Time capsule only doing full backups - drive full

[DrTwoFish]

Hi all, I have a 2TB Time Capsule that I use for backing up my Macbook Pro alongside a 3TB wired WD drive. The total backup is around 800 GB and includes a second wired external media drive that stores my RAW files and iTunes library. The wired drive is backing up correctly, in that each time it only backs up what has changed since the last backup - for example, a few gigs of photos. However, the Time Capsule seems to want do do an entire 800+GB backup each time, and it's telling me I don't have the capacity. Also, the wired drive will delete old backups to make space, but the TC won't. I tried deleting the sparsebundle about two weeks ago in case it was a glitch, but it's doing it again. Any ideas why this is only happening? Thanks!

 

[simonsi]

Because the TC isn't recognising the MBP drive as the one it has the backup for. Try Removing the TM drive in TM prefs, then Adding it back.

 

[DrTwoFish]

Because the TC isn't recognising the MBP drive as the one it has the backup for. Try Removing the TM drive in TM prefs, then Adding it back.

Thanks - trying that, but it looks like now it's going to do a full backup, so I'll probably have to re-delete the sparsebundle. Not sure why it's not recognizing the MPB drive - I haven't changed the name or anything. Odd.

 

[simonsi]

Of course it is, that action resets the backup so it has to then take a full backup but should be incremental from there. Quit deleting the sparsebundle, you are probably confusing it.

 

[DrTwoFish]

Of course it is, that action resets the backup so it has to then take a full backup but should be incremental from there. Quit deleting the sparsebundle, you are probably confusing it.

Unfortunately, if I don't delete the sparsebundle there's no room for a new backup.

 

[simonsi]

So clear space at the folder or drive level, TM clearly is getting confused between what it thinks is on the drive and what it finds in the backup, deleting the sparsebundle may just be continuing that confusion, give TM what it expects in a clean drive or partition and I'm sure it will restart and be fine. TM doesn't expect you to just delete sparsebundles.

 

[Donfor39]

I have a similar prob with time capsule via aes-external hdd- I though time capsule deletes old backups when my drive becomes full -it doesn't..constant failed backups with a few hundred meg free.

 

[DrTwoFish]

So clear space at the folder or drive level, TM clearly is getting confused between what it thinks is on the drive and what it finds in the backup, deleting the sparsebundle may just be continuing that confusion, give TM what it expects in a clean drive or partition and I'm sure it will restart and be fine. TM doesn't expect you to just delete sparsebundles.

Yep, I did that this time - erased the disk from the Airport Utility and am starting over with a fresh clean backup. I'm hoping that was the issue. Thanks!

 

[simonsi]

I though time capsule deletes old backups when my drive becomes full -it doesn't..constant failed backups with a few hundred meg free.

Time Machine does this I have seen several TM drives fill up, it deletes older backups and warns that it has done so in a pop up window, just as advertised. If it is failing with significant space remaining then space isn't the issue, there is another cause for the failing backups.