Time Machine doesn't backup iPhoto Library (if iPhoto is open)

I just wanted to alert other people to the fact that Time Machine DOES NOT backup your iPhoto Library (that is, any of your photos), if iPhoto is open when Time Machine performs the backup (which in my case, is all of the time).
I've just posted this information to my blog: http://www.pigsgourdsandwikis.com/2010/01/timemachine-is-not-backing-up-your.htm l
But the basics are that although Time Machine promises to perform automatic backups in the background, it will skip your photos if iPhoto is open. Unfortunately, it won't tell you it hasn't done the backup and you'll be lulled into a very false sense of security, broken only when you have a problem and there's no backup to be found.
So, be sure to close iPhoto when Time Machine is doing backups and check your backed up files to make sure all your photos are there.
Please spread the word. I hate to think people are losing their photos because of this.
best,
Liz
http://www.lizcastro.com/iphotobookthemes
http://www.elizabethcastro.com

OK, ran a test with iPhoto open and got this from Time Machine Buddy:
Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
Node requires deep traversal:/Users/lizx/Pictures/Big iPhoto Library/iPhoto 7 Library current reason:kFSEDBEventFlagContainsChanges|kFSEDBEventFlagMustScanSubDirs|kFSEDBEven tFlagReasonFSEvent|kFSEDBEventFlagReasonMissedReservation|
No pre-backup thinning needed: 3.91 GB requested (including padding), 60.52 GB available
Copied 12483 files (50.9 MB) from volume Macintosh HD.
No pre-backup thinning needed: 1.06 GB requested (including padding), 60.47 GB available
Copied 1088 files (16.6 MB) from volume Macintosh HD.
Starting post-backup thinning
Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/lizxp/2010-01-14-145941: 60.54 GB now available
Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/lizxp/2010-01-14-095812: 60.57 GB now available
Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/lizxp/2010-01-14-085710: 60.60 GB now available
Post-back up thinning complete: 3 expired backups removed
Backup completed successfully.
Also, when I look on my external drive, the latest backup says it was opened on January 14, but of course, I had iPhoto open when I ran the backup (that is, it was last opened TODAY).
Now, I closed iPhoto and ran Time Machine again. I got a pretty similar message from Time Machine Buddy:
-------Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
Node requires deep traversal:/Users/lizx/Pictures/Big iPhoto Library/iPhoto 7 Library current reason:kFSEDBEventFlagContainsChanges|kFSEDBEventFlagMustScanSubDirs|kFSEDBEven tFlagReasonFSEvent|kFSEDBEventFlagReasonMissedReservation|
No pre-backup thinning needed: 3.90 GB requested (including padding), 60.60 GB available
Copied 10309 files (2.4 GB) from volume Macintosh HD.
No pre-backup thinning needed: 1.06 GB requested (including padding), 58.19 GB available
Copied 2935 files (16.7 MB) from volume Macintosh HD.
Starting post-backup thinning
No post-back up thinning needed: no expired backups exist
Backup completed successfully.
If there's a significant difference there, I can't see it.
On the other hand, when I go look at the backed up file, although it still won't tell me how big it is (or I'm too impatient to wait), it does say the (backed up) iPhoto Library was last opened today. Much better.
What do you think?
best,
Liz

Similar Messages

Warning: Time Machine won't backup iPhoto if left open

I just learned the hard way that Time Machine will NOT backup iPhoto if you leave it open. In the past, I usually have iPhoto left open, and now I've lost TONS of data. Can Apple change how Time Machine works so that it backs up data of open applications?
http://www.pigsgourdsandwikis.com/2009/05/timemachine-doesnt-back-up-iphoto-if.h tml
The next question is, does this mean I haven't had a REAL iTunes backup for months either? I AWLAYS keep that one open.

