When using time machine with external hardrive to backup, some music items from iTunes and some photos from iPhoto do not transfer to backup hardrive.  What am I ding wrong?  Using latest version of mountain lion.

When I use time machine with my external harddrive to back up computer, some music from iTunes library, and some photos from iPhoto library are missing when I check backup disk.  I am using latest version of mountain lion.  Am I doing something wrong?

First, Time Machine doesn't completely back up the iPhoto library while iPhoto is running. Make sure you quit iPhoto after making any changes to allow a backup to take place.
This simple procedure will clear your Time Machine settings, including both overt and hidden exclusions. If you have a long exclusion list that can't be recreated easily, you may prefer a more complicated procedure that preserves the exclusion list. In that case, ask for instructions. Otherwise, do as follows.
Triple-click the line below to select it:
/Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
Services ▹ Reveal
from the contextual menu. A Finder window should open with a file selected. Copy it to the Desktop. Then move it (the original, not the copy) to the Trash. You'll be prompted for your administrator password. Reboot, recreate your settings in the Time Machine preference pane, and run a backup to test. If TM now performs as expected, delete the file you copied to the Desktop.

Similar Messages

  • Using Time Machine with External Hard Drive

    Hey everyone,
    I had a few questions about Time Machine that I hope someone could answer for me.
    I bought my first external hard drive in August, the 1 TB WD My Book for Mac and when I set it up, I configured it to Time Machine, and not the WD software.
    I have an extensive music collection, which was my main reason for buying the external hard drive in the first place.
    Anyway, when I plug in the hard drive and let Time Machine do the back up, I've noticed that it's backing up the same files every single time, and is eating up a lot of space on the hard drive.
    Since I am mainly using this drive to store my music, I was wondering if there was an easier way to do things:
    -Is there a way to not back up my documents, photos, applications, etc, every single time I plug in my HD?
    -Is there an easy way to find my music on the drive? For example, some Time Machine back-ups have different files on them... i.e. my back up from August 10th has certain music files that do not exist on my backup from November 10th, as I deleted them from my computer after they were backed up to the external HD. I'd love to be able to see all of my music in one place, rather different versions of my music folder on different days.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks a lot.

    Hi,
    1. Your Time Machine should should do the full backup of your computer just once and then only diffrences between backups - whenever you plug in the drive.
    If that's not the case something is misconfigured.
    2. You can exclude folders (documents, pictures etc) from being backed up. This is in in Time Machine Options (right bottom corner.
    3. The drive is (most likely) indexed by Spotlight. However, provided those are backup files I would advise against browsing and searching them directly. This can damage the backup itself.
    4. I cannot work out the exact scenario you are using - but the ideal (proper one) would be to have all your music library on your computer and only backup on your external drive. This you should not have to browse and use until you need to restore files.
    5. If you keep your music library solely on the external drive - it should be not in the backup files.
    Also such practice is risky as all drives crash sooner or later and you will lose your music.
    Best would be to keep all music on the computer and backup onto your external drive.
    Or
    if the music library is too big for your computer you may keep it externally - but Isuggest you get one of the external hard dirves with RAID1 or higher. This will keep your music safer lest one of the drives packs up.
    Let me know if you want me to elaborate on any of the aforementioned.
    TZ

  • How can I restore my data from iCal? I didn't make any backup, but I use  time machine with an external HD. I deleted iCal when I deleted my gmail account. I have tried to restore, but I can only restore the iCal software and not the data.

    How can I restore my data from iCal? I didn't make any backup, but I use  time machine with an external HD. I deleted iCal when I deleted my gmail account. I have tried to restore, but I can only restore the iCal software and not the data.

    So what is your question?
    If you forgot your encryption password:
    Warning: Make sure it's a password you will remember or write it down for safekeeping. If you encrypt an iPhone backup in iTunes and forget your password, you can't restore from backup and your data will be unrecoverable.
    If you can't remember the password and want to start again, you must perform a full software restore and chooseset up as a new device when iTunes prompts you to select the backup from which to restore.
    The above comes from here:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4946

  • I use Time Machine with an external hard disc which has worked perfectly for some years.  Recently Time Machine has aborted backups if the screen saver starts when back-up is in progress. I use a Maxtor OneTouch4 back-up system.  Any ideas?

