Time machine won't automatically start

Hi there, i recently got a new imac running the latest in snow leopard and did a restore off my iomega 500GB EXHD from my old imac. When i decided to do a back up on the HD it was taking way too long so i went ahead and erased the HD, reformat and started new for the newer imac. While it works fine i noticed then when i plug my HD it shows on the desktop but now time machine no longer automatically performs the back up. I have to go into the time machine preferences or press back up now. Also in the options window "Exclude these items from backups:" the actual hard drive is in that list but unelectable. That can not be correct right?

OK.  I'm just about done with a moderately complicated shell scripting project that will do what I want.  I have two machines backing up to an external drive on a third machine.  The only purpose of the third machine (for now) is to host the backup drive.  Since I only want to actually back up a couple of times a day, at most, I want the third machine to be awake only when it's needed for a backup.  So, I've now assembled all the shell scripting pieces I need to do the following.  1) perform a TM backup on my schedule (a couple of times a day -- doing snapshots in between on my schedule -- taking into account the machine I'm backup up from is a laptop and thus may not be awake when it ought to back up, so, starting a backup as soon as it's awake if appropriate) 2) on another machine, do a CCC backup once a day; 3) wake up the backup machine only when it's needed 4) put it to sleep when neither of the other machines needs it 5) be able to wake it up "manually" if at some other time I want to get to it  (and not worry about it going to sleep if neither of the other machines needs it)  6) display some kind of status of what's going on.   It's taken me quite a bit of research and stumbling on some nuggets of information to understand all the bits pieces that I'll have to put together to do this.  Once I'm done, would anyone be interested in me posting it?  (The interesting bits and pieces include as a minimum, learning how to use ssh non-interactively, what pmset does, how to wake up a remote machine, a lot of gory details of shell syntax, and figuring out how to change an app's icon from a command line script!)

Similar Messages

  • Time Machine won't automatically back up

    A little while ago I had a problem with my audio plug ins preventing some of my music programs functioning properly. I couldn't trace the exact file in the library so decided to overwrite my library with a previous version from my time machine disk. This proved to be a big mistake. All that actually happened was that it deleted my library and then would not replace it with my old library.
    Anyway, with a bit of playing about I managed to reinstate my library and re-installed any programs that were still causing a problem.
    Everything now seems to be ok except time machine. This will not automatically backup any more. I've tried a few things - my computer name had been lost so I renamed that, re-formatted my time machine disc, renamed time machine disk etc. It will back up the internal drive if I manually do it (although seems to be a lot smaller backup than the size of my internal drive used space?) but ignores all scheduled backups. It also will not backup my other external drive which worked fine before. This is not in the exclude list.
    Any ideas?

    alanhess wrote:
    Everything now seems to be ok except time machine. This will not automatically backup any more. I've tried a few things - my computer name had been lost so I renamed that, re-formatted my time machine disc, renamed time machine disk etc. It will back up the internal drive if I manually do it (although seems to be a lot smaller backup than the size of my internal drive used space?) but ignores all scheduled backups. It also will not backup my other external drive which worked fine before. This is not in the exclude list.
    Hi, and welcome to the forums.
    The first backup after erasing the TM disk should be smaller than the data on your internal HD ), because Time Machine omits some items that aren't needed to restore your system. These include most caches, system workfiles, and trash. Usually the difference is very small, but can be fairly large.
    As for not backing-up your external disk, and perhaps not doing automatic backups as well, it sounds like the preferences file may be corrupted.
    Go to TM Preferences > Change Disk and de-select your TM drive (select "none"), note any exclusions you want in Options, then quit System Preferences.
    Delete the file /Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist (in your top-level Library folder, not your home folder.)
    Go back to TM Preferences, re-select your TM disk, re-enter any exclusions you want, and try again.

  • Time Machine won't start after migration to new MacBook Pro.