polishedstaple wrote:
I just learned the hard way that Time Machine will NOT backup iPhoto if you leave it open. In the past, I usually have iPhoto left open, and now I've lost TONS of data. Can Apple change how Time Machine works so that it backs up data of open applications?
Probably not. Few backup apps can manage to back up a single file that's being written-to by another app at the same time. What would it do with a partial file? What would YOU do with part of a photo, if you had it and could restore it?
iPhoto is much more complex than a "normal" folder -- it's a "package," with various files, indexes, and cross-references, many of which can be open at the same time -- worse, all the data that the app has written isn't necessarily on the disk yet; it's likely in an OS buffer somewhere, and may not actually go out to disk until the app is closed.
The next question is, does this mean I haven't had a REAL iTunes backup for months either? I AWLAYS keep that one open.
I can't be sure, but I think iTunes is probably ok (but by all means check it), depending on what you were doing at the time of the backup. If you were downloading a file, that file most likely wasn't backed-up; but if you were just playing songs, it's probably up to date.
Click here to download the +Time Machine Buddy+ widget. It shows the messages from your logs for one TM backup run at a time, in a small window. If you look at the messages for various backups, you may see some that mention doing a "deep traversal" on your iPhoto library, because of a "missed reservation." That's a clue that some things weren't backed-up earlier because of open file(s).
But I would agree entirely that Time Machine ought to send some sort of message when it skips things -- perhaps if something like iPhoto doesn't get backed-up in a 24-hour period.
Feel free to suggest that to Apple at: http://www.apple.com/feedback

Time machine doesn't backup regularly

Since upgrading to Lion from OS X 10.6.8, I find that Time Machine doesn't backup regularly. If I'm away from home (where the Time Capsule resides) for a day and return home, TM used to start backing up as soon as I connected my MBP to my home network, but it doesn't do this anymore. Furthermore, even though TM indicates that a backup will occur at a certain time, this doesn't happen, and the backup time gets postponed another hour.
What could be wrong?

I'm making an assumption here... but your post doesn't have a ton of detail about your setup so...
It probably has more to do with the fact that you actually shouldn't be backing up a mysql database with time machine if the database is running/live (Of which Time machine has no idea about any of this).
You can't backup open database just like that and it doesn't only apply to time machine. You need to first be doing a dump of the database either manually or with an automated script and then you could allow time machine to backup the dump. You're asking for trouble and behavior similar to what you noticed here if you backup a mysql (or any other open database) in this manner. This includes the LDAP database if this machine is an OD master and cyrus database if you run the OS X mail server (pre 10.6).
Just an FYI that it is quite likely that time machine backed up the files in question but that the database was probably damaged or missing data for the reasons I mentioned above.
There are tools out there that can automate this process (mysql website itself has a Mac GUI client that can do automated backups).

Time machine doesn't backup EHD

I have 2 EHD: one 500gb with two partitions (music and photos) and a 1TB with two other partitions one of which is my time machine. The issue is that time machine does not backup the Photos partition of the other EHD. It does the other one fine. I have verified the preferences panel and everything seems OK, meaning that that partition is not in the exclude list. What can I do?

docdowney wrote:
I have 2 EHD: one 500gb with two partitions (music and photos) and a 1TB with two other partitions one of which is my time machine. The issue is that time machine does not backup the Photos partition of the other EHD. It does the other one fine. I have verified the preferences panel and everything seems OK, meaning that that partition is not in the exclude list. What can I do?
How is the Photos partition formatted? If it's any variant of +Mac OS Extended,+ it should be backed-up. If it's anything else, it should be listed in the exclusions box, in gray, meaning Time Machine cannot back it up.
There is an occasional problem with iPhoto: if iPhoto is open, Time Machine may not be able to back the iPhoto library up: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4116 But unless iPhoto is open all the time, sooner or later, it should be backed-up.
Note, however, that you won't see much of the iPhoto Library via the "Star Wars" display via the Finder; just the library, not the contents. Try the procedure in the pink box in #15 of [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
If you're still sure it's not getting backed-up, put a small test file on that partition, outside of the iPhoto library, then run a backup and see if the test file gets backed-up.

Time Machine doesn't backup my esata drive

Hi,
I have a MacBookPro with an esata express card and a HD attached. I have a USB drive that Time Machine uses to backup my HD and (I thought) my esata drive. The esata drive is not excluded in Time Machine. Despite this the esata drive is not backed up by Time Machine.
I have tried setting up Time MAchine "from scratch" but it still won't backup the esata drive.
I'm out of ideas, perhaps someone out there can help?
Regards
Jesper

JsPr wrote:
I have tried setting up Time MAchine "from scratch" but it still won't backup the esata drive.
I'm out of ideas, perhaps someone out there can help?
That's correct; Time Machine will only back-up USB or FireWire externals. See this Apple article: Disks that can be used with Time Machine.

