to "extend"?

Time Capsule error message when away from home network

I have a Time Capsule on my home network. When I am home, my MacBook backs up to it with Time Machine perfectly. However, when I am at work or away from home, I continually (every hour or so) get an error message stating the following:
The was a problem connecting to the server "OurTimeCapsule.local".
The server may not exist or it is unavailable at this time. Check the server name or IP address, check your network connection, and then try again.
The problem isn't that I don't understand this error. I know perfectly well that my Time Capsule isn't available on my work network, and I don't expect it to be. Prior to installing Lion I never saw this error, and with every update I hope it will be fixed, but I still see it with 10.7.2. Obviously Apple knows that people using Time Capsules to back up their laptops will not always be on the network that contains the Time Capsule - they even made changes in Lion to save backups to a local disk in times when the Time Machine disk isn't available.
What I want to do is supress the error somehow - it is a modal dialog that sits on top of whatever I'm doing and is extremely disruptive, especially when giving a presentation. Anyone know how to stop this error?

As a temporary workaround, of course, you can just turn Time Machine OFF.
There was a similar message, with reference to type "file" in the URL, but this one is differnent.
Have you ever used a 3rd-party utility, or followed any instructions to edit some files, to change Time Machine's default behavior?

Time capsule isn't baking up

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