Time Machine tells me to start a new backup

Recently I changed the motherboard in my MacBook Pro because of a crash in the graphics card. When they gave me my computer back Time Machine has been seeing it as another machine, when it has the same hard drive (which is the one I want to back up). How can I tell my Time Machine that it's the same computer and to add on to the backups I had before I sent it to be fixed instead of creating a new backup from scratch?

It's a large pain, and easy to mess up (I did, not once but twice ), but you might be able to use the procedure in #C8 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

Similar Messages

  • Time Machine can't create space for new backups

    For a couple of weeks my backups are failing. (Time Machine couldn't complete backup to "Time Machine Backups".  The backup disk needs 156 GB for the backup but only 138 GB are available. Select a larger backup disk or make the backup smaller by excluding files.) I thought Time Machine was supposed to delete the oldest backups to make room for new ones?  Thanks for your help.

    It will delete the oldest backups, but when you have already deleted all of those, there will come a time when you will just run out of space.
    If you don't think you should be at that point, tbirdvet is likely correct.

  • My Time Machine keeps asking to complete a new backup instantly after I just created a new back up

    I recentlly starting using a Seagate wireless external hard drive to back up with Time Machine. The initial back up took 8-10 hours and that was at the beginning of April. Now at least once a week if not more Time Machine will give me a prompt saying "Time Machine completed a verification of  your backups on "XXX." To improve reliability Time Machine must create a new backup for you. Click start new back up to create a new back up. This will remove your exisiting backup history. This could take several hours."
    I understand how the initial back up can take hours. What I don't understand is why Time Machine is no longer taking snapshots of my computer to back up and instead has to delete what back up history I have and start all over. It's time consuming and doesn't make me feel very safe about my back ups. I've tried exploring the Time Machine preferences but there really isn't much I can figure out to change. I contacted Seagate directly and since I'm not using their software only their device they say it's an Apple and Time Machine problem.
    Why is this happening and how can I change the settings to avoid having to create an entirely new backup weekly?

    Backing up to a third-party NAS with Time Machine is risky, and unacceptably risky if it's your only backup. I know this isn't the answer you want, and I also know that the manufacturer says the device will work with Time Machine, and that it usually seems to work. Except when you try to restore, and find that you can't.
    If you want network backup with Time Machine, use as the destination either an Apple Time Capsule or an external hard drive connected to another Mac or to an 802.11ac AirPort base station. Only the 802.11ac base stations support Time Machine, not any older model.
    If you're determined to keep using the NAS for backup, your only recourse for any problems that result is to the manufacturer (which will blame Apple.)

  • HT3728 My Time Machine tells me it cannot complete the backup to my Time Capsule because the backup disk image sparsebundle is already in use.

    The 2GB hard drive on my iMac failed and has just been replaced under warranty.
    When I got it back I restored my Time Capsule and started back ups of the iMac and the MacBook Pro.
    Now 2 days later it is telling me that  Time Machine couldnt complete the back up to my Time Capsule as the backup disc image sparsebundle is already in use. It is saying this for both machines which presumably means a problem within the Time Capsule.
    What does this mean and what should I do about it?

    See # C12 in Time Machine --- Troubleshooting
    http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html

  • Time Machine in loop after upgrade to new mac

    Hello everyone,
    I just bought a new MacBook to substitute my old iMac.
    With this upgrade I also went from OS X 10.5.8 (iMac) to 10.6.4 (new MacBook).
    On installation I chose for the Migration Assistant to copy my data from the latest TM Backup.
    Everything went fine.
    Then TM asked if I wanted to continue to use my old backups on the new MacBook (or similar).
    And I accepted. Then the first backup started ...
    *... and now TM seems to be stuck in an infinite Loop. =(*
    It goes like this:
    1) Mounting Time Capsule/Sparsebundle
    2) "Verifying XXX.XXX Objects ..."
    3) "Preparing XXX.XXX Objects ..."
    4) "Deleting old backups"
    4) Cleaning up
    5) Disk Image/Sparsebundle ejected
    ... and then it immediately restarts that same procedure.
    Over and over again. Now for over 14 hours straight.
    (I have already stopped the backup a few times, as I thought a restart of my Mac would fix anything.
    Didn't help ... so now I just left it running for a night + half a day).
    Also weird:
    • The disk image is still called "Backup of iMac Eddy"
    • And when viewed in the Finder/on the Time Capsule it's named "iMac Eddy.sparsebundle"
    • There's no MAC address in that sparsebundle name ... (?)
    • I changed my Mac's name in the System Prefs/Sharing ... with no change at all to time TM image ...
    Anybody know a solution or can give me a heads up?
    Thanks in advance