Time Machine doesn't see user library backups

Greeting experts,
I updated to Yosemite 10.10.2 yesterday. After restart, the Mac would log me off within a minute of logging on. So I did a clean install (after pram zapping and disk repairing). The iMac (intel) worked normally after the clean install. So I started restoring files (music, photos, etc.).
When I enter Time Machine, I cannot navigate back in time to any previous snapshot (all the date lines are red on the calendar). I've used Finder preferences to make the user library visible on the Macintosh HD but my user library in Time Machine remains hidden. I've read and tried several suggestions in this forum, including using the Terminal to issue commands to make the user library visible, to inherit the backup, etc. but nothing has worked.
I've been able to restore my photographs to iPhoto and music to iTunes simply by dragging the folders from the last Time Machine snapshot prior to upgrading to 10.10.2.
What I REALLY need is to access my user library on Time Machine and grab my Thunderbird files (saved mail, etc.) but I can't find a way to make my user library visible.
Any suggestions are really appreciated.
Thanks,
Don

Don Stubbs wrote:
What I REALLY need is to access my user library on Time Machine and grab my Thunderbird files (saved mail, etc.) but I can't find a way to make my user library visible.
Any suggestions are really appreciated.
Thanks,
Don
Open Finder and navigate to your User home folder. In the right pane, right click in an open area and click View Options or select View options from the View menu bar. At the bottom of the View Options screen should be a checkbox for Show Library Folder. Check it and your user Library should show up in Finder along with your other Home folders. Then, after opening Library, you should be able to Enter Time Machine and navigate to the point in time you want to browse your user Library

HT201250 Time Machine doesn't backup email

By looking at the contents of the time machine folders I realized that my local "Library" directory is not included in any of the revisions stored. This has the consequence that may email is not backed up, if I understand it correctly. I checked the settings and the folder is definitely not excluded.
Can someone help on how to locate the mail backup - if there is any - or activate it using time machine?
Thanks in advance

The home Library folder is invisible in the Finder and in TM snapshots. To reveal it, hold down the option key and select Go > Library from the Finder menu bar. Then enter TM.

Beware: Time Machine doesn't backup MySQL databases regularly!

I have a Mac OS X Server which runs as a webserver. I had to replace the internal harddisk, which is backupped with TM too. So after replacement I restored the system from the TM backup and discovered that I lost some database content. The contents of the restored database content was several days old. This means that TM doesn't backup the database hourly.
FYI I had backupped the database myself to be sure, so I didn't lost any data. But it took some extra work after restoring. All other files on the server were okay.

I'm making an assumption here... but your post doesn't have a ton of detail about your setup so...
It probably has more to do with the fact that you actually shouldn't be backing up a mysql database with time machine if the database is running/live (Of which Time machine has no idea about any of this).
You can't backup open database just like that and it doesn't only apply to time machine. You need to first be doing a dump of the database either manually or with an automated script and then you could allow time machine to backup the dump. You're asking for trouble and behavior similar to what you noticed here if you backup a mysql (or any other open database) in this manner. This includes the LDAP database if this machine is an OD master and cyrus database if you run the OS X mail server (pre 10.6).
Just an FYI that it is quite likely that time machine backed up the files in question but that the database was probably damaged or missing data for the reasons I mentioned above.
There are tools out there that can automate this process (mysql website itself has a Mac GUI client that can do automated backups).

Time machine doesn't backup my administrator folder ...

when I use time machine it's can backup all of my mac folder but not my administrator home folder.
time ago I used FileVault, but I got this message:
"There was a problem deleting the folder in a safe start earlier in the process of conversion of FileVault.
the process of elimination sure that the directory has failed before the beginning could be completely eliminated"
I use google translated because it was in the language of my country.
I tried to turn it off, I mean filevault, but it doesn't work.
any suggestions?
thanks

I've got this message:
"an error occurred during decryptionos (an error occurred during copying)
file vault won't be turned off for this account.
from this error depends on the failure of the backup home folder?
Thanks

Time Machine doesn't backup Virtual Machines files

I've 90 GB of disk space to backup included 2 Vmware virtuale machines files in a 250 GB external drive. The first file is a Linux Server of 2 GB. The second file is a Win XP installation of about 13 GB.
I've started Time Machine on 21 november and both files have been backuped correctly for 2 days.
After this, none other backups of these files have been made despite their size changes almost every day.
I've checked a little adn it seems those are the only files excluded in Time machine backups and I'm sure that they are not excluded.
Can someone says to me why it happens and how to solve it?
Thanks