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    Vince

    Windows in VM is going to know it's on a different machine, so you'll still have to hop through Microsoft's hoops or you won't get updates.
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  • Time Machine won't do incremental backups after I restored my computer

    I am using a macbook (2010 version) and operating Lion.  I had a problem with my Macbook where it wouldn't log on, even in safe mode, so I restored it using Timemachine.  Now that everything is back up and running well I want to keep backing up.  But Time Machine now says that there is not eneough space on the backup disk as it wants to back up the whole computer alongside the exisitng back up.  In short it will no longer do incremental backups on top of what has already been backed up.  I don't want to wipe my backup disk for fear that something might go wrong again and I may want to go back to a version earlier than the one I restored.  Is there anyway of getting round this problem?  It seems like a fairly serious problem.
    I would appreciate any help.

    ms364 wrote:
    I am using a macbook (2010 version) and operating Lion.  I had a problem with my Macbook where it wouldn't log on, even in safe mode, so I restored it using Timemachine.
    When you erased the disk, it got a new UUID (Universally Unique IDentifier), which is treated like a different drive, and Time Machine will back it up in it's entirety.
    Did you do a full system restore, starting from the Recovery HD?  If so, that should have left a "trail" so Time Machine should have automatically "associated" the restored disk with the existing backups.
    If you did it "piecemeal," though, via the "Star Wars" display, it won't (that doesn't leave the trail for TM to figure out what happened).
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  • Time Machine won't back up onto Time Capsule

    I upgraded to Mountain Lion last week, and Time Machine won't back up to my Time Capsule. When it fails, I get the message:
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    The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data/TomsMac.sparsebundle" could not be created (error 60)
    I sometimes get the same message, but with "error 17"
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    Error 60 creating backup disk image
    Failed to create disk image /Volumes/Data/TomsMac.sparsebundle, status: 60
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    I erased the Time Capsule using AirPort Utility and did a hard reset on the Time Capsule.
    I did a re-install of Mountain Lion and that didn't fix anything.
    My MacBook Pro is accessing the Time Capsule wirelessly, as it always has.
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    Just to be sure, we're talking about a Time Capsule -- not an AirPort Extreme connected to an external hard drive. Right?
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    Please read this whole message before doing anything.
    This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
    The purpose of this exercise is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
    Be sure your Mac is shut down.
    Press the power button.
    Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone, but not before the tone.
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    Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
    The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
    Test while in safe mode. Same problem(s)?
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  • I bought a new external hard drive for backups, but time machine won't do a full back up.  I think it is remembering backing up onto previous external hard drives, which I don't own anymore.  How do I do a new full backup?

    I bought a new external hard drive for backups, but time machine won't do a full back up. 
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    When I bought the new (used) iMac, I also bought an external hard drive for backups.  It worked fine, but my husband stole it.
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    So I just got a new external hard drive, which was put together from an internal hard drive and a hard drive enclosure. 
    Time machine did the first backup today, and it should have taken 9 hours like it did on the previous first time full back up.  Instead, it took 30 minutes.  That can't be right.  I want to start over and do a full backup to make sure everything gets onto my new external hard drive, but I can't figure out how to do that.  Please help.

    Triple-click anywhere in the line below to select it:
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    ☞ 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.
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  • Time MAchine won't back up due to not enough space, but there is

    TIme Machine won't back up. Displays this:
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    The imac internal HD capacity is 999.01GB and used space is 636.321 GB.
    This problem has occured periodically in the last 12 months or so, so prior to OS version10.8 install in Jul 2012.
    I previously called AppleCare, as I have a contract, and tech said I just need to reformat the external drive and start over.
    I did that the last time this happened a few months ago, but I don't like that option, as it eliminates all the prior backups,
    What if I needed to try to recover something I deleted 3 weeks ago, for example.  I couldn't do so as all backups would have been deleted, of course, by me having refomatted the drive and basically starting over.  Also, I noted in another post about a person having a problem due to using a partitioned drive.  Mine is not partition, as far as I can tell.  See this:
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    The solution is essentially "simple." You need a larger hard drive for these backups or you need to use a different backup solution. By this I mean using backup software that does not preserve an archive of old copies of a file, but simply erases old copies in order to replace them with the new copies. By replacing your backup drive can always accommodate the drive it backs up if it is large enough - say the same size. I can suggest:
    Backup Software Recommendations
    Carbon Copy Cloner
    Data Backup
    Deja Vu
    SuperDuper!
    Synk Pro
    Tri-Backup
    Others may be found at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
    Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore.  Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.
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  • After installing Mountain Lion, my Time Machine won't back up ... says the sparsebundle is in use

    After installing Mountain Lion, my Time Machine won't back up ... says the sparsebundle is in use

    Standard problem in ML.. apple do not seem to want to recognise.
    Reboot the TC .. if that fails restart the whole network in correct order.. modem.. router/TC... clients.. with 2min gap.
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    http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
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    http://www.timdoug.com/unpkg/
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  • Time Machine won't backup up to external firewire drive

    MacBook Pro - Time Machine won't backup to firewire external drive.  Has worked well in past few weeks..........any ideas?

