Time Machine appears to be working but isn't backing up

I noticed recently that my latest TM backup on my MacBook is 8 months old. I've gone through MANY backups since then and they all appear to work—the clock spins and stops and I get no error messages. But then, just the same 8-month-old backup is there. It doesn't matter whether it's automatic or I hit "back up now." I'm using a Seagate FreeAgent USB connected external drive for backups.
The external drive appears to be ok. I can access it and everything stored on it works. I tried repairing the backup disk—both the main disk and the partition listed underneath—several times. I get an OK every time.
I tried everything listed here: http://pondini.org/TM/D5.html
I typed "backupd" into the console and there are 2 repeated messages there: "Not starting TM backup after wake - failed to resolve alias to backup volume" and "Not starting scheduled TM backup - TM destination not resolvable." I don't know what these things really mean, BUT my MacBook is not my main computer so I don't keep the external drive plugged into it all the time, so of course it's not going to start automatically if the drive isn't there.
My software is up to date. I'm out of ideas. Any help? Thanks in advance.

Unfortunately I think a reset may be your only solution, however if you are backing up settings , messages, photos etc on SkyDrive , the phone should trstore quite easily (at least that has been my experience) and nothing on your sd card would be affected anyway. Unfortunately not everything will instakll and run on sd card so maybe install your game first on phone memory and install other apps after ?
Hope you get sorted ok and that maybe someone has a better solution than a reset.
Good Luck
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Time Machine backup mirrors Hard Drive, but doesn't back up

I noticed a few days ago that my external hard drive, on which I store my Time Machine backups, only mirrors the content of my Hard Drive instead of actually backing up. I don't know if it has anything to do with that fact that I finally recently upgraded from OS Snow Leopard to OS Lion, which is the last OS upgrade my late 2007 model MacBook will accept. I'm using 10.7.5, build 11G63
I can drag files from my Time Machine backup folders going back to Feb. 22, 2013 on to my desktop, but they do not copy. Instead, they move out onto the desk top from the Time Machine folders and the same files disappear from the equivalent hard drive file folders, as if they had been dragged to the desk top. Likewise, any file I drag from any hard drive folder to the desk top disappears from the equivalent Time Machine folder. Conversely, files moved from the desk top to either a Time Machine folder or its hard drive equivalent show up in the other.
I don't know the significance of the Feb. 22 date, since I upgraded to OS Lion sometime after that.
Any suggestions?

I solved this myself. I found that, after upgrading to Mac OS Lion from Snow Leopard, some of the aliased folders in my Time Machine backup hard drive are not locked, but the regular folders are locked. Apparently this is new in Lion. (As I mentioned above, my MacBook is too old to upgrade to Mountain Lion.) I had based my query above on my ability to delete things from some aliased folders on my backup hard drive. Fortunately, they are locked in the equivalent non-aliased folders.

My brand new back up drive is connected but now time machine has disappeared after working perfectly for a week. - no icon, not appearing as an option to save to - have rebooted everything a few times.

My brand new back up drive is connected but now time machine has disappeared after working perfectly for a week. - no icon, not appearing as an option to save to - have rebooted everything a few times.

It's not clear whether you were able to do any backups to this drive at all. If not, it's probably not formatted properly. See #5 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions for instructions.
If you did get any successful backups, there may be a problem with the drive, or the backups may be corrupted. Try to repair the backups, per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

Time Machine appears to be doing back-ups, but they do not appear on the external hard drive. The last one I can find is June 30. I did a utility scan of the hard drive disk and it is fine.

Time Machine appears to be doing back-ups, but they do not appear on the external hard drive. The last one I can find is June 30. I did a utility scan of the hard drive disk and it is fine. What do I do?

Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar. The time of the last backup is shown in the drop down.

Time machine automatic backup not working.

I have just setup my time machine backup and it works fine when I initiate manual backups. but i have noticed that, after every hour auto backup doesn't start. i can always do a manual backup, but for some reason next backup time is increased by an hour every time for auto backups. there are no error messages. Can you please help me with this. I am on os X mavericks.
I also checked the system logs after seeing some other topics and I only see messages about manually started backups there.

These instructions must be carried out as an administrator. If you have only one user account, you are the administrator.
Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.
The title of the Console window should be All Messages. If it isn't, select
SYSTEM LOG QUERIES ▹ All Messages
from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select
View ▹ Show Log List
from the menu bar at the top of the screen.
In the top right corner of the Console window, there's a search box labeled Filter. Initially the words "String Matching" are shown in that box. Enter the word "Starting" (without the quotes.) You should now see log messages with the words "Starting * backup," where * represents any of the words "automatic," "manual," or "standard."
Each message in the log begins with the date and time when it was entered. Note the timestamp of the last "Starting" message that corresponds to the beginning of an an abnormal backup. Now
CLEAR THE WORD "Starting" FROM THE TEXT FIELD
so that all messages are showing, and scroll back in the log to the time you noted. Select the messages timestamped from then until the end of the backup, or the end of the log if that's not clear. Copy them to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message by pressing command-V.
☞ If all you see are messages that contain the word "Starting," you didn't clear the text field.
☞ The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of which is irrelevant to solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. Don't post more than is requested.
Please don't indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.
Please don't post screenshots of log messages—post the text.
☞ Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

HT201250 I've just used an external drive to back up my Mac with Time Machine. I have Lion, but didn't click and check the "Encrypt Backup Disc". What should I do? Can I delete the external drive and start again, or can I encrypt later?