I have some additional suggestions for you -- mainly trying to find a workaround for you.
First, if you haven't done so already, make sure your virtual environments are shut off while you do a Back Up Now just in case there's some issue with access to those files while the virtual environments are running.
Next, create a small file (e.g., a Text Edit file) in the folder containing a virtual environment. Do a Back Up Now. Does Time Machine back up that new file? If not then the problem must be at the level of that folder or higher in the file structure (i.e., it's not the virtual environment file itself that's got the problem).
You can work your way up the file hierarchy to find out which folder finally will cause an added file to be backed up.
Next, try this:
Open the Console (all messages) and leave it on screen so you can see if any error messages get thrown.
Open System Preferences / Time Machine. Click on the lock and authenticate if necessary. Click on Options. Drag your virtual environment file into the Do Not Back Up list. If you find an enclosing folder also seems to have this problem drag it in as well (shouldn't hurt to have them both in there).
Now click OK and then exit System Preferences. That should be enough to make this take effect but just to be certain, quit the Console (presuming no useful messages) and Restart the machine.
Once you have logged in again, re-open the Console and then go back into System Preferences / Time Machine / Options. Click on each line you have added to the Do Not Back Up list, in turn, and then click on the "-" at the bottom of the list to remove it from the list.
Click OK to accept these changes. This may trigger an immediate back up but if not exit System Preferences. Now open Time Machine preferences again to watch what happens and do a Back Up Now. Again, keep an eye on the Console for errors.
If this gets your virtual environment files backed up, then try making a change to one of them and do another Back Up Now to see if it is picked up again.
Failing all that, if you have enough disk space on your main drive, try making a copy of a virtual environment file and see if Time Machine will back up the copy. If it does, you might try switching to using the copy. It is possible there is some sort of permissions error in your original that may get corrected when you make the copy.
The last suggestion is even more drastic, but AppleCare will probably ask you to try it:
Create a new user account. Create a new virtual environment from scratch in that user account (do NOT just copy your existing file over). Does Time Machine back that up?
If so, try copying over your original environment file (you can do this through the public "drop box" for example -- make sure the little "+" symbol is showing before you release the file so that a copy is made as opposed to just moving the file (hold Option during the drag and drop to make this happen if it doesn't happen automatically). Does Time Machine back up the copy of your original environment file now in the new user account?
This will isolate whether the problem is system-wide or specific to your current user account.
--Bob

Time Machine doesn't backup iPhone syncing files. Can it be instructed to?

After a lengthy discussion with specialists in the IPhone tech department at Apple, it appears that Time Machine does NOT back up the encrypted files that hold much of the syncing information from your iPhone or iPod. These are the files that appear in your iTunes preferences file under the Syncing tab, which are labeled as backups. For some reason, Apple has chosen NOT to let Time Machine back them up, which has resulted in my losing all of the information stored in my iPhone "Notes" folder.
The file in question is called "MobileSync" and can be found in your hard drive under Users/your computer's name/Library/Application Support/MobileSync.
If you check your computer's current status, the MobileSync file exists and its subfolder is called "Backup." The subfolder of Backup contains the ID's of your iPhone or iPod. If you open Time Machine and go directly to the MobileSync file, it exists on today's date ONLY. The entire folder called MobileSync is missing/nonexistent in all of Time Machine's backups.
So, does anyone know how to force Time Machine to backup a file that it isn't currently backing up? Also, does anyone know if my computer has a snapshot of my lost MobileSync Backup file SOMEWHERE in its vast memory? I am desperate to recover the information from my iPhone Notes file.
Thanks,
Rob
Message was edited by: Rob McElroy

