Time Machine hasnt backed up in 3 weeks

Im using Time Machine with a Time Capsule and i havent had a successful backup for nearly 3 weeks. The last time was 30 May. What tends to happen is Time Machine will be preparing for very long time, so much so that the whole system goes slow. Sometimes it goes as far as backing up but on the occasion that it did the backup failed. It gets so bad that I have to force quit my computer as I cant see any other way out. Im fortunate that I use my laptop as a desktop - heaven forbid I should have to go anywhere with it when its constantly preparing backups, beacuse If i select stop - it hangs on 'stopping backup' as well. Any suggestions? Ive just downloaded the Time Machine backup buddy widget to see if I can see a cause for the proplem. Oh an i failed to mention that sometimes my Time Capsule 'dissapears', despite it being connected to my laptop by an ethernet cable.

dazpacket wrote:
Thanks for your reply. Can you tell me what the difference is between a TM backup and a "bootable clone". Do i need both? I thought TM did everything.
No, they're rather different.
A "bootable clone" is a full copy of your internal HD, that you can boot and run from when your internal HD fails. With TM, you must restore your backups to the repaired/replaced internal HD, or an external HD, then boot from that. Thus you cannot test whether your TM backups are good.
Most clones contain only the contents of your internal HD when the copy was made; but TM keeps copies of items you've deleted or changed, so you can recover them if you find that they were deleted or changed in error, or somehow corrupted.
Some clone apps can be set to retain previous copies, but eventually they'll run out of room, and you must manually make more space. TM does this for you automatically, in a way that insures that only the copies of items that were changed/deleted longest ago are deleted.
Because of the way TM works, using internal OSX logs of changes, it can do hourly backups very quickly and efficiently (if your TC is working). Clones, however, must compare everything on both drives to see what's changed. That's very CPU-intensive for a long time, so it's usually not practical to update a clone more than once or twice a day, at most.
Because of TM's use of "multi-links," every backup appears to be a full one, so you can see (and restore from) a "snapshot" of what your entire system looked like at the time of any backup. With a clone, you may have to search for previous items.
Many of us run both a clone and Time Machine, either to two separate partitions on one external disk, or two separate ones. You can't do that with a Time Capsule, unfortunately.

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How do I reset Time Machine to back up weekly instead of daily

I have Time Machine backing up to an external Seagate Drive and it has been working fine for a couple of years.
I had it set to backup weekly and for some reason it is now doing a FULL backup every day! Way too often for me.
When I try to reset through System Preferences it looks for wireless Airport connection (which I don't have) and doesn't show the external drive, but obviously it is connected for Time Machine is backing up every day and I can see the data...
any ideas as to what I am doing wrong and how I can fix it ?
Thanks
Rose

Check thru Pondini's tips:
http://pondini.org/TM/13.html
http://pondini.org/OSX/Home.html
Or you can go in to TM preferences and turn it off, then turn it on and run it when you want. (it will take longer)

Time Machine - Data created during the last week not being backed up

I've been searching through all the hints, though haven't been able to solve this problem.
Time machine backs up regularly - though every once in a while when it shows that its backing up the data; but nothing actually gets backed up. Most of the time it works by using one of the hints on the top of this forum.
However this time - I've tried everything in the hints, but am unable to get Time Machine to backup files created last week - they're there in my Documents folder but do not get backed up. New files which I create get backed up.
I think the problem can be solved if I could get time machine to do a deep traversal - but have not been able to do that
I've tried the following:
1. Booted into Safe Mode and rebooted into normal
2. Re-installed 10.6.6 combo update
Please help