    I use Time Machine with an external hard disc which has worked perfectly for some years.  Recently Time Machine has aborted backups if the screen saver starts when back-up is in progress. I use a Maxtor OneTouch4 back-up system.  Any ideas?
    Has Apple recently up-dated my OS (Lion) such that every time the screen saver starts it disables Time Machine.  I have to switch-off the computer and re-start in order to undertake  a back-up.  I have now switched of all screen savers.

    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).
    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.)

  • How to use Time Machine with an external drive?

    Hi…I’m new to this, I hope someone can help me=)
    I’m trying to back up my Macbook Pro 10.6.8 using Time Machine with an external drive Seagate Backplus Slim. I’ve tried several solutions that I’ve found through different forums but still wouldn’t work.
    Every time I opened Time Machine, it has this appearance:
    Then when I click “Select backup Disk”, it goes on like this:
    And after I click “Set Up Time Capsule”, it has this:
    It keeps saying that it couldn’t find AirPort wireless, even though I have good WIFI connection.
    Anyone know what I should do? Please help….Thanks everyone

    Ayuphie ~ In your Time Machine Preferences panel, slide the OFF-ON switch to the ON position:

  • I am trying to get an answer to whether or not I can successfully use Time Machine with an external HDD connected to an airport extreme?  Some forums say yes, some say no.

    I am trying to get an answer to whether or not I can successfuly use Time Machine with an external HDD connected to an airport extreme.  Some forums say yes, some say no.  I'm also curious about formatting the hard drive to work both on my wife's MacBook Pro and my PC.  Any help would definitely be appreciated.

    You may be going on a recollection, that I share, that at one time Apple stated this would be possible:
    In fact, Apple’s Time Machine Web page touted this very capability as recently as last Tuesday, as you can see from Google’s October 16 cache of the page
    Effortless meets wireless. With a hard disk connected to your AirPort Extreme Base Station, all the Macs in your house can use Time Machine to back up wirelessly. Simply select your AirPort Disk as the backup disk for each computer and the whole family can enjoy the benefits of Time Machine.
    But if you look at the current Time Machine page on Apple’s Web site, that text is nowhere to be found.
    That was a long time ago, it has never been officially implemented, and at present they specifically say it cannot be done.
    In summary, it may work, but probably won't, and even if it does it may not be reliable.
    Reference:
    Disks that can be used with Time Machine
    Time Machine can’t back up to an external disk connected to an AirPort Extreme, or...
    and
    Mac OS X v10.5: Time Machine doesn't back up to AirPort Extreme AirPort Disks

  • Problem using Time Machine with Seagate BackUp Plus Pls HELP!!

    I have a late 2006 iMac (running OS 10.5.8) & am trying to back up using Time Machine with a new Seagate BackUp Plus drive. When I select the Seagate drive in Time Machine it tells me I msut first erase the (Seagate) disk. When I hit ERASE, I get a Time Machine error : COULD NOT UNMOUNT DISK. I see from various posts that 10,5 & 10,6 have issues with some external drives so want to upgrade to Mavericks (to get around this incompatibility issue): HOwever apparently my iMac is too old (by 1 year) to allow this. Can anyone give me any advice on how to get my iMac content backed up via Time Machine using the Seagate BackUP PLus drive I  bought (becasue it is supposedly "compatible with PCs & Macs".
    Thank you!!
    Wendy

    Your Seagate drive should work just fine. If it doesn't have any important data on it, try re-formatting it with Disk Utility to blank it out. Or run the Disk verify/repair and see if you can get it to fix any problems.
    I have a Drobo FS too. You probably need a firmware update, they issued one a while back to fix problems with Time Machine. Use the Dashboard or download it from their support site, http://www.drobo.com/support/updates.php
    Just curious how long you let it run after it "stalled". If it is a big file it could just be taking a while to copy over, do you see activity lights on the USB drive? The first time you use time machine let it run overnight, it's going to take a while, after that it will update quickly.
    While you're at it, you might want to verify your start-up disk too with Disk Utility.

