Time Machine backups delayed

Question

Since purchasing a new Time Capsule and updating to Mavericks from SL about three weeks ago, I've had an issue with Time Machine scheduled backups. Before setting up the TC I backed up to an external drive connected to my imac via USB. Now I use the TC for TM backups and as a router. The TC is connected to a Netgear router running in modem mode. My imac where I'm having the below TM issue, as well my ipad and iphone connect to the TC over wifi (for internet and TM backups).
Hourly TM backups start with a delay but there is no error or warning message to say there is a delay. I've read Pondini's FAQ and trouble shooting but cannot find this exact issue anywhere. I've done a full TM reset as per Pondini trouble shooting A4, as well as verifying backups as per A5, and also powering off and rebooting everything as per C19 (including hard reset of TC). None of this has changed anything.
Pondini says TM backups are scheduled to start exactly one hour after the start of the previous backup. But my backups start several minutes after the completion time of the previous backup (anything between 2 minutes and 25 minutes so far). Each time the scheduled time for the next backup passes without it starting and as a result the TM preferences start displaying the next scheduled backup an hour later (as if it just skipped one). But then the backup will start some time after the completion time of the last backup.
I will illustrate in an example with screenshots:
1. At 20:04, the next backup is scheduled for 20:05
2. At 20:06, the backup hasn't started so TM acts as if it has been skipped and shows next backup at 21.05
3. But then at 20:24, the backup unexpectedly starts. As mentioned above, then timing is somewhat random in that in can be after 2 minutes or 20 or more. The only consistency is that it always starts after the completion time of the last backup.
4. The backup has finished, it seems everything is fine (although I can't be sure). The completion time of the last backup is correct, and the next backup is scheduled for 1 hour after the last one started. But guess what... the wholem thing repeats itself again.
This issue makes me uneasy about the reliability of TM backups. I am also experiencing another issue with my TC which is linked to Airport Utility intermittenly showing "device not found". See my ongoing discussion about this issue here: https://discussions.apple.com/message/24339064?ac_cid=op123456#24339064
I have no idea whether these issues are related. Please note that the above issue with delayed TM backups is independent of the "device not found" issue i.e. the delays occur whether or not the TC is visible in Airport Utility. (When it is not visible/greyed out, both my wifi internet connection and TM backups still run).
Grateful for your advice! Thanks.

Answer 1

sassyshang wrote:
Thanks. I tried the Browse...option and Time Machine did start a new set of backups. I selected the original folder but it defaults to the new folder to back up.
Yes. Time Machine thinks you got a new Mac.
I read the instructions from the page you recommended http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080128003716101 and do not understand what a terminal is. I typed in terminal under Help on the menu bar and still didn't get it. Sorry I am not technically savvy
Yes, you do not want to try that if you're not comfortable with UNIX and the Terminal app. Even those of us with limited familiarity have tried it, and messed it up somehow (I did, twice!).
but at least now I can enter Time Machine to retrieve my files from the first folder.
Right. The one problem you'll have, eventually, is that Time Machine won't delete anything from the old set of backups when it runs out of room. Instead, it will delete the oldest backup from the new set that started about July 23.
What I would suggest is, check the +Warn when old backups are deleted+ box in +Time Machine Preferences > Options.+ (If it's already checked, remove the check, quit System Preferences, then go back and check it again.)
Then, eventually, when your Time Machine disk gets full, you'll get a message like the one in the tan box in #C4 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting (unless you've upgraded to Snow Leopard by then. Snow Leopard handles it differently, with a warning after it starts deleting things, per the blue box in #C4).
Then you'll need to start deleting the backups from the old set manually, per the procedure in #12 of Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum). That's a tedious process, but the only way to get rid of them.