Time Machine won't backup ANY files though no error is given

I have a MacBookPro with Mountain Lion which I bought last November. For several months Time Machine worked fine. Then, about a month ago, it stopped writing anything to the External USB Disk I was using but DID continue to create local "snapshots". I have tried all sorts of solutions, read a bazillion forum posts (including Pondini, etc.). There are no exclusions. I even got a new USB drive and tried that. Nothing. The log shows no errors.
I finally turned of TM, removed the preferencs file, reformatted the external disk, rebooted and tried again. Nothing. TM says there is nothing to back up, or more accurately says:
5/15/13 10:45:26.482 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Starting manual backup
5/15/13 10:45:26.499 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Backing up to: /Volumes/GORT Backup/Backups.backupdb
5/15/13 10:45:26.521 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Ownership is disabled on the backup destination volume. Enabling.
5/15/13 10:45:26.712 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Forcing deep traversal on source: "Macintosh HD" (mount: '/' fsUUID: D529F94C-4C76-364B-972D-62E8137770E2 eventDBUUID: E69B6460-6ACB-4C50-906F-91D8202C8608)
5/15/13 10:45:52.813 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Backup content size: 203.7 GB excluded items size: 13.42 GB for volume Macintosh HD
5/15/13 10:45:52.815 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Found 1419395 files (190.28 GB) needing backup
5/15/13 10:45:52.816 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: 228.34 GB required (including padding), 999.16 GB available
5/15/13 10:45:52.826 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Waiting for index to be ready (100)
5/15/13 10:45:54.917 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Copied 1 files (Zero KB) from volume Macintosh HD.
5/15/13 10:45:54.986 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Created new backup: 2013-05-15-104554
5/15/13 10:45:55.145 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Copying OS X Recovery set
5/15/13 10:46:10.336 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Starting post-backup thinning
5/15/13 10:46:10.336 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: No post-back up thinning needed: no expired backups exist
5/15/13 10:46:10.395 AM com.apple.backupd[32]: Backup completed successfully.
So it seems like it THOUGHT there was something to back up then changed its mind? An advice is welcome.

Thanks Linc. Here you go:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
          <key>sourcePaths</key>
          <array>
                    <string>/</string>
          </array>
          <key>standardExclusionPaths</key>
          <array>
                    <string>/.MobileBackups</string>
                    <string>/MobileBackups.trash</string>
                    <string>/.MobileBackups.trash</string>
                    <string>/.Spotlight-V100</string>
                    <string>/.TemporaryItems</string>
                    <string>/.Trashes</string>
                    <string>/.com.apple.backupd.mvlist.plist</string>
                    <string>/.fseventsd</string>
                    <string>/.hotfiles.btree</string>
                    <string>/Backups.backupdb</string>
                    <string>/Desktop DB</string>
                    <string>/Desktop DF</string>
                    <string>/Network/Servers</string>
                    <string>/Library/Updates</string>
                    <string>/Previous Systems</string>
                    <string>/Users/Shared/SC Info</string>
                    <string>/Users/Guest</string>
                    <string>/dev</string>
                    <string>/home</string>
                    <string>/net</string>
                    <string>/private/var/db/com.apple.backupd.backupVerification</string>
                    <string>/private/var/db/efw_cache</string>
                    <string>/private/var/db/Spotlight</string>
                    <string>/private/var/db/Spotlight-V100</string>
                    <string>/private/var/lib/postfix/greylist.db</string>
                    <string>/Volumes</string>
                    <string>/Network</string>
                    <string>/automount</string>
                    <string>/.vol</string>
                    <string>/tmp</string>
                    <string>/cores</string>
                    <string>/private/tmp</string>
                    <string>/private/Network</string>
                    <string>/private/tftpboot</string>
                    <string>/private/var/automount</string>
                    <string>/private/var/folders</string>
                    <string>/private/var/run</string>
                    <string>/private/var/tmp</string>
                    <string>/private/var/vm</string>
                    <string>/private/var/db/dhcpclient</string>
                    <string>/private/var/db/fseventsd</string>
                    <string>/Library/Caches</string>
                    <string>/Library/Logs</string>
                    <string>/System/Library/Caches</string>
                    <string>/System/Library/Extensions/Caches</string>
                    <string>/private/var/log</string>
                    <string>/private/var/spool/cups</string>
                    <string>/private/var/spool/fax</string>
                    <string>/private/var/spool/uucp</string>
          </array>
          <key>systemFilesExcluded</key>
          <false/>
          <key>userExclusionPaths</key>
          <array/>
</dict>
</plist>

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danomatic12 wrote:
My question is how on earth can 1.80 TB be required for the backup when I only have 137 GB of used space?
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Something on your internal HD is corrupted, causing an incorrect calculation. Verify your internal HD, per #6 in [Formatting, Partitioning, Verifying, and Repairing Disks|http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/DU.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of the +Using Snow Leopard+ forum).