  • Using Time MACHINE with a USB drive connected to an Airport Extreme

    Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in the topic below. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information below at your own discretion.
    Please click here:
    |
    Using Time Machine with an Airport Extreme AirDisk
    |
    Note: If you got here by clicking a link that looks like this:
    _. . . discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2299608#Q1_
    Note the number at the end, after the +*pound sign,+* (#) and click the corresponding item below:
    Please pardon the inconvenience.
    |
    QUESTIONS
    *Q1. Can I use the USB drive(s) for Time Machine backups AND other data?*
    *Q2. How do I set up Time Machine to back up to a USB drive connected to my Airport Extreme?*
    *Q3. How do I delete backups?*
    *Q4. How do I back-up my backups?*
    If you don't see your question here, try Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions.
    |
    PROBLEMS
    *P1. The Backup disk image could not be created.*
    *P2. Time Machine could not complete the backup . . sparsebundle could not be accessed. (Error 109).*
    If you don't see your problem here, try Time Machine - Troubleshooting
    This is the 3rd version of this tip. It was submitted on May 16, 2010 by Pondini.
    Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

    Hi, Nubz!
    Yes, I just saw that, and am still chuckling.
    Maybe that will mollify the Jive gods?
    Thanks again,
    Jim

  • Using Time Machine with Online Service like Mozy or Carbonite

    Can anyone advise me on whether or not I can use Time Machine with a Online Service provider like Carbonite or Mozy. I'm looking for best practices assuming it works at all.
    Thanks
    MikeK

    No, Time Machine because of the way it's written will only work wirelessly with the Time Capsule device. Althought it's not supported i've seen instances where you can use a third party router with an external HD to back up, but most of the time you won't actually be able to do a restore of the OS/individual files. Online storage is to say basically; completely out. Hope this answers your question

  • HT204057 is there a way to use time machine with a backup drive connected to my AirPort?

    is there a way to use time machine with a backup drive connected to my AirPort Extreme?

    Unfortunately, this is not officially supported by Apple......if you still have the 4th Gen AirPort Extreme that you list in your equipment profile.
    However, the new "tower" shaped version of the AirPort Extreme does now officially support Time Machine backups to a drive at the USB port of the device.

  • HT4859 How do I back up my documents from my Macbook on iCloud? or can I only use time machine or external HD?

    How do I back up my documents from my Macbook on iCloud? or can I only use time machine or external HD?
    I think I have missed something in trying to read all of the pages on apple site about icloud.

    Welcome to the Apple Community.
    You can't back up a computer to iCloud.
    You can use any back up software, you should always back up to a different drive.

  • Do i need to set up the time capsule airport before i start backing up using time machine with my time capsule?

    Do i need to set up the time capsule airport before i start backing up using time machine with my time capsule?

    Some setup is generally required.. because the TC is a network device.. not a plug in via usb.. therefore it has to exist somewhere in your network.

  • I just downloaded an album from itunes and 2 of the tracks will not play at all, they cut off. I need help with this??

    I just downloaded an album from itunes and 2 of the tracks will not play at all, they cut off. I need help with this??

    Does the track play correctly in Quicktime Player?  If it does then it is an iTunes issue.  If it doesn't then it is possible the file was not completely downloaded, or is corrupt.
    Downloading (using iOS or computer) past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2519 - enabled with iTunes 10.3 and newer; not available in all countries; apps, books (not audiobooks), music, t.v. shows, and movies (some - not all studios have permitted this). Movies currently available in the USA only. Downloading previously purchased movies and TV shows requires iTunes 10.6 or later.  Discontinued items not available. For items not included in the iCloud list (e.g., ringtones), or locations or computer systems where iCloud is not (yet?) available, you only get one download per fee paid. 
    If it can be downloaded again, delete the track from iTunes.
    Select the store on the left side of iTunes.
    Click on Purchased on the right side under Quick Links.
    You can re-download your available previous purchases.
    If it is corrupt and you cannot download it a second time, contact Apple.  Contact iTunes Store support staff through the report a problem links in your account history or,
    iTunes Customer Service Contact - http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/contact.html > Get iTunes support via Express Lane > iTunes > iTunes Store

  • Intermittently using Time Machine with an External Hard Drive

    Ok, Kappy answered some questions I had about how Time Machine works with an external hard drive.
    After doing more reading about Time Machine, I found out that a person can, for example, leave the drive powered-off for a couple of weeks and only periodically or intermittently use Time Machine for back up. However, in the online article I read dated 2009, the author suggested that he didn't know how well Time Machine would work making up for the two weeks, or however long, no files had been backed up.
    Specific questions: I have 10.6.3 SL (I have not yet been brave enough to download 10.6.4) and a 4 month old iMac. 1) Have any of you had experience with only periodically using Time Machine for back up and 2) with my current system would you think I might run into some trouble if I only intermittently backed-up using Time Machine?
    Thanks for reading this and thanks if you feel my questions warrant answering.
    Note: I do have another external hard drive where I occasionally manually back-up photos, gifs, music, etc.