I've just used an external drive to back up my Mac with Time Machine. I have Lion, but didn't click and check the "Encrypt Backup Disc". What should I do? Can I delete the external drive and start again, or can I encrypt later?

I guess if stolen or lost it would protect my "stuff", and if I'm travelling would protect my privacy.
You must understand the purpose and implications of encryption before deciding whether to use it.
Encryption locks your data with a password. If you forget that password, the data is lost beyond any chance of recovery. Neither Apple nor anyone else will be able to help you recover that data if you don't know the password.
By the same token, the password must be strong enough to provide the security you want. For example, if you're the potential target of industrial espionage by a government or large corporation, you need the strongest possible password. To create and manage such a password safely is a task in itself, not to be undertaken lightly.
If you're only concerned about casual snooping by someone with no special skill, a weak, easily-remembered password is appropriate.
But regardless of the strength of the password, if you lose it, the data is gone forever.
Another point to remember is that if you encrypt your data on one storage device, you must also encrypt it on all other storage devices that would be accessible to the same attacker. Otherwise the data isn't protected. For example, if you keep your computer and your backup drive in the same room, and the internal drive of the computer is not encrypted, then there's no point in encrypting the backup drive.

Compressor is not working. When I export to compressor from FCP to encode DVD, FCP freezes and Compressor appears to be working but the progress bar never fills no files are created. I'm using a MacBook Pro 10.6.7 version 2.66 GHz core 2 Duo 4GB 1067 MH

Compressor is not working. When I export to compressor from FCP to encode DVD, FCP freezes and Compressor appears to be working but the progress bar never fills no files are created. I'm using a MacBook Pro 10.6.7 version 2.66 GHz core 2 Duo 4GB 1067 MH. I'm not new at this. I re-installed FCP successfully. I trashed the preferences. Please help.

Do you have any filters applied to your clips?
This happened to me before, I accidently had applied a broadcast safe filter to a color matte that was black....
I figured it out by duplicating my sequence and deleting items from my timeline 1 by 1 until I was able to export a reference movie.
Anywho, export again, this time with "self contained" movie selected.
Then try to import to Compressor.

Yeah. Got a time machine backup, should that work? Thanks.

Yeah. Got a time machine backup, should that work? Thanks.

You can schedule backups in CCC for whatever you like. I run two CCC clones on separate disks - a weekly backup and a daily backup. You could have an hourly backup too, if you wish. You can choose to back up on some days and not others (e.g., you might not do any work on the weekend, so see no point in having a backup schedule run on those days. In this regard, CCC is far more flexible than TM.
It's also more versatile in the backup options it will allow you. Once you've restored your system to the good, I would forget about only cloning your User account, and clone your entire internal disk. This is what most people do I believe, because not only will this copy everything (literally, clone your disk) unlike Time Machine (which skips certain items), it will also make your backup bootable (again unlike Time Machine).
That menas if your internal disk ever goes kaputt, or you wreck your system with an update or upgrade, you can simply boot back into your system in minutes by connecting the clone.
About the only advantage I see that TM has over a bootable clone is the 'star wars/versions' type interface, which makes restoring individual files much simpler and user friendly than a clone (but since it's not that hard to do it with CCC anyway, that personally doesn't bother me too much). Others on this board will argue that TM is faster (not in my experience) and causes less wear on your drive (mines happily going 3 years later, but there's no way to empirically test this claim, AFAIK).

Time Machine hasn't been working properly.

After having big issues with things not working after the recent SSL fixing update, I restored the iMac back a few days using a Time Machine save.
The iMac now works as it should but there are loads of files missing.
After going into Time Machine, it looks like it has only been backing up files that had been edited or created since the last backup.
These are not system files, they are unedited and edited photos, all in the same main directory.
I have used Time Machine before with no problem, everything had been restored and the only backup I have with all the files in seems to be from before I installed Mavericks. Obviously this back up doesn't contain anything after that, it seems that new stuff is spread out through the rest of the backups over the last 4 months.
I went into Time Machine and used it to restore a load of files which worked but now when I go into Time Machine to do the same, it won't do anything except let me scroll through the backups. I can't click on files or look in directories like I did before, it just sits there ignoring my clicks.
Why did Time Machine not back up every folder every time like it used to? How can I get all my stuff back?

Open the Time Machine preference pane and unlock it if it's locked. Click Options and add the folder with the problem files to the excluded list. Run a backup. Then remove the exclusion you added and back up again.

My iPod 5th gen touch went through the washing machine. It still works but it has water in the screen and I can't get it out. I put it in uncooked rice for a day but it didn't work. And suggestions??

My iPod 5th gen touch went through the washing machine. It still works but it has water in the screen and I can't get it out. I put it in uncooked rice for a day but it didn't work. And suggestions??

