Time Machine won't back up new files

I've been having issues with Time Machine for a little while now. It would complete the initial backup just fine, and then run hourly backups afterward... but the hourly backups backed up nothing.
So, last night, I did a complete wipe of the external hard drive again, zeroing-out all data, and starting a brand new backup. Same problem. To make sure I wasn't crazy, I downloaded a 50MB file, then manually started a new backup. No luck.
Here's what console's been telling me:
+03/10/08 8:10:34 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[30520] Backup requested by user+
+03/10/08 8:10:34 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[30520] Starting standard backup+
+03/10/08 8:10:34 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[30520] Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine/Backups.backupdb+
+03/10/08 8:10:34 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[30520] No pre-backup thinning needed: 345.5 MB requested (including padding), 220.96 GB available+
+03/10/08 8:10:34 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[30520] Copied 9 files (93 bytes) from volume けいこ HD.+
+03/10/08 8:10:34 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[30520] Starting post-backup thinning+
+03/10/08 8:10:34 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[30520] No post-back up thinning needed: no expired backups exist+
+03/10/08 8:10:34 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[30520] Backup completed successfully.+
So, as far as logs are concerned, Time Machine is working fine... any idea what might be going on?

Is it possible that you are saving the test file to a volume or directory that you have told TM not to backup in System Preferences >> TM >> Options >>> "Do not back up?"
-mj

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My Time Machine won't back up and files won't open when double clicked.

I'm not sure if these are related, but recently my MacBook Pro has been acting much more sluggish than usual.
To start, I have a 13in MacBook Pro Mid 2012 model with a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 memory. I've got it new in the summer of 2012, and haven't had any real problems until now. I have a 1TB Hitachi external hard drive with over 600GB left of storage. I'm running Yosemite.
Lately, as in the past few weeks but more noticeably the past few days, I can't open files if I just double click on them from my desktop or from searching them outside of the application. For instance, if I click on a word document on my desktop, it will cause the work icon to bounce for a while, pretending to open, but it never does. If the application is already running, the file just won't open. If I search from the "open" selection within the application, it works fine. This is true for all of my Microsoft Office apps, Photoshop, Preview, iTunes, and everything in between, all of which I had never had a problem with before.
Next, anytime I try to backup my system using Time Machine, it simply shows the "Preparing Backup" status and never starts. I've had the hard drive and used it as a Time Machine since I got the computer, and have had zero problems at all.
I've tried CleanMyMac2, Memory Clean, and I've always kept my Mac very clean and organized, as in no duplicate files, moving my biggest files onto my hard drive, and deleting any of my unnecessary files. I know I don't have a ton of RAM left, but I'm honestly not completely sure what to do about that, as this model apparently doesn't have RAM updates available.
Think you all can help?
Thanks so much.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Step 1
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.
Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”
While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your documents or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this behavior; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.
Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?
After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.
*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.
Step 2
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Please take this step regardless of the results of Step 1.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
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?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of Steps 1 and 2.

Replacement macpro, time machine won't back up bcs file is too large

In June I purchased a replacement macpro as the other one died. (allergic to water) When I set up the new macpro from my TC everything worked great and haven't had any issues since. However I just realized that I never turned Time Machine back on so I don't have any backups since June. I turned time machine on and it wants to back up the entire drive of the new macpro but there isn't enough room on the TC drive.
I would like to keep all the old backups on the TC but I don't know how or if I can do that. If not how can I go about clearing the TC so my macpro can get backed up?
(Full disclosure - I have only been a mac user for a few years so I am not too savy in figuring out what to do and more importantly what NOT to do!)

