It was working last night. Now it says backup failed everytime
whats going on?
ive tried permisions, ejecting, restart, etc
any ideas?
whats going on?
ive tried permisions, ejecting, restart, etc
any ideas?
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Time Machine: Backup Failed
- Thread starter dukebound85
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This has happened to me too. It has happened when I installed Microsoft Office 2008, and when I updated Java. I think what happens is the installer messes up permissions or something, and Time Machine encounters something it can't copy. Either way, the way to fix it is to basically exclude the files that are giving you problems from being backed up.
After getting a Time Machine backup error, use Terminal and type in
cat /var/log/system.log
and you should see stuff like "Error 32 : /folder/file.blah could not be backed up", then just exclude that folder.
This is just a "cover up" fix, obviously, if someone could really fix this that would be great.
After getting a Time Machine backup error, use Terminal and type in
cat /var/log/system.log
and you should see stuff like "Error 32 : /folder/file.blah could not be backed up", then just exclude that folder.
This is just a "cover up" fix, obviously, if someone could really fix this that would be great.
Time machine can be very temperamental. I have had a problem every time I take my MBP out of range and the scheduled backup starts and fails. Every time it tries to back up after that, I will get an error.
Solution (for me, and hopefully for you too): Go into Time Machine Preferences, select Change Disk, reselect the volume that is used for your backups. There have been times that I had to just go through the whole Set Up Time Capsule procedure, but not nearly as frequently.
Hope this helps.
Solution (for me, and hopefully for you too): Go into Time Machine Preferences, select Change Disk, reselect the volume that is used for your backups. There have been times that I had to just go through the whole Set Up Time Capsule procedure, but not nearly as frequently.
Hope this helps.
this is what i see. any idea?
Time machine can be very temperamental. I have had a problem every time I take my MBP out of range and the scheduled backup starts and fails. Every time it tries to back up after that, I will get an error.
Solution (for me, and hopefully for you too): Go into Time Machine Preferences, select Change Disk, reselect the volume that is used for your backups. There have been times that I had to just go through the whole Set Up Time Capsule procedure, but not nearly as frequently.
Hope this helps.
thanks, sadly it doesnt
Attachments
Wow, hopefully someone around here will be able to help you.thanks, sadly it doesnt
Dumb question... have you googled it?
(WWW, not MR)
Wow, hopefully someone around here will be able to help you.
Dumb question... have you googled it?
yea i have or tried to lol
i did notice this though
i took a hdd out (have 3 in my tower) and when i take a hdd out, that is when it no longer will backup to time machine
when i put it back in, it backs up. any idea?
the hdd i remove is not the primarty or time machine drive
TM is probably picky about the configuration and doesn't like it when it expects 3 and gets 2. I'm sure I'm over-simplifying things here, and um, I haven't a clue what I'm talking about. Good luck.
Repair your hard drive. I had this happen to me more and more as my HDD was beginning to fail.
I'm not trying to scare you, just saying what I went through. And the drive never actually failed, I just got so tired of some weird crap going on that I went and had the thing replaced.
I'm not trying to scare you, just saying what I went through. And the drive never actually failed, I just got so tired of some weird crap going on that I went and had the thing replaced.
nope my drives are
1: 500 gig primary
2: 1.5TB time machine drive
3: 80 gig laptop drive
I have tm backing 1 up to 2. the drive I took out is 3 and once i took it out, TM fails backup. when i put it back in, TM works again
Ill try it though the TM drive is like a month old
Usually when a drive fails, it will fail early. To me that doesn't sound like the issue though. Can you confirm the 80GB drive was not being backed up to the 1.5TB drive?
I don't know if this thread is the right spot or I should start a new thread for this but...
TM tries to back up things it shouldn't touch. I spent a few quality hours on the phone with Apple level 2 support last night. At one point, they suggested unmounting all my network drives because TM would try to back them up. Are you kidding? So perhaps the drive you think is excluded is not fully excluded. Look in system.log (in system profile, double click to get it in its own console window). Look for errors that occur after a TM backup starts. If any of those errors deal with /Volumes/whateveryourdriveis, then you know that somehow there are some files included from the drive you removed.
In my situation, I have had to delete the sparsebundle and start from scratch twice now. The first time it was allegedly due to my system sleeping while backing up wirelessly. Ok. I use a cable and I disabled sleep. Recently, I needed my one and only gigabyte cable for another machine so I turned wifi back on and guess what? TM backup volume corruption problems again. I'm waiting to hear from Apple engineering to see if they found any clues in the half dozen logs I sent them during last night's 6 hour ordeal. I can only hope a firmware update and a TM update come out soon to eliminate even the possibility of sparsebundle corruption when backing up over the network.
In your situation, deleting your old sparsebundle or starting a new one might be a solution. There may be files in your backup set that came from the 80 gig drive and try as you might, you may never get TM to stop looking for them.