As a result of my inquiry, Apple has now fixed this problem in its new OS X 10.5.5 upgrade. Time Machine will now back up the iPhone's Mobilsync file which contains your iPhone's backup files. You will now be able to look back in Time Machine and see previous versions of these backup files, starting with the first day you installed the 10.5.5 upgrade. MobilSync files prior to the day you upgrade, are not available.
I have yet to be able to find my old MobilSync files so that I can locate and decode my previous IPhone Notes, SMS text messages, Bookmarks, Settings, etc. that were lost when I removed and re-installed ITunes during the much anticipated iPhone's 2.0 software release.
There is a free third-party program from MIT that may help, but I can't seem to get it to run. If anyone knows how to use Terminal to run a Python script, please instruct me. The MIT scripting program will decode the data in your encrypted Mobilsync backup files so that you can read the actual data that is stored there. Whether my "old" (now unused) backup files are in there, I don't know, but I want to check for myself. The iPhone's backup folder is actually huge, with thousands of subfolders.
Here is the web address for the program, called, IPhone Backup Decoder. It contains a link to download the script:
http://code.google.com/p/iphone-backup-decoder/
Can someone please post specific detailed instructions on how to get it to run. It requires some UNIX commands in Terminal.
Thanks,
Rob McElroy

Time Machine doesn't backup

I get this message "Time Machine has not backed up for x days." It doesn't give any error message or anything else. I don't know how to trouble shoot this. I would greatly appreciate help. I don't see another message like this. I look in Time Machine preferences and it says a backup will occur when the disk is connected. So I guess Time Machine is not recognizing my backup disk. It was working just fine. What do I do?
Thanks
Carl

Carl Sutherland wrote:
Pondini,
Thank you for your suggestions. I certainly don't understand what's going on. I have my music on one partition on my external drive and it works just fine. I'm listening to it now. However I don't see the disk in disk utilities.
Are you saying that neither the disk itself or either of the two partitions even appear in the Disk Utility sidebar? Even while you're playing music that's on the external disk?
You should see one line for the disk itself, with the make and size; then, indented under that, one additional line for each partition. For comparison, your internal HD should be shown similarly: one line for the hardware, one for the partition (usually named +Macintosh HD+ .)
This is a directly-attached disk, right? Not via a hub or some networked "hack"?
I had Time Machine set up on the other partition. If I click on Time Machine in the dock by control clicking it shows that I'm supposed to select a disk. When I click on that the only option I get is a set up for time capsule.
You're talking about the screen that has three buttons at the bottom: +Setup Time Capsule, Cancel,+ and +Use for Backup+ ?
The panel above those buttons should show each properly formatted-partition on each external disk, and the space available on each, plus a "none" selection. What, exactly, do you see there?
I just don't see why one partition works just fine and the other doesn't.
It sounds like your external drive and/or partitions aren't properly formatted.
Use Disk Utility to verify the setup:
Select the top line, with the make and size. Towards the bottom, the *Partition Map Scheme* should be GUID (preferred) or +Apple Partition Map+ for an Intel Mac; +Apple Partition Map+ for a PPC Mac. If this is wrong, you must completely erase and reformat the drive, per item 5 of the Frequently Asked Questions post at the top of this forum. In your case, that means you must copy your music elsewhere first if you're going to use this drive for TM backups. There is no alternative.
Select the line for the TM partition (with the name). Towards the bottom, the Format should be +Mac OS Extended (Journaled).+ If this is wrong, you must erase the partition (not necessarily the whole drive) and change it, via Disk Utility.
While you're at it, select the line for the partition with the music.
Post back with exactly what you do see for each of these items.
I guess I'm also worried about transfer. I'm getting ready to buy a new computer. Will I be able to transfer my music OK?
If your music is on the external disk, and your new Mac has the proper port, you don't need to transfer it at all.
You still haven't posted the messages from Time Machine Buddy.
We still don't know which of your computers is having this problem, the Powerbook G4 or the iMac G5.

Time Machine doesn't backup anymore

iMac with 3T HD but only approximately 1.3T of data connected to 3T Time Capsule. Second machine backed up on the Time Capsule is 500G HD.
Time Machine info in System Preferences says I only have 1.32T available on the Time Capsule.
I haven't had a successful backup since the 3T HD was installed (to replace dying 1T drive).
Any explanation?
How do I get backups to start again?
Thinking of deleting the prior backup for the iMac and starting from scratch. Possible? Good idea? Bad?

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.
If there are runs of repeated messages, post only one example of each. Don't post many repetitions of the same message.
☞ 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.

