Why would upgrading from Lion to Mountain Lion more than double the size of my Time Machine backup?

I have a 500GB Time Capsule that has 248 GB used. After upgrading from Lion to Mountain Lion, Time Machine reported that there was no longer enough room on the TC to complete the backup. Surely the new system files aren't taking up over 200GB? Does it somehow want to copy all of my user files again, even though the vast majority of those haven't changed since the previous backup?
I'd like not to have to upgrade to a larger TC just because of a system upgrade.
Thanks in advance.

If it is working as expected, what do you need with the old backup?
If you want to be able to go back to where you were prior to an upgrade, isolate that backup and don't use it again. As far as Time Machine can tell, the whole drive changed.
The link I posted contains probably everything that anybody knows about Time Machine and how to manipulate it to work as you would like as opposed to how it was designed to work. There are FAQs to continue a backup as opposed to starting fresh, but I wouldn't recommend it for the reasons above. Pondini probably doesn't, either.
If you are going to do a wholesale upgrade of the OS, I would create a bootable clone using something like Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper. A bootable clone on an external drive can have you back up and running instantly if the upgrade fails in any way. If the upgrade goes fine, store it away in case you find the current system isn't to your liking.

Similar Messages

Is it possible to downgrade to mountain lion with the help of a time machine backup after having updated to Mavericks?

Is it possible to downgrade to mountain lion with the help of a time machine backup after having updated to Mavericks?

Just to be clear, if by downgrade you mean uninstall, then the answer is technically, no.
You can't uninstall an OS. You can erase and re-install the old OS, but if you don't have a prior backup of your data, you'll lose it during the erase procedure.

I have a lion server set up to host storage for time machine backups. Is there a limit to how many different computers can back up to the single server to back up. I am only backing up the users folders . The backup drive is an external Drobo with 6 TB.

I have a lion server set up to host storage for time machine backups. Is there a limit to how many different computers can back up to the single server to back up. I am only backing up the users folders . The backup drive is an external Drobo with 6 TB. Right now it seems to back up my users all day long. I set their time machine interval to every 5 hours but it still runs all day long and is very slow. Server is on a new Mac Server mini.

AFAIK, there is no user limit.. it is simply a question of the network load. AFP is a fairly clean protocol.. but TM is not.. it does a lot of testing of the backup.. infact your setting of 5hour gap could well make it worse.
I would sort out the clients that are doing 100GB backups to a different backup location.. no matter how fast your network.. 100GB takes time to backup.. and over wireless forever.. it will never end.
I guess some of these clients are on wireless?? I would separate the TM of wireless to those that are wired. No more than 4 or 5 wireless clients to a target device. Otherwise you are saturating your network with backup data. And use 5ghz.. so close by.. it is much faster than 2.4ghz and you will get much better transfer rates.

After Mountain Lion update - problems synching contacts and accessing previous Time Machine backup

I have just set up a MacBoook Pro with a new SSD drive to replace the internal hard drive. I made sure I had a current Time Machine then connected the SSD drive externally and installed Mountain Lion. I installed the SSD drive into the computer. Before restoring applications from the Time Machine backup, I enabled the root user, logged on as that and deleted all other accounts as I have previously had issues with creating a new account from a backup and making that the 'home' user.
All went well except that a few seconds after I opened Contacts they all disappeared. They were replaced with two entries - one for Apple and one with the name of the home account.
I tried to retrieve Contacts from the Time Machine backup. I could see all the past dates but they were all red and inaccessible.
I looked at Contacts in my account at iCloud.com - they were the same 2 contacts as my local machine. I went through the installation process again but made sure that there was no connection to the Internet on completion. My contacts were intact. I exported them to a file and turned on the Internet. A few seconds later, my Contacts were gone..!
I imported from the backup I had made but, after a few seconds they were replaced with the two contacts from iCloud. Nothing I tried would allow me to add the contacts and have them synch to iCloud. I finally found a workaround:
1 disconnect from the Internet
2 import Contacts from the export file
3 select all contacts (ctrl-A) and drag them to the 'on my mac' account in Contacts
4 connect the Internet and watch all the contacts disappear from the iCloud account
5 select all contacts from the 'on my mac' account adn drag them to the iCloud account.
6 watch them synch to iCloud
I still don't understand the problem - perhaps someone can enlighten me - but here's the workaround if someone is having the same problem.
And I still can't access the Time Machine backup that I used to setup the MacBook Pro. Looking at the files within the Time Machine the backup. it looks as though it is probably a permissions issue but I don't see why as the account I am using is the same name as the one used to create the backup. Any guidance would be appreciated.
Jeff

