Time Machine

You dont just go and delete stuffs inside the time machine disk...

So is your time machine on or off in system preference?

I think he meant he got rid of some movie files on the Mac, and then TM did a backup and now there's 400 GB free on the TM disk.

Regarding TM making multiple copies of your files: it doesn't, really. Each additional "copy" is actually a link (like an alias) to the original file data. So even though it looks like there's a copy of the file in every backup, it's really just a link, which takes up almost no disk space.

Now, it's hard to tell what's going on with your TM setup. Was the 14th July backup the first one? Did it complete with no errors?

Clearly TM was not working correctly, until you deleted a few files, and maybe it's now working OK. To be more confident about it, I would probably start over again -- format the backup disk if there's nothing else on it and re-select it in Time Machine system preferences. Take note of any errors in the preferences window.

If you want to, you can track TM messages and errors by using Console.app (it's in Applications/Utilities). Open it, make sure All Messages is selected, and then watch for (or use the string matching filter) for "backupd". Every message issued by TM will have that string in the message. This can be very helpful if TM doesn't seem to be working correctly.

gilliard said:

Hi all thanks for reply
The TM was fine it's used up all 1TB of space on disc, I did not delete anything from the TM. The description of TM says it is meant to carry on backing up when full by deleting the oldest back up. This does not appear to have happened, or it did and wont back up anymore because of the only back up left I don't know.

I can't seem to travel through time machine to get to the oldest, it only has the July backup. Having said that, that's all there is to look through.

All the duplicated movies I deleted were on the imac as it had also used up almost all its memory so I was making space.
The multi duplication seems to have started when iphoto introduced face recognition, It produced 25000 pics of all sorts of things including wheels it thought was a face and what looked like thumbnail size pics of single peoples faces from group photos iphoto is crap. This is why so much memory was used and TM was doing a full back up.

When I looked at TM it then had 400GB of space for back up.

While I am typing this the TM fires up even though I have turned it off, (not ejected.)
but not backing up.

Thanks for any suggestions that might help.
gilliard.

Click to expand...

This link may help you understand Time Machine a bit better:

http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html

Off hand I do not know why TM is only allowing you to access July backup(s).

I assume the time line is showing earlier (pre july ) backups and it's these you cannot access.

Enter TM, highlight Macintosh HD in the Finder side bar and this should allow you access to those backups. If dates are shown in the time line then the data is there.

As an example, my backups date back to may 2013 but I can only readily access back ups going back to March 2014 ( 6 months ). Back ups from February 2014 to May 2013 are shown in the timeline but at first glance appear inaccessible. Highlighting Macintosh HD in the Finder sidebar enables access to those earlier backups.

The way I understand how TM works ( and stand to be corrected ), it only allows easy access to backups going back 6months. To access earlier backups ( providing they are obviously shown in the time line ) highlight Macintosh HD in the Finder sidebar. It's as if backups pre 6 months are archived but nevertheless readily accessible.

Hope this helps.