Time Capsule Insanity. Says not enough space for backup despite 1TB free

[meagain]

:| Yesterday I installed a new HD in my iMac. I restored from Time Capsule (2TB). Today when Time Machine attempts to backup, I get an error message saying what I want to backup can't fit on it. My 2TB iMac has around 1TB on it so how can my 2TB Time Capsule not be able to pull this off?

Time Machine could not complete the backup.
This backup is too large for the backup disk. The backup requires 1.10 TB but only 1.07 TB are available.

It's asking me to select a larger backup disk or exclude files. This happened the other day and Apple told me to simply delete it and do a new backup which I did via ethernet (PITA) and everything seemed fine then.

 

[flynz4]

:| Yesterday I installed a new HD in my iMac. I restored from Time Capsule (2TB). Today when Time Machine attempts to backup, I get an error message saying what I want to backup can't fit on it. My 2TB iMac has around 1TB on it so how can my 2TB Time Capsule not be able to pull this off?

Time Machine could not complete the backup.
This backup is too large for the backup disk. The backup requires 1.10 TB but only 1.07 TB are available.

It's asking me to select a larger backup disk or exclude files. This happened the other day and Apple told me to simply delete it and do a new backup which I did via ethernet (PITA) and everything seemed fine then.

It sounds like your existing backup (the one you restored from) is still on the Time Capsule. Is that correct?

If your backup size is 1.1 TB, you cannot fit two of them onto your 2TB TC. It seems that TM is trying to create a new full backup, rather than continuing the backup on your current backup set.

/Jim

 

[meagain]

Yes, like it's not 'talking to' the old/existing backup and thinks it's a totally new one which it's not.

But how do I get Time Machine to recognize this fact? I'm wondering if there's a title/name issue that I need to correct but so far, I've not figured it out.

 

[flynz4]

Yes, like it's not 'talking to' the old/existing backup and thinks it's a totally new one which it's not.

But how do I get Time Machine to recognize this fact? I'm wondering if there's a title/name issue that I need to correct but so far, I've not figured it out.

I believe there is some metadata that TM uses to determine. I "thought" it was the machine serial number, but I could be wrong given that you did not replace your computer, just the HDD.

If you do not need the backup history, you could just delete the old backup set and re-backup. Your data is at risk until the backup completes unless you have another backup someplace. If that is a concern, you can just run a TM backup to a cheap USB HDD first... then erase your TC and backup again.

/Jim

 

[meagain]

Meaning - attach an external to the Time Capsule and somehow transfer the TC's backup to the external, erase the TC, then do another zillion hour backup from iMac to TC. Right?

I was hoping someone could tell me a way to make my TC backup talk to my iMac LOL.

Well, I ordered a new external so I guess I'll do that cuz I'm not finding any other way to clean this up.

Thank you!

 

[flynz4]

Meaning - attach an external to the Time Capsule and somehow transfer the TC's backup to the external, erase the TC, then do another zillion hour backup from iMac to TC. Right?

I was hoping someone could tell me a way to make my TC backup talk to my iMac LOL.

Well, I ordered a new external so I guess I'll do that cuz I'm not finding any other way to clean this up.

Thank you!

I suspect it will be less than a zillion hours.

I would suggest that you use an ethernet cable rather than wireless. My iMac backup set is about 1TB, and it completed overnight.

Compared to my cloud backups to both Mozy and to Crashplan+... which took a couple of months to complete... I consider backing up locally to TM to be "instantaneous" in comparison.

/Jim

 

[skorpien]

With the new external you may want to try something like this:

Connect the external to the TC. Start a new backup with the external as the target. Copy and paste the name of the new sparsebundle file that is created somewhere. Stop the backup and delete the sparsebundle from the external. Copy the old sparsebundle to the external and rename it using the new name. Try continuing the backup to the external with the newly renamed sparsebundle.

I'm not sure if this will work 100% but it might allow you to continue your backups. And if it does with no issues, you can rename the sparsebundle file that's on your TC without worries of corrupting it. But do it on the external first just in case.