I think you went about this the wrong way. ok....
Could you please try this... (1) Open Address Book - keep it as the main window. (2) Enter Time Machine from the icon in the menu bar... do you have that icon? If not, Open System Preferences, Click Time Machine, put a check mark in Show Time Machine in Menu bar. Close System Preferences. Go back to your addressbook. Make it the primary application open. Now go to the icon in the menu bar that represents TimeMachine and click Enter Timemachine. You should see your stuff...
if you dont...
I would also try...
Open system preferenes. go to the icloud tab. sign out. then sign in.
jdxxs wrote:
I have just set up a MacBoook Pro with a new SSD drive to replace the internal hard drive. I made sure I had a current Time Machine then connected the SSD drive externally and installed Mountain Lion. I installed the SSD drive into the computer. Before restoring applications from the Time Machine backup, I enabled the root user, logged on as that and deleted all other accounts as I have previously had issues with creating a new account from a backup and making that the 'home' user.
All went well except that a few seconds after I opened Contacts they all disappeared. They were replaced with two entries - one for Apple and one with the name of the home account.
I tried to retrieve Contacts from the Time Machine backup. I could see all the past dates but they were all red and inaccessible.
I looked at Contacts in my account at iCloud.com - they were the same 2 contacts as my local machine. I went through the installation process again but made sure that there was no connection to the Internet on completion. My contacts were intact. I exported them to a file and turned on the Internet. A few seconds later, my Contacts were gone..!
I imported from the backup I had made but, after a few seconds they were replaced with the two contacts from iCloud. Nothing I tried would allow me to add the contacts and have them synch to iCloud. I finally found a workaround:
1 disconnect from the Internet
2 import Contacts from the export file
3 select all contacts (ctrl-A) and drag them to the 'on my mac' account in Contacts
4 connect the Internet and watch all the contacts disappear from the iCloud account
5 select all contacts from the 'on my mac' account adn drag them to the iCloud account.
6 watch them synch to iCloud
I still don't understand the problem - perhaps someone can enlighten me - but here's the workaround if someone is having the same problem.
And I still can't access the Time Machine backup that I used to setup the MacBook Pro. Looking at the files within the Time Machine the backup. it looks as though it is probably a permissions issue but I don't see why as the account I am using is the same name as the one used to create the backup. Any guidance would be appreciated.
Jeff

Cannot install mountain lion keep getting "This disk is used for Time Machine backups" when trying to install, HELP!!!

Ok i currently have Lion on my early 2011 15" MBP. When i try to install Mountain Lion to my mac HD it keeps telling me I cannot because its used for time machine backups. I have done a search and I know I have to delete the backups.backupdb folder but I cannot find it for the life of me. If anyone can help I would really appreciate, thanks!
Nik

If you double-click on your hard drive icon the Backups.backupd folder should be on the root level of your drive. Sometimes OS X gets confused and incorrectly puts a Backups.backupd folder on your hard drive. That folder should only appear on a drive used for Time Machine
If you can't find the Backups.backupd folder try using the free EasyFind with both Package Contents and Invisible Files & Folders checked. Search for "Backups.backupd" without the quotes on your hard drive (default selection), not your Time Machine drive. Right-click on the search result and choose to Reveal in Finder. Click on the link that kisuke3 provided and follow those directions
If you can't find a Backups.backupd folder anywhere try booting into Safe Mode by holding down the Shift key right after you hear the startup chime. Keep holding the Shift key down until you see the Apple Logo. The progress bar that appears indicates the progress of the file check that Safe Mode automatically does. Give it time to finish.
Reboot normally and see if the ML installer will work. If it does wait until Spotlight is finishing indexing before turning Time Machine back on.