The latest log file is as follows:
Starting standard backup
Attempting to mount network destination using URL: afp://[email protected]/Time
Mounted network destination using URL: afp://[email protected]/Time
Warning: Destination /Volumes/Time does not support Server Reply Cache
QUICKCHECK ONLY; FILESYSTEM CLEAN
Disk image /Volumes/Time/New MacBook.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
2011-01-31 09:59:41.550 FindSystemFiles[310:907] Looking for system packages
2011-01-31 09:59:43.366 FindSystemFiles[310:907] PackageKit: * Missing bundle identifier: /Library/Receipts/Flip4Mac QuickTime Components.pkg
2011-01-31 09:59:43.371 FindSystemFiles[310:907] PackageKit: * Missing bundle identifier: /Library/Receipts/Flip4Mac Web Plugins.pkg
2011-01-31 09:59:43.700 FindSystemFiles[310:907] Finding system files...
2011-01-31 09:59:46.916 FindSystemFiles[310:907] Writing system path cache.
2011-01-31 09:59:46.995 FindSystemFiles[314:907] Looking for system packages
2011-01-31 09:59:47.013 FindSystemFiles[314:907] PackageKit: * Missing bundle identifier: /Library/Receipts/Flip4Mac QuickTime Components.pkg
2011-01-31 09:59:47.017 FindSystemFiles[314:907] PackageKit: * Missing bundle identifier: /Library/Receipts/Flip4Mac Web Plugins.pkg
2011-01-31 09:59:47.058 FindSystemFiles[314:907] Finding system files...
2011-01-31 09:59:48.000 FindSystemFiles[314:907] Writing system path cache.
No pre-backup thinning needed: 1.39 GB requested (including padding), 189.94 GB available
Copied 10007 files (66.3 MB) from volume Mac HD.
Copied 10012 files (66.3 MB) from volume Shared.
No pre-backup thinning needed: 1.34 GB requested (including padding), 189.94 GB available
Copied 2754 files (10.6 MB) from volume Mac HD.
Copied 2759 files (10.6 MB) from volume Shared.
Starting post-backup thinning
No post-back up thinning needed: no expired backups exist
Backup completed successfully.
Ejected Time Machine disk image.
Ejected Time Machine network volume.

Can we use Time Machine to back up data on Time Capsule from the outside of network?

I have Time Capsule at home. Can I use Time Machine to back up data of portable nootebook when I am working at office?

If you mean over the internet, you can but it will be so slow and more than likely so unreliable it is a poor method to use. Remember all internet is limited to upload speed.
Lion does a temporary backup onto local hard disk.. which is useless of course if the hard drive is damaged.. but helps if you delete an important file. Then when you go back home and it discovers the TC is available it will then backup again from where it left off.
I think it is only a major issue if you are away from home for major lengths of time, weeks or months.

Using time machine to back up additional external drives

My mac mini contains a 160 gb hard drive. Aiming to keep this free, I connected a 500 gb WD mac-specific hard drive. I also use this drive when attempting to access work files on my macbook pro. When using time machine, which backs up to a 1 TB WD hard drive (also attached to the mac mini), I cannot figure out how to use time machine to back up simultaneously the contents of the native (160 gb) drive in the mac mini and the contents of the portable external drive (500 gb). *Is there any way to set time machine to accomplish this?* Please help - I really need to continually back up the contents of the portable drive as well.

carbon copy cloner will do this. you set up a scheduled job (can be daily, weekly, etc. & even every hour!) & is free to use (donations accepted).
http://www.bombich.com/ccc_features.html

HT201250 I want to use Time Machine to back up my pictures because my hard drive is full but I'm wondering if once I back up the pictures then delete them will time machine delete them off the back up too?

I want to use Time Machine to back up my pictures because my hard drive is full but I'm wondering if once I back up the pictures then delete them will time machine delete them off the back up too?

Evetually yes.
If your pictures have been in the same location (same folder, same subfolder, ...) for more than a week, then copies if them will remain in your TM backups until it fills up. They are then vulnerable to being deleted.
If they've been there for less than a week, TM could delete them as early as a month from now. If they've been there for only a few hours, chances are TM will delete them tomorrow.
This is why TM is not the best tool to use to archive data that you will be deleting from your main hard drive. Copy them to a dedicated external drive, or burn DVDs.

Time machine fails backing up with a "backup disk not found" error after upgrade to Lion 10.7.2

Time machine fails backing up with a "backup disk not found" error after upgrade to Lion 10.7.2. I've erased and reformatted the drive; reconnected Time Machine(it saw it) and began a new backup. The backup starts again but fails before completing with backup drive not found error. I used the 10.7.2 combo update. Any help on how to fix this problem would be appreciated.

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
After waiting since October for a fix, I have now upgraded the firmware on the Time Capsule and installed the new Airport Utility, released yesterday, and the situation is even worse.
Up until now, the Airport Utility had an option to disconnect all drives manually and the Time Capsule would then work until the next reboot – a temporary (?) work-around.
Now that option does not exist in the new-look Airport Utility. And the Airport Utility installation can’t be rolled back and the old utility won’t restore.
The sparesbundle is still not accessible. Anyone worked out a work-around in the new environment yet?
I have another Time Machine backup working fine to a trusty old Lacie Drive so erased the one on my Time Capsule to see if that works. I have renamed the Capsule and the Time Capsule Drive. But to build another full backup will take at least two days and I shall be away from tomorrow and am reluctant to leave the Capsule and computer up and running for a week. And I’ll bet the sparsbundle will still be nowhere to be found.
How can Apple screw up so badly when they are to become the richest company in the entire world and – soon – will have more cash in the bank than the entire United States? Can’t they afford someone who really can sort this out? Especially when a Firewire connected hard drive – my trusty and simple LaCie – works fine.
Words, almost, fail me.