At this point, TM is looking and behaving like beta software. I'm at the latest firmware on my TC and latest software on my Macbook. I would expect to be able to get back to summer 2008 when I purchased my Time Capsule. I'm 2 sparsebundle deletions away from that capability and the least I can say at this point is that Time Machine does not work as advertised. When the TM user interface implies the ability to go back in time to any hour in the past day, any day in the past week and any month in the past year, being stuck with this morning as my oldest backup makes me feel like Im being been lied to. My experience with TM is the most M$-like thing I've experienced on a Mac. From insufferable long delays getting control of the process to random breakdowns that don't relate to any action on my part. Apple needs to get their Time Machine/Time Capsule act together or M$ will be able to start running those freeze commercials too. The only up side in all of this is the timely, professional tech support I received from Apple. Still, broken software is broken software.
If TM doesn't start working for me soon, I'm going to have to shut it off and go to a more traditional backup solution. I might consider freeware or shareware Super Duper or the even more expensive Retrospect software. I've gotta get this done and get it done once and for all.
TM tries to back up things it shouldn't touch. I spent a few quality hours on the phone with Apple level 2 support last night. At one point, they suggested unmounting all my network drives because TM would try to back them up. Are you kidding?
So perhaps the drive you think is excluded is not fully excluded. Look in system.log (in system profile, double click to get it in its own console window). Look for errors that occur after a TM backup starts. If any of those errors deal with /Volumes/whateveryourdriveis, then you know that somehow there are some files included from the drive you removed. In my situation, I have had to delete the sparsebundle and start from scratch twice now. The first time it was allegedly due to my system sleeping while backing up wirelessly. Ok. I use a cable and I disabled sleep. Recently, I needed my one and only gigabyte cable for another machine so I turned wifi back on and guess what? TM backup volume corruption problems again. I'm waiting to hear from Apple engineering to see if they found any clues in the half dozen logs I sent them during last night's 6 hour ordeal. I can only hope a firmware update and a TM update come out soon to eliminate even the possibility of sparsebundle corruption when backing up over the network.
In your situation, deleting your old sparsebundle or starting a new one might be a solution. There may be files in your backup set that came from the 80 gig drive and try as you might, you may never get TM to stop looking for them.
At this point, TM is looking and behaving like beta software. I'm at the latest firmware on my TC and latest software on my Macbook. I would expect to be able to get back to summer 2008 when I purchased my Time Capsule. I'm 2 sparsebundle deletions away from that capability and the least I can say at this point is that Time Machine does not work as advertised.
When the TM user interface implies the ability to go back in time to any hour in the past day, any day in the past week and any month in the past year, being stuck with this morning as my oldest backup makes me feel like Im being been lied to. My experience with TM is the most M$-like thing I've experienced on a Mac. From insufferable long delays getting control of the process to random breakdowns that don't relate to any action on my part. Apple needs to get their Time Machine/Time Capsule act together or M$ will be able to start running those freeze commercials too. The only up side in all of this is the timely, professional tech support I received from Apple. Still, broken software is broken software. If TM doesn't start working for me soon, I'm going to have to shut it off and go to a more traditional backup solution. I might consider freeware or shareware Super Duper or the even more expensive Retrospect software. I've gotta get this done and get it done once and for all.
If you have this issue, there is a fix for it. I found it with a quick Google search, as I was having this issue myself. What you need to do is delete the .inProgress file created by Time Machine on your backup drive. Initiate a backup manually, and it should start working again.
wow someone shoot me in the face....
you know why TM wasn't backing up? because i am a dumbass
i excluded my primary drive to back up so there was NOTHING to back up
arent i a smart one
just like when i took apart my car door and bought a new window motor because my window stopped working in my car......only to find out i had pressed the lock window button in my car so of course the window wouldnt work with the switch
lol
you know why TM wasn't backing up? because i am a dumbass
i excluded my primary drive to back up so there was NOTHING to back up
arent i a smart one
just like when i took apart my car door and bought a new window motor because my window stopped working in my car......only to find out i had pressed the lock window button in my car so of course the window wouldnt work with the switch
lol
Very big of you to post the resolution.
i will say i love when these types of situations happens to me lol
This problem still exists!
I have, as they say, done all of the above. I erased my backup drive External WD Book 1TB and waited all night for it to start afresh. Came in this morning to find the same error and no backups of my system. I've deleted as many prefs as I dare and more than I care to mention. latest log is
I have repaired my HD (nothing to repair) and fixed permissions and still no joy.
I am now just a few steps away from
I have, as they say, done all of the above. I erased my backup drive External WD Book 1TB and waited all night for it to start afresh. Came in this morning to find the same error and no backups of my system. I've deleted as many prefs as I dare and more than I care to mention. latest log is
but I cancelled it because I could see this in the log
For the record all this seemed to come about after Safari update last week to v4.0.2 Coincidence ?? Maybe but.....
I have repaired my HD (nothing to repair) and fixed permissions and still no joy.
I am now just a few steps away from
- tossing the iMac out of the window
- doing a clean re-install
RE: Time Machine: Backup Failed
RE:
"Does anyone have a solution to this?"