How to install or replace lion on Mac OS X Leopard simultaneously reinstall time machine backup of OS X Leopard

Hi, I am new or know nothing about Mac Mini which I received from relative as gift along with few software including lion OS.
I want to install lion after time machine backup of current files Mac OS X 10.6.8.
MY question is that backup of Mac OS X 10.6.8 can be installed or copied on newly installed Lion software.
Thanks in anticipation.
Raj

Only third-party applications and the user's admin folder. Since Lion succeeds Snow Leopard, you cannot restore the system software without first erasing the drive. That means you must have the Snow Leopard installer DVD.
I would simply upgrade the Snow Leopard system with Lion:
How to Install Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion Successfully - You must have Snow Leopard 10.6.7 or 10.6.8 Installed
A. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions:
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. Then select Disk Utility from the Utilities. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.3.) if DW cannot fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall Snow Leopard.
B. Make a Bootable Backup Using Restore Option of Disk Utility:
1. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
4. Check the box labeled Erase destination.
5. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to
      the Destination entry field.
6. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the
      Source entry field.
7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the backup volume. Source means the internal startup volume.
C. Important: Please read before installing:
1. If you have a FireWire hard drive connected, disconnect it before
      installing the update unless you will boot from this drive and install the
      update on it. Reconnect it and turn it back on after installation is
      complete and you've restarted.
2. You may experience unexpected results if you have installed third-
      party system software modifications, or if you have modified the
      operating system through other means. (This does not apply to
      normal application software installation.)
3. The installation process should not be interrupted. If a power outage or
      other interruption occurs during installation, use the standalone
      installer (see below) from Apple Downloads to update. While the
      installation is in progress do not use the computer.
D. To upgrade to Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks:
1. Purchase the Lion/Mountain Lion Installer from the Mac App Store.
      The download should start quickly. Lion is nearly 4 GBs so a fast
      internet connection is essential. Download time could run upwards of 4
      hours depending upon network conditions and server demands at the
      time. Note that Mavericks is FREE.
2. The installer will run automatically after the download is completed.
      Click on the Install button to begin the upgrade.
3. Follow instructions for installation.
Also see:
Upgrading from Snow Leopard to Lion or Mountain Lion
You can upgrade to Mountain Lion from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mountain Lion can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99.
If you sign into the App Store and try to purchase Mountain Lion but the App Store says your computer is not compatible then you may still be able to upgrade to Lion per the following information.
A. Upgrading to Mountain Lion
To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase and download Mountain Lion from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
     OS X Mountain Lion - System Requirements
       Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
     Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps.
     For a complete How-To introduction from Apple see Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion.
B. Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mountain Lion, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion by contacting Customer Service: Contacting Apple for support and service - this includes international calling numbers. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
     Lion System Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
           or Xeon processor
       2. 2GB of memory
       3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
       4. 7GB of available space
       5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.

Where do I find the Library in a Time Machine backup after Lion installation?

Where do I find the Library in a Time Machine backp after Lion installation?

You can access the backups of another computer by holding down the option key and selecting "Browse other Time Machine disks" from the Time Machine menu in the menu bar. As for getting to the Library folder, you would have to use something like the free application "Tinker Tool" (not "Tinker Tool System") to make hidden files visible in the Finder, then enter Time Machine.

Unable to install Lion. Installer says disk is used for Time Machine backups. But it's my Mac's HD.