If you are really not going to use the old TM backups.. but just want to keep them as historical record.. plug in a suitable sized USB hard drive and use the archive utility in the TC to backup everything there. You can then disconnect that drive and store it somewhere safe suitably labelled.
Then proceed to wipe the existing tc drive and start the backups again.
Note there are million variations on this.
With what hard disks cost at the moment due to short supply it is cheaper sometimes to buy a new TC.. and store the old one. Also depends on how old the original TC is and the size of its hard disk, if it wouldn't be better to make the backup as described above.. ebay the old TC and get a new one.
Read the details in Pondini's excellent knowledgebase.
Particularly about moving or storing old backups.
http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
Time Machine has some strange behaviour it what it keeps and what it wipes itself.. so it is well worth being aware of what it does and doesn't do.
Being a Mac user myself for a very short time.. and consider myself less than expert in even the most narrow field.. except that I repair TC's and have done a lot of them. So much so that I find it hard to trust them. Always have another backup.. a clone of the disk as it is right now.. backed up somewhere safe.. using a cloner software which are available even free, using a firewire drive hanging off your mac pro.. or even with all the extra space you have inside it.. shove the disk inside and do an internal backup.. but exclude it from TM so it isn't backing up the backup.

Time Machine has stopped backing up new files, but it creates an folder as if it tried to back up?

I went use Time Machine and my file from 2 days ago was not available to me. I have worked on this file for over 2 weeks and expected time machine to keep my old version but it jumped to a folder 5 weeks back before the folder was created.
I an using a 3TB drive and and have 1.2TB available.

Because you are using Mountain Lion which has the network proficiency of tins cans and wet string.
See https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3123920?tstart=0
Normally a simple restart of the whole network in correct order will fix this.. modem.. router/TC.. clients.. 2min gap.

Time MAchine won't back up due to not enough space, but there is

TIme Machine won't back up. Displays this:
Actual capacity of the external backup drive is 999.68 GB and available is 135 gb .
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:
Any ideas? Thanks

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.
All of the above are capable of being scheduled. Synk Pro makes immediate backups of any changed file on the hard drive. You may configure it to archive changes (like Time Machine) or to delete prior copies.

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.
There are other suggestions like changing the password.. all they do is the same as reboot.
Read C12.. most quoted Q in pondini website history. This is asked 10 times a day.
http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
Here is another way to get a useful utility in ML.. rather than toyland version.
How to load 5.6 into ML.
1. Download 5.6 for Lion.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482
Click to open the dmg but do not attempt to install the pkg.. it won't work anyway.
2. Download and install unpkg.
http://www.timdoug.com/unpkg/
Run unpkg on the desktop.. it is very simple.. drag the AirPortUtility56.pkg file over to unpkg.. and it will create a new directory of the same name on the desktop.. drill down.. applications utilities .. there lo and behold is Airport utility 5.6 .. drag it to your main utilities directory or just run it from current location.
You cannot uninstall 6.1 so don't try.. and you cannot or should not run them both at the same time.. so just ignore the toyland version.. the plastic hammer.. and start using 5.6.. a real tool.

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.
Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

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.
I would also try rebooting the computer.. exclude the drive again.. reboot.. and remove the exclusion.
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.
Nothing surprises me with Mountain Lion ...!!

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:
Time Machine couldn't complete the backup to "Tom's Time Capsule".
The backup disk image "/Volumes/Data/TomsMac.sparsebundle" could not be created (error 60)
I sometimes get the same message, but with "error 17"
I also get the following error message popup (even though the disk is the one in my Time Capsule):
The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer.
The popup offers three choices: Initialize, Ignore, Eject.
My local Apple Store Genius concluded that the problem must be with the Time Capsule, so I bought a new one. That didn't fix the problem.
Time Machine Buddy messages:
Starting manual backup
Attempting to mount network destination URL: afp://Tom%[email protected]/Data
Mounted network destination at mount point: /Volumes/Data using URL: afp://Tom%[email protected]/Data
Creating disk image /Volumes/Data/TomsMac.sparsebundle
Error 60 creating backup disk image
Failed to create disk image /Volumes/Data/TomsMac.sparsebundle, status: 60
Backup failed with error: 20
Failed to eject volume /Volumes/Data (FSVolumeRefNum: -108; status: -47; dissenting pid: 0)
I did Repair Disk Permissions and Verify Disk and everything's OK.
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.
Help!