    JohnHusk wrote:
    Ok, Kappy answered some questions I had about how Time Machine works with an external hard drive.
    After doing more reading about Time Machine, I found out that a person can, for example, leave the drive powered-off for a couple of weeks and only periodically or intermittently use Time Machine for back up.
    If you go several days between backups, Time Machine may have to do a "deep traversal," comparing every folder on your system to the backups, to determine what's changed and needs to be backed-up. This depends on the volume of changes, so can happen after an OSX update, but in other circumstances might be after several days. This isn't a big problem, but it does take longer, and the more data you have, the longer it takes.
    Worse, after an extended period, Time Machine may do a new, full backup of your entire system, rapidly filling-up your TM drive.
    If that's the way you want to back up, Time Machine is not the backup app for you. One of it's main features is the way it can do quick hourly backups of what's changed, so you have an excellent chance of recovering a previous version (or versions) when you change or delete something in error, or a file comes up corrupted, or your Mac fails.
    Why don't you want to just leave the drive connected and Time Machine running, to protect you best, as it was designed to do?
    For alternatives designed to do less frequent backups, see Kappy's post on Basic Backup.

  • Beginner's question:  Using Time Machine with a WD External Drive

    Hello folks,
    Could someone help me with some basic questions?
    I have a MacBook with Mac OSX 10.5.5. It has Time Machine but I've never used it before. I've just obtained a Western Digital External Hard Drive which is Mac compatible but, I'm told, may not be formatted for Mac.
    1. If that's the case, how do I format it for Mac so that I can use it with my MacBook? Or can I just plug-and-play?
    2. Once ready to use, I'd like to use the external drive for two purposes: (a) to create back-up images of my entire computer using Time Machine, and (b) as a second drive where I can just drag-and-drop selected files when needed (e.g. so that I can put photos in a photo folder on my external instead of on my MacBook hard drive). Will my MacBook let me do this, or will using Time Machine effectively reserve the entire external hard drive for Time Machine and not allow my to drag-and-drop files?
    Thanks! And Happy New Year!

    Question 1:
    1. Launch Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utility folder.
    2. Click the "erase" tab
    3. Select your entire WD disk on the sidebar (the uppermost icon).
    4. Format: "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)"
    5. Name the Disk
    6. Click on "erase"
    Question 2:
    What is the size of your drive? If it is large enough you can partition it but Time Machine backup will "grow". So if it's important to you to save all backups you'll want to give it the whole disk. If not, you can partition the disk at the same time you format it.
    Follow the steps here. It will accomplish both Q1 & Q2.
    -mj
    Message was edited by: macjack

Maybe you are looking for

  • Looking for an application that can scroll custom text over video.

    Hi, Not sure if this is the correct place to ask this - but here goes. In our school we have a display in the foyer that shows a looped quicktime video. I would very much like to scroll custom text with recent school related news in the forefront or

  • AS2 to AS3 migration of code...

    ============== This code is in AS2 ============== _root.createEmptyMovieClip("tmp",900); _root.createEmptyMovieClip("tmpLoded",101); _root.interval = setInterval(_root.logger,5000); loadVariables("http://www.site.com/trackL.php?eid="+_root.id+"&rdoc=

  • How to simulate the copy row feature in Apex

    Ver: 4.1.0 Hi there, I have a application (Report and form) where users can do the standard edit, create, delete and save features. We had to add a "Copy" row option also for which I have added a radio button against each row in the report next to th

  • Testing  HTTP URL that causes a network problem

    Hi all, I'm developping an applet for multiple unlimited files downloading using HttpConnection . i want to implement the following feature : In the case of an error occurring due to network problems during file download; the applet must be able to r

  • Can't select most Tools in FH 11.0.2

    On selecting various tools (ie: Object, Align, Transform, Navigate, etc.) get the error message " could not complete your request because an unknown command was encountered" Never had this problem before! Have also gotten this occassionaly when openi