On attempt to install Lion from CD, the installer says: "Mac OSX cannot be installed on "Macintosh HD". This disk is used for Time Machine backups."
I have an external drive that I've been using for Time Machine backups, but it stopped functioning recently and I have not replaced it.
Is there a workaround?
Thx in advance. Bryant

Maybe this http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2986 can help you.
Stefan

When you upgrade from Lion to ML, do you need to erase your external backup drive and start over in Time Machine, or does it just automatically pick up from where it stopped with Lion?

This is a 500 GB G-Drive mobile external hard drive that I've been using since I got my MacBook Pro in '09. So I've had it from Leopard through Lion. Should I have been erasing it each time a new operating system comes out and starting over?

No - just continue to use Time Machine as you have always been.
Not only is erasing it unnecessary, doing that would eliminate the only practicable way of undoing an OS X upgrade.

Why would upgrade from OSX 10.5.8 to 10.6.3 create browser problem?

Please help! Since upgrading my MacBook from OSX 10.5.8 to 10.6.3 I cannot access one of my online accounts anymore, neither on Safari (now 5.1.10) nor on Firefox (26.0). It worked fine before.
To access this account and as a second login step, the website requires that you select the 6 digits of your password/number from a login panel whose numbers 0 to 9 are located in different squares everytime you try and log on. The first login step that requires typing a continuous number into a field works fine, but it's this next step that's refused.
Could something (e.g. a new security or network setting) be blocking this digit-by-digit identification process?
I'd appreciate any suggestions what I could go through and check.
P.S. I just upgraded again to 10.6.8 hoping this might fix the problem, but to no avail.

bzmedia,
Make sure your software is up to date (run software update) also see if Firefox needs to be updated.
You may have to call the Main office, they must have an IT person to help customers. (I had an issue with one of my banks sites, and I had to call the Main office and they had me switch something)
By preferences I was refereing to Safari making sure that block cookies was not checked,(Safari preferences/Privacy, also check security tab and make sure that Java script is enabled) also see if your firewall may be causing the issue (system preferences/Security,firewall tab)
Seeing that it is both browsers, has me scratching my head.
I did find something similar to your issue, it may or may not be the problem, but check them anyway.
Try going to applications/Utililies/Keychain Access.
Close all windows.
Keychain Access -> click on System Roots on the left, and then click on Certifcates on the bottom left.
Check to see if any of the certificates on the right have the blue "triangle" symbol - this means they have custom trust settings.
You may have to go thru all the certificates, so you'll have to change them via the method below. Changing them just by changing the access to "system defaults" doesn't seem to save. The method below worked for me.
Double-click on each certificate with the custom setting (blue "triangle"), expand the section labled "trust". Change the "Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)if that is set" setting to "no value specified". Close window - you should be prompted for the password. Double-click on the certificate again, expand trust, change the "When using this certificate" setting to "Use System Defaults". Close window, and re-enter password.
If you didn't re-enter your password upon closing the window, the setting didn't take. The blue "triangle" should disappear after a few seconds when it's set back to default. Once all of the certificates are changed back to default, restart Safari.
Also there must be someone from the bank that can help with this matter, although most likely not at a branch. Did it work when you were at the bank?
Maybe seventyone will have the answer you need, I know he has been trying to get a post to you, but the system is messing him up.
Hope this helps,as I can't seem to think of anything else at this time, although I will keep looking around.
All the best

Why do I get an error message saying that I have insufficient space to restore my iphoto's when I have more than double the available space?

I deleted my photo's from Iphoto and when I tried to restore them from a backup on my Time capsual I received an error saying that I did not have sufficient space. The Iphoto file is 46Gb and I have over 100Gb available on my hard drive. Why will it not allow me to restore?

Possibly a damages library. Try this: make a temporary, backup copy of your library if you don't already have one (Control-click on the library and select Duplicate from the contextual menu) and apply the two fixes below in order as needed:
Fix #1
Launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
Since only one option can be run at a time start with Option #1, followed by #3 and then #4 as needed.
Fix #2
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File ➙ Rebuild Library menu option
In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
Click on the Create button.
Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments but not books, calendars or slideshows. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.
OT

Why won't firefox allow me to have more than one window open at a time?

