Time Machine Backups disk image displays the wrong capacity

I have a USB hard drive partitioned and connected as an airdisk on a time capsule. The drive "TIME" is partitioned for 300 GB and serves both my MacBook (MB) and MacBook Pro (MBP).
If I connect to TIME from Finder, it shows 155.68 GB free of 300 GB total.
When MB runs Time Machine, the Time Machine Backups volume mounts and shows 155.68 GB free of 300 GB total.
Here is what is weird - When MBP runs Time Machine, the Time Machine Backups volume mounts and shows 155.68 GB free of 429.5 GB total.
Why does the MBP show a different and inaccurate total?
I tried reconfiguring Time Machine to point to a different backup drive and then back to TIME hoping it would just 'reset' but that did not work.
Something I just thought of - I did move that sparse from a different volume that was larger. I bet the total size is saved in the information in the sparse.
Can anyone confirm this?
Will this cause me any problems in the long run?

redemily wrote:
Something I just thought of - I did move that sparse from a different volume that was larger. I bet the total size is saved in the information in the sparse.
That's possible, depending on how you moved the sparse bundle. If it had a smaller maximum size than the volume it's on, Time Machine would automatically resize it to the size of the volume it's on, making it larger (effective with 10.6.3).
I don't know if it will make a larger one smaller, though.
Will this cause me any problems in the long run?
No. Time Machine will figure out how much space there really is anyway. But if you want to change the size, see #A8 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

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Time Machine - "backup disk image could not be created"

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gonecoastal wrote:
Once I set the Time Machine up again, a backup was unsuccessfully attempted with an error message: "backup disk image could not be created" being generated.
That sounds like it's trying to create a new sparse bundle for a new set of backups, but can't for some reason.
It's possible that your backups are corrupted; see if you can repair them, per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.
If that doesn't help, try re-selecting them in Time Machine Preferences. If still no help, try a "full reset" of Time Machine, per #A4 in the same link.
If still no help, you may need to reset the NAS, or use it's instructions again to "reconnect" to the backups. Unfortunately, that's different for each NAS, so you may have to work with the maker on that.

TS1337 Time machine backup disk image can not be accessed

Hi everyone,
I'm hoping someone can help me as I'm constantly getting the following message:
Time Machine could not complete the backup.
The backup disk image "/Volumes/My name Time Capsu/My name's iMac.sparsebundle" could not be accessed (error -1)
Does anyone know what this means as I can't find anything regarding this message in troubleshooting? My time machine has been running perfectly for well over a year until a couple of days ago.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

I had this same problem. Unplugged the power for a minute and plugged back in after reading this https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4984048
Working for me now.

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Welcome to Apple Support Communities
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Greetings,
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Well, to clarify:
I want to find all user text files and mail messages on a Time Machine backup disk that contain the word "escalator".
By user files I mean those in
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Time Machine Backups disk not automatically unmounting after backup completes in Lion

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Finally I have to shutdown the machine as it stuck at the logo screen forever.
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Time Machine Backup only one-fifth the size of my disk. Where's the rest?

I have a startup disk with about 250 gigs in my G5 dual. I have a 500 GB disk for Time Machine. It runs when it's supposed to and I've used it to recover a few lost files successfully. I felt safe until I noticed that the Time Machine disk has only about 50 GB on it! How is this possible? What do I need to do?
When I click on options in the TIme Machine preference pane, I see the Time Machine Backups disk excluded (as I would expect) and I have excluded an additional disk, and it says in the lower right "Total included: 250.0 GB" What is going on? I feel as if I definitely cannot rely on Time Machine if I had to do a complete restore. I'd be missing 80% of my files!

If Time Machine runs into a problem with a corrupted file, it may skip the balance of the entire folder holding that file (or more), and then if there are no changes in the folder it is skipping, it doesn't pick up on it in later backups. Obviously this is not ideal behavior, but that's the way it works right now.
Here's what you can do:
Reboot from your Leopard install DVD (hold the "c" key while booting until you see the spinning gear on the gray Apple screen, and, if the DVD is not already inserted, insert it just after you press and release the power button).
When asked, select your language.
At the next screen, where you would normally begin an Install, INSTEAD Quit out of the Leopard Installer using the menu bar. Select your main hard drive as the drive to boot from.
When it boots up, log in as normal. Then open Applications / Utilities / Console and select "All Messages" in the column on the left. If this is the first time you've done this, it will take a while to get itself organized and the initial list of messages may be empty.
Then open System Preferences / Time Machine so you can watch what is happening.
Then right-click (or CTRL-click) on the Time Machine icon in the Dock and select Back Up Now from the pop up menu.
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You should now have a complete backup on your Time Machine disk.
--Bob

Time Capsule - "Backup disk image could not be created"

Trying to set up time machine and consistently getting this error message. I can login in to the device and see the drive and space quantity with the airport utility. Airport wireless network is working fine - just can't get past this error message when I initiate the time machine backup process. Ideas? mike

Mike,
"The Backup Disk Image Could Not Be Created"
Here are a couple possible reasons for the error message, “The Backup Disk Image Could Not Be Created”:
*Missing Computer Name*
First you might be missing a computer name in the Sharing Preference pane. Go into System Prefs. Then Sharing. In the box labeled “Computer Name” is it empty? If it is blank, you need to put in a name for your computer. Otherwise Time Machine won’t be able to link this Mac with the previous backups.
*Reselect Time Machine Backup*
Next, the link to the network drive “Backup” has been lost. Go into System Preferences --> Time Machine --> “Change Disk…” and select the the backup drive again from the list of available volumes. Do this:
Go to System Preferences --> Time Machine.
Click the "Change Disk..." button.
Select "None" and click "Stop Backing Up".
Now click "Choose Backup Disk" and reselect your drive again.
Close System Preferences and try backing-up again.
Let us know if any of the above resolved your issue.
Cheers!
Message was edited by: Glenn Carter

Can I Update Time Machine Backup Without Booting From The Source Drive

Greetings,
Can I update a time machine backup without booting from the original source drive?
My main Macbook Pro internal drive seemed to have died. I had not backed up in months so my Time Machine backup was old.
I replaced the drive with a new one and settled for restoring from the old TM backup because my latest info was on the dead drive and not backed up.
I just plugged the "broken" drive into a dock and it mounted.
It won't boot from the drive but I can mount it and copy from it so far.
I now want to update my Time Machine backup with the info on the 'broken" drive while it's able to be mounted.
How can I accomplish this without booting from the 'broken" drive and running time machine.
Recap...
I need to update a Time Machine backup using another hard drive without booting from the source (as I cannot). Both drives are connected via USB to my MBP and I am booted from another MBP. I want to end up with the newer info from the "broken" drive updating my older Time Machine backup.
Thank You,
SG

Hi
Time Machine will only be able to backup whilst booted into OSX, so unless you can mount the drive, and boot up the OS that is installed on the disk, then no, you will not be able to run a Time Machine backup of that drive.
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Cheers

Time Machine Backups disk image displays the wrong capacity

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