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http://www.pigsgourdsandwikis.com/2009/05/timemachine-doesnt-back-up-iphoto-if.h tml
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polishedstaple wrote:
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I've been having a lot of issues with time machine lately.
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In my syslog the following sequence is showing:
Jul 23 22:18:39 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Starting standard backup
Jul 23 22:18:39 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/Time capsule-1
Jul 23 22:18:41 Simons-MacBook hdiejectd[14652]: running
Jul 23 22:18:42 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: QUICKCHECK ONLY; FILESYSTEM CLEAN
Jul 23 22:18:45 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Disk image /Volumes/Time capsule-1/Simon’s MacBook.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups
Jul 23 22:18:45 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
Jul 23 22:18:59 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Event store UUIDs don't match for volume: MAC OS-X
Jul 23 22:18:59 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Waiting for index to be ready (101)
Jul 23 22:19:45 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|new event db|
Jul 23 22:37:05 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Starting pre-backup thinning: 135.24 GB requested (including padding), 819.5 MB available
Jul 23 22:41:51 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Simon’s MacBook/2011-04-26-195931: 819.4 MB now available
Jul 23 22:46:04 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Simon’s MacBook/2011-04-25-233005: 819.4 MB now available
Jul 23 22:46:04 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Stopping backup.
Jul 23 22:46:11 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Backup canceled.
Jul 23 22:46:23 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Ejected Time Machine disk image.
Jul 23 22:46:23 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Compacting backup disk image to recover free space
Jul 23 22:46:32 Simons-MacBook diskimages-helper[15821]: Reclaimed 7.3 MB out of 1.3 GB possible.
Jul 23 22:46:33 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Completed backup disk image compaction
Jul 23 22:46:33 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Starting standard backup
It looks like TM is going through a backup cycle, establisching the fact that not enough space is availeble and trying to clean up the sparsebundle file to make room for the new backup. After two tries though it discovers that no space is reclaimed but that in fact only space is lost. It then tries to create some space by using the diskimages helper.
Every run the free space on my time capsule is getting less and less:
1:
Jul 23 21:55:36 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Simon’s MacBook/2011-04-28-234240: 893.3 MB now available
Jul 23 21:58:31 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Simon’s MacBook/2011-04-27-184038: 893.3 MB now available
2:
Jul 23 22:41:51 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Simon’s MacBook/2011-04-26-195931: 819.4 MB now available
Jul 23 22:46:04 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Simon’s MacBook/2011-04-25-233005: 819.4 MB now available
3:
Jul 23 23:06:59 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Simon’s MacBook/2011-04-30-003802: 768.4 MB now available
Jul 23 23:09:56 Simons-MacBook com.apple.backupd[2417]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Simon’s MacBook/2011-05-11-102159: 768.5 MB now available
In the meantime I'm getting some messages from mdworker, they seam to be related to TM's activity to me:
Jul 23 22:22:24 Simons-MacBook mdworker32[14757]: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
Jul 23 22:30:40 Simons-MacBook mdworker32[14808]: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
Jul 23 22:30:53 Simons-MacBook Safari[507]: Periodic CFURLCache Insert stats (iters: 946) - Tx time:0.040067, # of Inserts: 1, # of bytes written: 69, Did shrink: NO, Size of cache-file: 53553152, Num of Failures: 0
Jul 23 22:31:44 Simons-MacBook mdworker[14642]: iCal.mdimporter: could not parse ICS file: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Simon’s MacBook/2011-04-23-100234/MAC OS-X/Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/OutlookCore.framework/Versions/14/Resources/en.lproj/Timezones.ics
Jul 23 22:34:40 Simons-MacBook mdworker32[14986]: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
It seems that TM is stuck in some never ending cycle... I'm out of idea's on how to solve this apart from deleting the sparsebundle file and starting all over again but this would mean losing all previous backups.
Do you guys have any leads?

No idea's?
I'm starting to think I just need to delete the sparsebundle file altogether and start over again...