Firefox will only open one window regardless of how I attempt to open another window. How is the remedied?
I updated to firefox 7.0 after this occurred but has not helped.
I have looked through the options and cannot find any options that will help.

Similar questions have been posted several times during the past year, but no one has posted back to confirm the cause of the problem. The most likely culprit is an add-on (or, if you have multiple displays, the window opening off-screen).
First, I recommend backing up your Firefox settings in case something goes wrong. See [https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Backing+up+your+information Backing up your information]. (You can copy your entire Firefox profile folder somewhere outside of the Mozilla folder.)
Next, check out this article:
[https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Troubleshooting%20extensions%20and%20themes Troubleshooting extensions and themes | Troubleshooting | Firefox Help]
Any luck?

Error-1 time machine backups after lion upgrade

I upgraded to Lion on both my computers. My iMac Time Machine Backups are fine - it's connected by firewire to an external hard drive.
BUT my Macbook Tim Machine Backups are wireless using our Time Capsule and the backups are stored on the Time Capsule.
Since upgrading, The backups fail & I get this error: The backup disk image “/Volumes/Brunnertime/LittleOne (2).sparsebundle” could not be accessed (error -1).
Just like so many other unhappy Lion users.
One positive abberation - Last night, I went into Time Machine Preferences, re-selected the appropriate backup disk (our Time Capsule), entered the password, started a backup and VOILA it backed up fine. All night long, it did hourly backups.
This morning? Once again, the backups are FAILING with that same error - The backup disk image “/Volumes/Brunnertime/LittleOne (2).sparsebundle” could not be accessed (error -1).
Plus, now there are NO backups on the disk. Huh?
At this point we are disgusted that both Lion and iCloud (that's another longer story) were released before they should have been. Too many bugs.

Hey, finally I found a permanent fix for this issue. I read about it at another Apple Discussions Forum, but right now I don't remember where.
It worked for me at least. In my case it seems that some Western Digital (WD) software was causing the issue. I just uninstalled WDSmartWare from my iMac using that application's own uninstaller, rebooted my Mac and, finally, after months of calling Apple Support with no luck, it all started to work normally again, so check if you have some WD software running on your Mac. In my case I didn't even need that WD software, as I had it because I used to back up to a WD Drive which I don't use anymore since I bought my Time Capsule.
Feel free to reply if you require any further assistance.
Good Luck.

How do I reinstall Lion after having to revert to previous Time Machine Backup of Snow Leopard?

After upgrading to Lion, had to revert to a Snow Leopard Time Machine backup in order to transition my Quicken data to a newer version of Quicken compatible with Lion. Now not sure how to get back my upgrade. Command-R during restart does not work, I'm sure because system is now running Snow Leopard. App Store does not show my purchase. Don't want to pay for Lion again. Don't want to restore Lion Time Machine Backup as I will lose my new Quicken Essentials version and data file.

If you are running Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later open App Store and sign in with the same Apple ID you used to purchase Lion. Click on Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should see an active Install button to the right of your original Lion purchase entry.

Will I be able to upgrade from Lion to Mavericks?

First, I know my machine will handle Mavericks, that's not my question. What I want to know is:
If I have Lion now, will I be able to upgrade from Lion to Mavericks for the Mavericks price quoted, or will I have to upgrade to Mt. Lion and then Mavericks? I was going to upgrade to Mt. Lion right about now, but don't want to pay for two upgrades within 3 or 4 months if I don't have to.

If everything goes like in Mountain Lion, you should be able to upgrade to Mavericks from any OS X version with the App Store: Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion, always that your MacBook Pro is supported, thing that we don't know yet until Apple releases the requirements. Note that this may change with the final version

Why would upgrading from Lion to Mountain Lion more than double the size of my Time Machine backup?

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