Leave it in the rice for at least a day and change the rice every other day or so. The rice and iPod should be in a sealed container.
Apple will exchange your iPod for a refurbished one for $149. They do not fix yours.
Apple - iPod Repair price
A third-party place like the following maybe less. Google for more.
iPhone Repair, Service & Parts: iPod Touch, iPad, MacBook Pro Screens
Replace the screen yourself if you are up to it
iPod Touch Repair – iFixit

Old computer I had is OSX Snow Leopard with Entourage. New one is OSX Mavericks. Using Mail where are my addresses and old address book. Transferred old computer backup by Time Machine and other things work? Can't see a symbol for address book.

Old computer I had is OSX Snow Leopard with Entourage. New one is OSX Mavericks. Using Mail where are my addresses and old address book. Transferred old computer backup by Time Machine and other things work? Can;t see a symbol for address book.

Where are addresses kept on MAIL? I don;t like the new format at all. Frances
Begin forwarded message:
From: Frances Topping <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: - Old computer I had is OSX Snow Leopard with Entourage. New one is OSX Mavericks. Using Mail where are my addresses and old address book. Transferred old computer backup by Time Machine and other things work? Can't see a symbol for address book.
Date: August 25, 2014 at 9:46:01 AM EDT
To: discussions-replies <[email protected]>
Old Entourage is POP and new Mavericks MAIL is IMAP I believe. I don;t know how to export in the forms you mention. Frances

HT201250 Can I include external drives to be backed up using Time Machine. Not only do I want to back up my IMac, but I have several extenal drives for one iPhoto, one iTunes and one for other files & documents.

Can I include external drives to be backed up using Time Machine? Not only do I want to back up my IMac, but I have several extenal drives for one iPhoto, one iTunes and one for other files & documents. How do I know if they are included in the backup process?

Yes, if they are not exclude then TM backs them up.
Allan

Unable to back up external hard drive via Time Machine. Says no room but has back ups from two previous Mac notebooks on it. Tried deleting them and now can't do anything. Any ideas?

Unable to back up external hard drive via Time Machine. Says no room but has back ups from two previous Mac notebooks on it. Tried deleting them and now can't do anything. Any ideas?

As john noted, eventually that external is probably not going to be big enough, but it certainly is for now. The HD just needs enough capacity to cover the amount of data on your internal HD, not the internal HD's total capacity.
Format/partition the external as follows and you should be set to go:
1. Connect the external HD to the MBP.
2. Open Disk Utility on the MBP.
3. Select the external HD in the left pane.
4. Click on the Erase tab.
5. Choose the Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
NOTE: if you want to zero the HD (which I always think is a good idea, but does take time), click on Security Options, click the button for Zero Out Data, click OK. The larger the HD, the longer this will take, in some cases several hours.
6. Click on Erase and wait for the entire process to finish.
7. Click the Partition tab.
8. Click on Volume Scheme: and choose the number of partitions (just one in this situation).
9. Click on the Options button (located underneath the Volume Scheme pane) and select GUID.
10. Click Apply.
11. Quit Disk Utility.
Backup your internal to the external. What application are you using to backup with? I highly recommend both SuperDuper! and CarbonCopyCloner.

Restore using Time Machine to new hard drive, but last "full" backup was 2012. how do I restore the rest of the Time Machine backups, particularily IPHOTO libraries for each user?

Restore using Time Machine to new hard drive, but last "full" backup was in 2012. How do I restore the rest of the Time Machine backups, particularily IPHOTO libraries for each user?
I entered Iphoto for my user and only photo up until 2012 were in the library. I thought the restore would do the incremental Time Machine backups too.....
Running 10.8.2

It usually means you are running Mavericks but have an earlier version of iPhoto. Open the App Store and upgrade your version of iPhoto to the Mavericks version.
The iWork apps are free with a new iOS device since 1 SEP 2013. They are free with a new Mac since 1 OCT 2013. They are also free with the upgrade to OS X Mavericks 10.9 if you had the previous version installed when you upgraded.The iWork apps are free with a new iOS device since 1 SEP 2013. They are free with a new Mac since 1 OCT 2013. They are also free with the upgrade to OS X Mavericks 10.9 if you had the previous version installed when you upgraded.
iWork and iLife for Mac come free with every new Mac purchase. Existing users running Mavericks can update their apps for free from the Mac App Store℠. iWork and iLife for iOS are available for free from the App Store℠ for any new device running iOS 7, and are also available as free updates for existing users. GarageBand for Mac and iOS are free for all OS X Mavericks and iOS 7 users. Additional GarageBand instruments and sounds are available for a one-time in-app purchase of $4.99 for each platform.

My phone got wet about a week ago and after a lot of time in rice, it's working, but only intermittently. is there still hope or should i start shopping?

my phone got wet about a week ago and after a lot of time in rice, it's working, but only intermittently. is there still hope or should i start shopping?

Apple Store will exchange for an out of warranty exchange iphone 4 at $149
If a new iPhone is not an alternative
Like for like and will be like new

Time Machine appears to be working but isn't backing up

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