Yes.
1. Turn OFF Time Machine.
2. Get ahold of SuperDuper
3. Use SuperDuper to erase your backup drive and create a new clone of your internal drive on the backup.
4. Do a daily "incremental backup" to the external (again, with SuperDuper)
Your backup problems will be solved. AND, you will have something that Time Machine cannot give you - a fully bootable backup of your internal drive. You can now boot from the backup and run maintenence or recovery on the internal if the need arises. You CAN'T do that with a TM "backup".
In 22 years of Mac'ing, one truth I've discovered: one needs a fully-bootable SECOND drive in addition to one's primary drive. It makes EVERYthing easier.
Apple would have done much better by buying SuperDuper outright, and including it with every Mac sold, rather than Time Machine. As of late, I seem to be reading an increasing number of postings stating that either:
1. They can't restore from a TM backup, or,
2. TM seems to be corrupting the drives it uses, or other problems simply maintaining a TM backup drive.
Time Machine is clunky at best, and an unreliable backup solution at worst.
SuperDuper _works_.
- John
RE:
"Does anyone have a solution to this?"
Yes.
1. Turn OFF Time Machine.
2. Get ahold of SuperDuper
3. Use SuperDuper to erase your backup drive and create a new clone of your internal drive on the backup.
4. Do a daily "incremental backup" to the external (again, with SuperDuper)
Your backup problems will be solved. AND, you will have something that Time Machine cannot give you - a fully bootable backup of your internal drive. You can now boot from the backup and run maintenence or recovery on the internal if the need arises. You CAN'T do that with a TM "backup".
In 22 years of Mac'ing, one truth I've discovered: one needs a fully-bootable SECOND drive in addition to one's primary drive. It makes EVERYthing easier.
Apple would have done much better by buying SuperDuper outright, and including it with every Mac sold, rather than Time Machine. As of late, I seem to be reading an increasing number of postings stating that either:
1. They can't restore from a TM backup, or,
2. TM seems to be corrupting the drives it uses, or other problems simply maintaining a TM backup drive.
Time Machine is clunky at best, and an unreliable backup solution at worst.
SuperDuper _works_.
- John
^ While I do use SuperDuper myself for backups, Time Machine is totally different.
Time Machine allows you to go back to different points in a files life and get it back from that point. SuperDuper only lets you go back to the last version you backed up. Some people don't want that.
Time Machine allows you to go back to different points in a files life and get it back from that point. SuperDuper only lets you go back to the last version you backed up. Some people don't want that.
Not a solution
I have checked and repaired permissions etc in Disk utility. I have even opened in terminal and done an fsck -fy command no faults found.
Latest tack is to purchase Tech Tools Pro 5 which is currently laboriously working it's way through my system having booted from the disk. (I'm on my laptop that still has Tiger at the moment) given the expense I hope it comes up with a solution. Next step if that doesn't work is to reinstall Leopard and start again.
So Fishrrman, thanks for your input but it's not really a solution now is it?
I could go get Super duper but that doesn't address the current problem which is underlying. Up to now I have had Safari 4.0.2 hang which freezes the computer, dock won't pop up nothing else will open, even force quit is sluggish until Safari has relinquished grip. Activity monitor doesn't show anything grabbing too much processor use.
I have checked and repaired permissions etc in Disk utility. I have even opened in terminal and done an fsck -fy command no faults found.
Latest tack is to purchase Tech Tools Pro 5 which is currently laboriously working it's way through my system having booted from the disk. (I'm on my laptop that still has Tiger at the moment) given the expense I hope it comes up with a solution. Next step if that doesn't work is to reinstall Leopard and start again.
So Fishrrman, thanks for your input but it's not really a solution now is it?
Time Machine failed fix
This worked for me after this kept happening:
Terminal typed: cat /var/log/system.log
I saw a folder source that was from work, not home.
Turns out i had to allow permissions manually by GET iNFO on that source folder on that volume.
Bang.... it worked... i am more concerned how 2 of me showed up in the sharing section at the bottom where u change it.
Hope that helps someone else.
This worked for me after this kept happening:
Terminal typed: cat /var/log/system.log
I saw a folder source that was from work, not home.
Turns out i had to allow permissions manually by GET iNFO on that source folder on that volume.
Bang.... it worked... i am more concerned how 2 of me showed up in the sharing section at the bottom where u change it.
Hope that helps someone else.
Thanks, Time Machine Backup failures solved
I used the above terminal command and it told me what files were causing the failure, I deleted/excepted the file and zoom, the backup finally completed. Thanks much, I repeatedly kept repairing my iMac harddrive, my backup drive, reformatted the backups and still no dice, before I did this. Now no problem!!
I used the above terminal command and it told me what files were causing the failure, I deleted/excepted the file and zoom, the backup finally completed. Thanks much, I repeatedly kept repairing my iMac harddrive, my backup drive, reformatted the backups and still no dice, before I did this. Now no problem!!