Just to be sure, we're talking about a Time Capsule -- not an AirPort Extreme connected to an external hard drive. Right?
If so, proceed as follows.
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.
Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple icon and the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear).
*Note: If FileVault is enabled under OS X 10.7 or later, or if a firmware password is set, you can’t boot in safe mode.
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)?
After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

Time Machine won't back up after system restore

I just restored my system after a failure, and now Time Machine won't back up my hard drive. It gets about 40 out of 90 Gigabytes done, and then gives me an error message that just says that there was an error while backing up, and doesn't give any other information. I ran a Verify Disk with Disk Utility, and there is nothing wrong with the backup drive, and there is more than 200 Gigabytes of space left on that drive.
Thank You.

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.
No, the point is, you seem to have ignored this:
See the Time Machine - Troubleshooting post at the top of this forum.

My Time machine won't back up. Recently updated to OS x 10.7.5. Error message is as follows: "The backup disk image "/Volumes/Time Machine Backup/Scott's MacBook Pro.sparsebundle" is already in use." What is wrong and how do I fix it? Thanks.

My Time machine won't back up. Recently updated to OS x 10.7.5. Error message is as follows: "The backup disk image “/Volumes/Time Machine Backup/Scott’s MacBook Pro.sparsebundle” is already in use." What is wrong and how do I fix it? Thanks.

Have you tried restarting the computer? Also, see Time Machine Error from this pages sidebar under More Like This.

Time Machine won't back-up. Why?

Time Machine won't back-up to LaCie external drive (OS 10.7.4) after I disconnected and reconnected for a road trip.
Why? How can I correct?

What is the error message?

HT201250 i would like to use time machine but also back up other file to my external drive?

I just got a WD T3 external hard drive and I would like to use time machine but also back up other files that to the drive. Can anyone help me out.
Thanks Mark

You would need to go to your Applications folder>Utilities>Disk Utility> and there create Two Partitions on your external hard drive, naming them differently. Then you could go back to your desktop, open the dock, right click on the Time Machine icon and select "Open Time Machine Preferences". In there select the external hard drive Partition that you want to use for TM. The other external drive partition will be available for other uses.
Hope this helps

Time machine won't back up like it used to.

After months of an almost flawless relationship with my computer & external drives, time machine has found a way to ruin things. I searched the internet wide but still can't find a solution that works for my situation.
The problem started when I purchased a new drive to store data on. My goal was to organize the drives - music/video, photos, and cpu. I have been using a 1tb lacie drive for backing up with time machine successfully, but adding an additional drive seems to have confused thing. I also changed the name of the old drive (not the back up drive - so I thought it wouldn't matter - but now I suspect it i did). The data hasn't really changed at all , it's just been moved to different locations.
Now when i try to back up
-my machine pin wheels (i hate that beach ball!). everything loads slowly. typing this is taking forever.
-running applications freeze without being able to force quit
-my computer won't shut down properly
-i had to unplug my drives several times just to regain control of my computer
- i have to use the power button to force my computer on & off.
and messages i've received about the process
-"preparing" for over 24 hours with no results
-"Event store UUIDs don't match for volume"
-"Node requires deep traversal" which it never seems to get through
-"No pre-backup thinning needed"
i tried to delete previous back ups in order to make more room on the drive. I deleted each back up - by date- in time machine , but the files remain on the drive. they don't appear to have really deleted and each date appears with the message "zero date not marked for delete" and listed as "partially deleted back up"
spotlight also used to hold up the process so i excluded all 3 of my external drives from indexing.
i have been having a particularly hard time with itunes. i moved the library to a larger external drives. At this point it won't start up or quit. Only when time machine is off will it work normally.
i would post the entire log(s) but there are so many and with each change they've been almost completely different. Overall the result has been the same - time machine is not doing it's job.
most recently i've received Error: (-36)
I am trying to avoid reformatting the drive just in case some of my files get lost in the confusion, or i need to restore from a back up.
any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