    Eddy Grzegorzitza wrote:
    1) Mounting Time Capsule/Sparsebundle
    2) "Verifying XXX.XXX Objects ..."
    3) "Preparing XXX.XXX Objects ..."
    4) "Deleting old backups"
    4) Cleaning up
    5) Disk Image/Sparsebundle ejected
    ... and then it immediately restarts that same procedure.
    Over and over again. Now for over 14 hours straight.
    Yes, that will happen when Time Machine has to do a very large backup (such as, of a new Mac).
    Because of the way Time Machine stores the backups, it's impossible to tell how much space will be gained by deleting a single backup without actually deleting it. So it deletes the oldest one, "compacts" the sparse bundle to recover the space, then checks again. That will continue until there's enough space, or only one backup is left (then it will fail.)
    So, subtract the other sparse bundle and shared data from the TC's capacity. If the result isn't at least 2 1/2 times the size of the data on your system, you're going to have to delete the sparse bundle, so Time Machine can start over. (Since TM won't delete the last backup, it needs room for it, plus a new one, plus 20% workspace.)
    If there is enough room, you can speed up the process a bit, by manually deleting a bunch of old backups, then compacting the sparse bundle, per #12 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
    There is another option.
    Connect a USB drive, partitioned so there's separate space for those shared files, so Time Machine can't use up all the empty space, as it will on the TC's disk). Let Time Machine start fresh backing-up the new Mac to the USB drive, and leave the existing backups on the TC's internal HD until you're sure you don't need them, then delete them. You can always browse (and restore from) them, via the +*Browse ...+* option. See #17 in the FAQ.

  • Time machine tells me last successful back up 19 August 2014. Have done restores and utility checks to no avail.

    time machine tells me last successful back up 19 August 2014. Repeated attempts to correct have failed. any thoughts?
    thanks, Diane

    We need a bit more info.
    You don't state that you are backing up to a Time Capsule but I am guessing that is the case.
    1. I need to know, what TC??
    A1xxx from the base please. They do go faulty as they age.
    2. How is it connected into the network? Is it main router or bridged? Plugged into what router or modem?
    3. How does the computer connect to it?
    4. Is the computer running Lion as per your profile or is it Mavericks? This latest OS is problematic. Its network reliability is poor.
    If you are running mavericks.. and using wireless then I recommend you plug the computer directly to the TC by ethernet.
    You can turn off wireless and see if you can get TM to start.
    Otherwise go through the Mavericks clean setup with the TC and see if that will get it going.
    Airtport Utility can't find Airport Time Capsule on either of my 2009 Macs
    The very simple version of this..
    Mount the TC hard disk in Finder manually.
    Type AFP://10.0.1.1 (or whatever IP is shown by the airport utility)
    You will be asked for the disk password.. supply it and save it in the keychain.
    Try TM.. if it still doesn't work, reset TM and try again.
    A4 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
    Ensure that IPv6 is set to link-local only in both wireless and ethernet (if you use it).
    No luck you will need to follow the clean setup instructions and start over from scratch.

  • I backed up my old macbook onto a hard drive through time machine. now need to restore to new macbook air. HOw??

    I backed up my old macbook onto a hard drive through time machine. now need to restore to new macbook air. HOw??

    If you've not started the new computer yet, after you've started it you'll answer a few questions and then be asked whether you want to restore the computer. If you answer yes you'll be asked the source. Choose hard drive - make sure the TimeMachine drive is plugged in. Choose the TM drive from the list and let it go. It will take a while.
    If you've already started the computer look for Migration Assistant in the Utilities folder. You'll be asked the same question about the source. Follow the instructions above.

  • I'm using Time Machine and a LaCie external drive to backup. I also have a 8 GB LaCie flash drive I want to use for small jobs. If I plug the LaCie flash drive in, is my Mac going to think it is the LaCie external drive and start trying to backup?

    I'm using Time Machine and a LaCie external drive to backup. I also have a 8 GB LaCie flash drive I want to use for small jobs. If I plug the LaCie flash drive in, is my Mac going to think it is the LaCie external drive and start trying to backup?

    no.

  • Hi, ive been backing up my computer to an external hard drive (with time machine). When i buy a new macbook will that hard drive put all my info on to the new computer?

    hi, ive been backing up my computer to an external hard drive (with time machine). When i buy a new macbook will that hard drive put all my info on to the new computer?

    When you boot the new machine for the first time, you'll be prompted to import your data from a Time Machine backup.

  • If I completely fill my hard drive 500Gb how time machine will keep working having 1Tb of total space, I mean I have to delete mu hard drive but how I keep my previous information on time machine and keep using to with new information?

    If I completely fill my hard drive 500Gb how time machine will keep working having 1Tb of total space [externak hard drive], I mean I have to delete my hard drive but how I keep my previous information on time machine and keep using it with new information?

    Time Machine does not provide archival storage.
    If you delete a file from your disk it will eventually be deleted from your TM backup without any notice to you.
    You need a second external disk to use for archival storage.
    You also need a third disk for backups of the second disk.

  • How do I copy old Time Machine back-up data onto my new (second) back up drive?