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  • Time machine won't backup. Says disk is full ( stand alone disk). Souldn't it delete enough to create new backup. Last backup was 7/20/11. When I click "enter time machine' it goes to mail screen and nowhere else.

    Time machine won't backup. Says disk doesn't have enough room. Shouldn't it delete old info to make space for new.
    When I click on "enter time machine" it takes me to the last backup 7/22/11 and doesn't allow me to go further back.

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  • Time Machine won't connect over WiFi

    I'm running 10.7.4 on my MacBook Pro.  I have an airport extreme that I have a Western Digital 2Gb network drive connected to.  I performed a full backup over the network and have had subsuquent backups work fine.  Recently I have been getting the following message and I can't get Time Machine to backup any changes I have on my computer.  "The backup disk image “/Volumes/TimeMachine/dave (2).sparsebundle” is already in use."  If I reboot the computer and the drive, I still can't get it to backup.  I am able to access the drive by selecting connect to server in the GO menu, but the Time Machine won't connect.  Any suggestions?  Thanks.

    See C17
    http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
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    See http://pondini.org/TM/Airport.html
    Pondini is our guru on all things Time Machine.
    When he says jump, the response is how high?? Not why?

  • HT201250 My 10.7.3 Time Machine won't work with external disks. Worked fine with Snow Leopard, and even Lion 10.7.1

    My 10.7.3 Time Machine won't work with external disks. Worked fine with Snow Leopard, and even Lion 10.7.1
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    If I cant get a fix soon, I am downgrading back to SnowL.

    Still no luck. I tried all the tricks, reconfiguring TM (remove selected disk option, and re-setting it, and trying different disks). Tried new combo updater, and the newer TM update after that. Tired two different disks too (one is my older firewire WD MyBook 1TB, and my brand new 3tb Seagate GoFlex USB... either one plugged into back of computer - no intermediary devices). I did get the TM buddy wiget and it produced the following log, from the last attempt, where I setup lots of exclusions so that backup quantity was small (under 10gb). Still it failed to complete. Here is that log, for what it is worth:
    Starting standard backup
    Backing up to: /Volumes/TM-Disk/Backups.backupdb
    9.56 GB required (including padding), 911.15 GB available
    Waiting for index to be ready (101)
    Copied 0 files (0 bytes) from volume Mac HD.
    Backup canceled.
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  • New MBP and Time Machine won't let me search out my NAS to save too. Any ideas?

    When trying to set up time machine and using a NAS drive in my wireless network Time Machine won't let me search and select the storage device. I can access the storage and save/retrieve files so I can see and use it. Anyone got any ideas please?
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    I'm having the same issue with Mavericks - and it appears to be Mavericks specific. I don't have this problem with Mountain Lion. Mountain Lion can see both of my NAS drives.
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  • Time Machine won't back up after system restore

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    zhoffmanster wrote:
    Ok, so here's the thing: I tried backing up again today, and it worked just fine. Before, what would happen is a message would pop saying "an error has occurred during backup" (or something close to that). The point is, the message didn't give any detail.
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  • Time Machine won't back up external drive to Time Capsule

    I recently got a Time Capsule, and successfully set it up to back up my iMac's primary drive, but for some reason Time Machine won't back up my external drive to the Time Capsule.
    I removed the external drive from the exclusion list in System Preferences > Time Machine > Options, and from what I've read this should be sufficient to make Time Machine back up the drive.
    The external drive is connected to my iMac via Thunderbolt > Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adaptor > Firewire 800 input, and the Time Capsule is connected via Ethernet to my LAN.
    Since I'm using Ethernet, I've disabled Wi-Fi on the Time Capusule by going to AirPort Utility > My Time Capsule > Edit > Wireless > Network Mode > Off.
    The reason I believe the external drive is not being backed up is because when I click the Time Machine icon in the upper-right status bar and choose "Enter Time Machine", none of the folders on external drive show any older versions.
    Furthermore, when I click Finder > Time Machine Backups > Backups.backupdb, I can see only one sub-folder which has the name of my iMac's primary drive. I can't see any equivalent folder for my external drive.
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    I don't see anything you have done wrong.. perhaps it does backup in a different way.
    Load the widget.. A1 here... http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
    That will allow you to track the log of TM to see what it is doing.
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    You should be able to check the actual settings of TM in plist file.
    And you can do a full reset of TM as well.. See A4. Check what is in the file. Pondini lists the location for you.
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