What's the trigger for Time Machine to back up a FileVault folder?

Hi,
I have been enjoying the new MacBook pro and the useful FileVault for weeks now. I read quite some discontent with FileVault, which indeed could be better, but still it provides useful and free encryption.
With regards to backup on Time Machine, the Home Folder back up supposedly only happen when you log out of a FileVault encrypted account. Meanwhile, I don't always get how it starts and the rules for the Home folder to be backedup.
I make daily changes on my Home folder and the backup only starts once every other week, maybe randomly? Only few times i see the backup progress bar at shutdown and it seems to happen only after a certain amount of additional data has been added.
Has anyone more insight in how the backup (i.e. at log out, only way to backup on TM with FileVault) is triggered? Is there a way to make it a mandatory operation at log out, when my backup drive is available? As I use a WiFi HD (through airport), is it related that backup only occur once in a while and not at each logout
thanks for any tip
Y.

With FileVault enabled Time Machine only backs up when you log out or shut down, unfortunately And when it does it copies the entire encrypted .sparseimage every time. There is no incremental backup when FileVault is enabled.
Regards,
Michael

Can I set up my time machine to back up wirelessly WITHOUT hardwiring it directly to Ethernet?

Can I set up my time machine to back up wirelessly WITHOUT hardwiring it directly to Ethernet?

Indeed you can, but I don't recommend it unless you live miles from the closest neighbor with WiFi. Your mileage may vary. I live in a suburban neighborhood with 32 other wireless routers (at last count) visible from my desktop. I've never encountered an error with networked Time Machine backups while using a wired Ethernet connection both from computer to router and router to Network-Attached-Storage hard drive. (USB and FireWire-connected drives also perform flawlessly. Can't speak to Thunderbolt because I don't own a Thunderbolt drive yet.)
When I attempted to use wireless Ethernet Time Machine backup FROM the same computers (a mid 2007 MacBook OS X 10.6.8, and a mid-2011 iMac OS X 10.8, 10,9, 10.10) TO the same NAS hard drive (a 2GB Lenovo/IomegaEZ), I'd get notices every few weeks that after the backup verification, Time Machine needed to begin a fresh backup. When this happens, it deletes all the old Time Machine backups. So I never had a backup more than a couple of weeks old. With my wired connection, my oldest Time Machine backup is now about a year old, from when I first acquired the NAS drive and attached it with wired Ethernet.

Time Machine stopped backing up files 2 years ago!

So... I recently tried to restore my Macbook to an earlier time and discovered that Time Machine stopped backing up my files (documents, music, photos, etc) years ago! When I select a time period (say Sept 24, 2013) the actually files included in the backup are from no later than 2010. Why did this happen? I thought Time Machine backed up everything. I did not exclude anything and it certainly backed them up at one point. I'm not sure if there is some way that I am missing to retrieve information that was "backed up" a week ago.

A backup was listed for a week ago, it's just that when I went into the files looking for what was missing (music, for example) there is nothing new since 2010. That's years worth of new files missing all the while thinking that Time Machine was backing them up. My external hard drive was connected and Time Machine was performing that backups as usual without any indication that something was going wrong. There are dozens of backup slots over that time frame that are missing the new files.

Time Machine stopped backing up to Time Capsule

Three weeks ago, my Time Machine stopped backing up to My Time Capsule. I get a Time Machine Error that says the backup disk is not available. When I go into Time Machine on my Systems Preferences and click Select Disk, I get None. If I then go to Set Up Time Capsule, Airport Utility finds my Time Capsule.
I click through where it asks whether I want to change some settings for this Time Capsule. I click all the way through, changing nothing. And of course, I haven't resolved the problem. I don't want to go back to factory settings because I have archived a lot of old home movies on the Time Capsule and am afraid I'll lose them.
The only changes I've made recently that may affect this have to do with a mobileme account. I've been using one mobileme account for work for several years. Three weeks before I started having problems with the Time Capsule, I started a MobileMe account for the family. Now, when I sync all of our machines, the system looks for a new local host, which I have created. About the time I started syncing my computers is about the time the Time Machine stopped backing up.
Can switching between the two local hosts be the source of my problem?
—

Turns out my Hard Drive went down. Not sure why.