miss nono wrote:
The problem started when I purchased a new drive to store data on. My goal was to organize the drives - music/video, photos, and cpu. I have been using a 1tb lacie drive for backing up with time machine successfully, but adding an additional drive seems to have confused thing. I also changed the name of the old drive (not the back up drive - so I thought it wouldn't matter - but now I suspect it i did). The data hasn't really changed at all , it's just been moved to different locations.
Renaming a drive that's being backed-up means Time Machine thinks it's a new drive. On the next backup, it will back it up completely. That should cause one large, lengthy backup.
The symptoms you list all sound like something is corrupted on one or more of the drives, or is hanging your backups.
i tried to delete previous back ups in order to make more room on the drive.
Unfortunately, other than using special "deny everybody everything" permissions, Apple doesn't do a very good job of warning folks to *+never, ever, move, change, or delete anything in your Time Machine backups via the Finder+* as that can hopelessly corrupt them.
Normally, you shouldn't have to delete backups manually, as TM will delete your oldest backups automatically when it needs room for new ones, unless you have the +Warn when old backups are deleted+ box checked in TM Preferences > Options. But in some cases you may want to delete a particular backup, or all backups of selected items (like the previous backups of a drive you've renamed). Time Machine provides a way to do that. See #12 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip* at the top of this forum.
spotlight also used to hold up the process so i excluded all 3 of my external drives from indexing.
Yes, sometimes Spotlight and Time Machine backups conflict, so we do recommend excluding the TM drive from Spotlight at least temporarily when they occur, especially on an initial backup.
Your backups are likely corrupted. You can try a +*Repair Disk+* (not permissions) on them via Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utilities folder), which will take quite a while and may not succeed; or you can reformat your TM drive completely and let TM start over.
You should also probably check all your drives/partitions via #C1 in the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip* at the top of this forum. If one or more are not set up properly, that can be a cause of trouble, too.
After all that, I'd suggest excluding all the externals from TM temporarily, via TM Preferences > Options, and running a backup of only your internal HD. If that works ok, then remove one exclusion and run another backup. Repeat until done, or the problems start again.
If they do start again, you'll know which drive is the problem and can address it.
By the way, what's the total size of the data on your internal HD and all the externals you want TM to back up? Note that to work well, TM usually needs 2-3 times that much space, although it may work with 1.5 or so, at least for a while.

Time Machine won't back up OWC external drive

Mac Mini running 10.8.5. Time Machine will not back up brand new OWC MiniStack external HD. I've trashed TM prefs, reformatted the TM drive, verified that there are no exclusions, but it won't back up the external HD which contains only data files -- no system, no applications. TM does back up the internal HD.

PROBLEM SOLVED.
Recap: Time Machine would not back up an external data drive despite being correctly formatted and settings correctly applied.
Problem was either: a) the Mac, b) the external data drive, c) the Time Machine drive, or d) the data.
I replaced both the external data drive (cloned) and the Time Machine drive, but Time Machine would back up that external drive either.
Finally, instead of CLONING (SuperDuper) the external data drive, I COPIED the data to a new HD -- root folder-by-folder. Now Time Machine again backs up my external hard drive.
SOLUTION: Problem was not hard drives or Mac, but within the data itself. Cloning the data simply passed on the problem to the new hard drive. For this problem, the solution was copying the data rather than cloning.
Thanks all.

Time machine won't back up

I just got a new MacBook Air with Lion. On my old Mac, I thought I remembered that Time Machine would only backup files that have changed since the last time I backed up my drive. I used Time Machine to transfer my old desktop to my new Air. Today when I tried to use TIme Machine to back it up, it said I did not have enough space.
I'm not clear if it's trying to back up the whole drive or just things that have changed since the install (which is all I need).
What should I do to make more room for my current back up or to instruct Time Machine only to back up items that have changed since the last backup?
Thanks.

FWIW I had this sort of problem which generally #$%^& me off. I had a brainstorm and tried somebody's MBP and it worked just as expected. So I reinstalled Leopard after erasing and formating the drive and using time machine off my external LaCie.
That didn't work worth a #$%^&
So I once again, reformatted the drive and reinstalled leopard FROM THE DVD and then used time machine as part of the migration assistant, and everything worked perfectly, and I can now use TC with my Mac Pro octo.
So something MIGHT be hosed on your system, and if you feel that you have a solid back up, reinstall off the DVD and then migrate with time machine.
Hope this helps. I spent about 2 days getting this straightened out.

Time Machine won't back up new files

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