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judyarizona wrote:
My Safari wouldn't quit, so I chose force quit from the apple icon drop down menu.
When I turned my iMac back on,
Force-quitting Safari won't affect your backups. Did you also force power down on your Mac? That can affect the data on your internal HD and/or backups.
I tried utilities First Aid, but it wouldn't fully verify or repair, before stopping.
What message did it send? Sometimes you have to run Repair Disk 2 or 3 times to get everything fixed. See #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.
I dragged and dropped the folder where I could store everything else on this 2TB Seagate external harddrive.
Do you mean you're putting other data, besides your backups, on the TM drive? In the same partition? If so, that's not a good idea -- see Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #3.
But I could not drag and drop the backup.backup.__ files where TimeMachine resides.
That's correct -- you cannot copy damaged backups.
DoI have to reformat and lose all my saved data on Time Machine? Or is there another way?
See the pink box in #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.
Is it true that if you Force Quit while Time Machine is backing up it ruins the file?
If you force-quit an app (like Safari), no. If you force power off on your Mac, that can damage the File System on any HD -- your internal HD and/or any externals, including your backups. Usually that damage can be repaired by Disk Utility.
How could you know Time Machine is backing up? There's no littl icon on the top right.
Go to System Preferences > Time Machine and check the little box at the bottom to Show Time Machine status in menu bar.

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I am trying to store my iTunes music library on an external hard drive because I have run out of space on my hard drive. I have moved my folder to the external drive, but before I delete the folder from my computer I want to make sure my Time Machine is backing up the drive containing my music as well. However when I go into Time Machine preferences and tell it to include the other hard drive in its backups it says "The backup was not preformed because an error occured while copying files to the backup disk. The problem may be temporary. Try again later to back up. If the problem persists, use Disk Utility to repair your backup disk."
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Howdy Kgkgkg12,
It sounds like this drive you are wanting to use with Time Machine is not in the same format that Time Machine needs to operate. According to this article:
Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac
Your Time Machine drive needs to be formatted as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled). If you select an NTFS or FAT-formatted drive, Time Machine prompts you to reformat the drive. Important: Reformatting erases any files on the destination drive. If you're not sure if you want to erase the drive you connected, choose a different drive.
You can check the format of the drive with these steps:
OS X Yosemite: View file, folder, and disk information
Get individual item info: Select the item(s), then choose File > Get Info, or press Command (⌘)-I.
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Sterling

Time Machine won't backup – but no error message

Hi community,
I'm using TimeMachine with MacOs Version 10.6.8, on an iMac with an 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 Processor.
Actually, I was pretty happy with it for several months, never had any error messages.
But suddenly, TimeMachine started to backup the same files over and over again. It created new folders with the current and correct date, but in the folders there are no "new" files, even if there are numerous of new files on my hard drive.
So I thought, perhaps there's not enough space left on my external drive, so I bought a new one. Same problem here. It backed up correctly a few weeks, then it started to back up the same files over & over again.
My hard drive has a capacity of about 1 TB, my USB drive is a Samsung with 600 GB Capacity, formatted with MacOS Extended (Journaled)
Space used on my hard drive: 417 GB, free space on my USB drive: 252 GB > haha, that's probably the problem, but I thougt TimeMachine erases the older files on the external drive if there is no more space left?
And: why isnt't there an error message, then?
Hope anyone can help! Thanks in advance!
Verena

hi eric,
thank you for your quick answer! what the console says is the following (extract):
Post-back up thinning complete: 5 expired backups removed
Backup completed successfully.
Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
No pre-backup thinning needed: 1.13 GB requested (including padding), 206.20 GB available
Copied 744 files (2.7 MB) from volume [myvolume].
No pre-backup thinning needed: 1.13 GB requested (including padding), 206.20 GB available
Copied 67 files (93 bytes) from volume [myvolume].
Starting post-backup thinning
Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/[myvolume]/2011-10-05-170346: 206.20 GB now available
Deleted backup /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/[myvolume]/2011-10-05-110315: 206.21 GB now available
Post-back up thinning complete: 5 expired backups removed
Backup completed successfully.
Actually, this time it really backed up my data … but why now and a few days ago it didn't? (Console also says "Backup completed successfully." for this date.)
Hm anyways, seems to work now, but I don't like the thought that I can't rely on it … would like to understand what this machine is doing … :-)

Time Machine won't backup ANY files though no error is given

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