Time machine not backing up with mavericks

purchased the new 3TB airport time capsule and cannot get the time machine to back up my data. for 3 weeks,have stopped and restarted TM, now it is still working on "first backup" that started Oct 30th. this is my 2nd device, first one died after one week, apple store exchanged it. never had any problems on my older TM, but for space issues.
running on 27" imac has a 1TB disc, 16GB ram, i7 processor

Mavericks changed animation for Time Machine. There is nothing to worry about there.
Allan

Making Time Machine scan/back up a separate NAS

I'm slowly loosing the will to live in achieving what I believe should be achievable! Would really appreciate any help or advice anyone can offer.
Like most people I'm paranoid about loosing my extensive picture and home movie library and I'm not yet comfortable with cloud solutions given the weeks and months it takes to upload it, let alone recover it. So my preferred solution is a NAS system hidden and locked in a modified fire proof box attached to a powerline network adaptor in my home. We've been using powerline adaptors for a while and the data rate is pretty good.
I have 2 x MacBook Air and the wife and I share our iPhoto and iTunes library's which are stored on a separate NAS (i use a TC to look after these) and accessed via Ethernet (they can be accessed wirelessly, but the fragility of iPhoto means we use only cabled connection when playing with pics)
In short my MBA's are nothing more than "interface" machines with all our content stored on 2 NAS and Dropbox.
Now here is my challenge, I obviously want to back up primarily my iPhoto and iTunes folders to my secure NAS, tucked away nice and cosy in its fireproof box. But for the love of sweet Jesus I can't seem to get Time Machine to see it (the NAS (TC) holding iPhoto & iTunes) in order to back it up to my fireproof NAS which is also a 3TB TC.
Everytine I go onto TM it asks me to select the back up disk, I select my fireproof TC and it begins happily backing up my MBA, which while handy, really isn't that critical to me, given I'm using it only as an interface device to use and consume content rather than store.
I'm sure I'm not doing something and I've been all over google and various forums but I just got lost in messages about using TM to back up to a NAS.
In short, I need TM to scan TC 1 (iTunes & iPhoto libraries) and back it up to TC 2 (nuclear proof back up NAS).
I'm running a July 2012 MBA with Lion 10.8.
Any help or advice would be really very much appreciated.
Many thanks

But for the love of sweet Jesus I can't seem to get Time Machine to see it (the NAS (TC)
Unfortunately, Time Machine cannot back up a network drive. The drive must be connected directly to your Mac using USB or FireWire.
Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper should be able to backup a network drive. Suggest that you confirm with their support folks about what you want to do.
Carbon Copy Cloner - Home SuperDuper!

HT201250 I use Time Machine to back up my entire computer with my external hard drive. I am getting a brand new iMac this month and was wondering what is the process of using this back up to restore my new computer exactly how my old computer was?

I use Time Machine to back up my entire computer with my external hard drive. I am getting a brand new iMac this month and was wondering what is the process of using this back up to restore my new computer exactly how my old computer was? I want to make sure I will still have various important files on my new computer, like my songs in iTunes, my photos in iPhoto, etc, etc. Thanks so much in advance!

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
When you turn on the new iMac for the first time, Setup Assistant will ask you to restore a backup, so connect the external disk and follow steps to restore all your files to your new iMac. Your new Mac will have the same settings and programs as your old computer.
In other cases, I would recommend to restore the whole backup without using Migration Assistant or Setup Assistant, but a Late 2012 iMac uses a special OS X build, so the OS X version that you're using on your old Mac won't work on the new one. For more information, see > http://pondini.org/OSX/Home.html

I have been storing my Aperture and IMovie Libraries on an external hard drive that recently died. Fortunately I've been using Time Machine to back up to a 2nd external drive. How do I restore my libraries to a new external hard drive?

I have been storing my Aperture and IMovie Libraries on an external hard drive that recently died. Fortunately I've been using Time Machine to back up to a 2nd external drive. How do I restore my libraries to a new external hard drive?

This is a tricky one.
Open up Time Machine and go back to a date using the timeline on the right side of the window when you know the drive was working and was backing up as part of Time Machine backups.
Click on the name of your Mac under the Devices heading on the left side of the window in Time Machine, and if things are working correctly you will see Macintosh HD (or whatever you have named it) and the name of the external hard drive that was backing up in the past.
Right-Click on the name of the external hard drive and then click on "Restore (name of drive) to....." You may be asked for your adminstrator password at this point.
It might be easier to restore the drive contents to your desktop if you have room on your Mac, and then copy things over to the new external drive where you want to store the Aperture and iMovie Libraries.
Once the libraries have been moved over the new external hard drive, you will likely need to "point" Aperture and iMovie to the location of the libraries on the new external hard drive.

Time Machine hasnt backed up in 3 weeks

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