Time Machine doesn't make backups

Hi,
I have problems with Time Machine. I deleted by error the backup file in Time Capsule, but now Time Machine doesn't create a new one, simply it doesn't work. External disks are recognized (Time Capsule or USB disk) but it doesn't make backups, only appears the "preparing" for one or two seconds and then nothing. It's the same if I try to make backups on a external USB disk.
I can not enter to Time Machine to see the backups.
Looking at "Console" for the last logs there many crash reported, for example:
18/02/09 11:59:26 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[3053] Backup requested by user
18/02/09 11:59:26 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[3053] Starting standard backup
18/02/09 11:59:27 ReportCrash[3054] Formulating crash report for process backupd[3053]
18/02/09 11:59:28 com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.backupd[3053]) Exited abnormally: Trace/BPT trap
18/02/09 11:59:28 ReportCrash[3054] Saved crashreport to /Library/Logs/CrashReporter/backupd2009-02-18-115926GK.crash using uid: 0 gid: 0, euid: 0 egid: 0
Any one with a similar problem???
Is it possible to reset Time Machine in order to restart the backups?
I bought Time Capsule and I can't use Time Machine!!!!
Thanks.

magali mistral wrote:
Hello!
Thanks for your message. The Time Machine Buddy widget was helpful. Although I couldn't mark the text, copy and insert it here.
You should be able to highlight them by dragging your mouse over them, then cmd-C to copy to the clipboard, then cmd-V to copy it here.
Event store UUID don't match for Volume: Macintosh HD
This means TM isn't sure whether the last changes to your internal HD got logged to OSX's File System Event Store, a log of all changes that TM can normally use to see what needs to be backed-up. Most commonly caused by an abnormal shutdown.
Node requires deep traversal:/
Reason: kFSEDBE even FlagMustScanSubDrs /kFSEDBE vent Flag Reason Deep Backup/
Since it can't trust the Event Store, this means it has to examine every file and folder on your HD. Quite a lengthy procedure, of course.
Then it said - I didn't copy that - something like "thinning out" isn't necessary because there was still 368 GB or so space left - 7 GB were backed up - but it did "thin out" some outdated file afterall, whatever that is - hope it didn't delete something I wanted to keep.
All normal. TM automatically deletes it's hourly backups after 24 hours, except the first of the day, which is called a Daily backup. That is kept for a month, when a similar process converts the first of a week into a Weekly backup, and deletes the others.
Only when the disk is near full (TM does need some workspace) will you see deletion of one or more of the oldest weeklies, instead of the first message.
Then the next problem started. It wasn't possible to eject the external drive. I waited for quite some time but each time tried to eject it, a window opened saying that it was still in use and could not be ejected. Although it had defenitely finished doing the backup and the next one was to be done about half an hour later.
Is there anything else on your external drive, besides TM backups? Could you have been looking at it via the Finder, when you tried to eject it?
Try this: de-select the drive (chose the "none" icon) in TM's preferences, then quit System Preferences. Then go back and re-select it. Sometimes this resets TM's lock on the drive.
If not, and it happens again, try turning TM off, then ejecting the TM drive. You shouldn't have to do this -- TM is supposed to let you eject it, then automatically do another backup whenever you re-connect it.
Now that you have a good full backup, just keep an eye on it. Your incremental backups should be very, very quick under normal circumstances.
There are a few things that may cause long backups, such as an abnormal shutdown, certain hardware repairs, not letting TM back up for several days (seems to be about 10, some say), and the use of certain apps. File Vault, Entourage, vmWare, running Windoze are a few. If you do see long backups, post the messages here in a new thread.

How do I view the photos ? I backed up with iPhoto closed as is recommended , when I enter time machine and click on iPhoto library is calculates there is 11gb so photos are there when I click on view using iPhoto nothing happens ????

how do I view the photos ? I backed up with iPhoto closed as recommended but when I enter the Time Machine and click on iPhoto library it calculates there is 11gb in there so files must be present but when i click on open with iPhoto nothing happens ? any help welcome please !!??

The external hard drive must connect to your Mac using a USB or FireWire connection.
Note that the hard drive must be formatted in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) to work correctly with the iPhoto Library and be backed up to the Time Capsule and with the backups of your Mac.
We are really talking about iPhoto uses here, so you should post in the iPhoto Support area for more details about this. The link is just below.
iPhoto for Mac

Time Machine doesn't backup iPhoto Library (if iPhoto is open)

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