Time Machine Error: The backup was not performed because an error occurred

Question

G'day (from Queensland, Australia)
Not for the first time Time Machine has broken down - originally in September 08 (I just can't recall how I fixed it!!).
Now it has failed after 14 months of faultless performance.
There seems to be little help available, but searching for solutions finds plenty of problems.
I get the message "The backup was not performed because an error occurred while copying to the backup disk.
The problem may be temporary. Try again later to back up. If the problem persists, use Disk Utility to repair you backup disk."
(I have a Time Capsule as my backup disk)
Disk Utility runs and finds-
Verifying volume “Backup of xxxxxx’s iMac”
2010-01-25 12:16:09 +1000: Starting verification tool:
2010-01-25 12:49:21 +1000: The volume Backup of xxxxxx’s iMac appears to be OK.
2010-01-25 12:49:21 +1000: Repair tool completed:
So I search and find "Fix for broken Time Machine backups under Snow Leopard"
(http://www.andrewgrant.org/2009/09/22/fix-for-broken-time-machine-backups-under- snow-leopard.html) - downgrading to 7.4.1 of the Airport Extreme / Time Capsule firmware.
But still have the same Time Machine error!
On to http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?t=103919&highlight=TimeMachineError
and try-
"... suggesting would be something like renaming the existing TimeMachine file on your backup disk - e.g. add a date to the end of it.
And then go onto Time Machine preferences and set it up as if it were the first time you used it. (Renaming the file on the backup disk should make Time Machine think that you are starting fresh.)"
So, using Finder, I opened my Time Capsule and renamed "xxxxxx’s iMac_00224135e6fb.sparsebundle" as "091222xxxxxx’s iMac_00224135e6fb.sparsebundle091222"
And finally, this worked - I have my backups to 22 December and a complete backup as at today and hopefully for at least another 14 months!

Answer 1

pjh42 wrote:
G'day (from Queensland, Australia)
Not for the first time Time Machine has broken down - originally in September 08 (I just can't recall how I fixed it!!).
Now it has failed after 14 months of faultless performance.
There seems to be little help available, but searching for solutions finds plenty of problems.
On the contrary. At the top of this forum are four *User Contributed Tips,* including one on Troubleshooting that would have saved you a great deal of time.