    I recently bought a second back-up drive for use with my MacBook Pro (running 10.9.4).
    I'm successfully backing up my computer to both drives on a regular basis using Time Machine. (a Seagate drive and a Western Digital drive respectively)
    I was wondering if there's an easy way to add the old back-up files from the old drive to the new drive as well. That is to say, I wish I had all the data that precedes my new back-up drive on BOTH drives. There's plenty of space on the new drive.
    Again, I'm already running Time Machine successfully to both drives, is it perhaps as easy as connecting both drives to my computer and copying the older dated back-up files over to the newer drive within the Backups.backupdb folder for my profile?
    Thanks for any help!

    Although the documentation says you can copy Time Machine backups in the Finder, it's very slow and sometimes doesn't work at all.
    This technique will only work if the volume you're copying to is the same size, or larger than, the one you're copying from.
    First, open the Time Machine preference pane and click the Options button. You may have to unlock the settings first by clicking the padlock icon in the lower left corner of the window. Authenticate as an administrator.
    Delete the volume you're going to copy from the list of backup destinations. Then turn Time Machine OFF.
    Launch Disk Utility, open the built-in help, and search for the term "Duplicate." Follow the instructions. All existing data on the destination volume will be erased.
    If the volume you're copying was encrypted by Time Machine, you may have to unlock it first. Click the Unlock button in the toolbar of the Disk Utility window.
    Turn Time Machine back ON and select the new volume as a backup destination. You can also continue to use the old volume, if you wish. The two will be alternated when both are available.
    CAUTION: If the volume you're copying is corrupt, as shown by Repair Disk or Verify Disk in Disk Utility, then that corruption will be copied to the new drive. Don't copy data from a corrupt volume on a malfunctioning drive. Put the drive aside and don't use it until you're sure you'll no longer need the data. Then securely erase it and take it to a recycling center. Do the same if the Restore operation fails with "disk errors."

  • TS3243 My time machine back up freezes at a partial backup. I keep cancelling and restarting a new back up and it will again freeze up at a slightly different point. Last freeze shows 485bytes of 246.16 GB. My last backup was Sept. 1 !!!!! Help!!!!

    Repeat: My time machine back up freezes at a partial backup. I keep cancelling and restarting a new back up and it will again freeze up at a slightly different point. Last freeze shows 485bytes of 246.16 GB. My last backup was Sept. 1 !!!!! Help!!!!
    Also: am running OSX 10.6.8 on an iMac8,1
    TimeMachine had be working well on a 1TB WD MyBook Ext. H.D. .
    QUESTION: ANY SUGGESTIONS OR SOLUTIONS?????

    See Pondini's TM FAQs for starters.

  • How to delete all content on a time capsule created by Time Machine, and begin again creating a new savings bundle

    How to delete all content on a time capsule created by Time Machine, and begin again creating a new savings bundle ?

    You make a sparse bundle.. but don't ask me how that is different to a bundle of savings. Sparsebundle is what the special TM backup is called. It is a kind of disk image I think.. what makes it sparse is unclear as well.
    Anyway.. you are on Lion I guess.. download 5.6 utility for Lion. http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482
    So you can get a utility that does utilities.. and not pretty faces.
    And go to the disk page and erase the drive.. a quick erase is plenty and is pretty fast.

  • HT201250 Time Machine App does not start under OS X Lion

    I tried to restore an item from my back-up, however the Time Machine App does not start.
    I use the latest version of OS X Lion 10.7.5 (Build 11G63).
    I used the work around by opening my back-up volume with the finder and copied the wanted item.
    However, this is not the correct approach I think.
    Does anybody have a solution to my problem?

    Just the last addition to my question.
    The modifications of the access rights took very, very long. In the end I cancelled the process.
    Nevertheless, time machine now works correctly. As far as I can see it.
    If annybody runs into similar problems. The solution is I think just to modify the access rights on the back-up volume to read and write access for everyone.
    Probably OS X Lion added an undocumented feature to the time machine.

  • "No configured AirPort base stations have been found."  I can see the content of the TimeCapsule's drive in finder and Time Machine but it no longer is making backups. Ideas?

    Bought new TimeCapsule March 2013. Worked fine. Now get "No configured AirPort base stations have been found."  I can see the content of the TimeCapsule's drive in finder and Time Machine but it no longer is making backups. Ideas?

    Make sure that you have AirPort Utility 6.3.1 installed on your Mac.
    AirPort Utility 6.3.1 for Mac - Support - Apple
    Then, power off the entire network...all devices...in any order that you want
    Wait a minute, then start the modem first and let it run a full minute
    Start the next device connected to the modem, which may be your Time Capsule and let it run a minute
    Keep starting devices one at a time the same way until the entire network is back up
    See if AirPort Utility can "see" the Time Capsule now.
    If yes, try another backup. If you encounter an error message, post back with the exact message.

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