time machine backup failed

[macbookpro2008]

Hi, I've got a 3rd generation time capsule that I used to be able to back up onto from my 2008 (intel) macbook pro via time machine on wifi. Now it fails after running for an hour or two. It's been ages since I backed up though after I first noticed the problem and didn't deal with it. I'm going to be upgrading from 10.6.8 to something newer and wanted to get a last save in.

I have checked my hard disk on the macbook using disk utility and everything is ok there. Here are the messages from backupd onto console. I can also say that the transfer rate is about 100KBps till it fails. I checked activity and nothing is consuming lots of cpu. What should I do?

Your help would be appreciated!



backupd time machine back up failed


15-01-22 7:24:42 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Starting standard backup
15-01-22 7:24:42 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Attempting to mount network destination using URL: afp://Moor@Moor%20P%20Time%20Capsule._afpovertcp._tcp.local/Moor%20P%20Time%20Capsul
15-01-22 7:24:43 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Mounted network destination using URL: afp://Moor@Moor%20P%20Time%20Capsule._afpovertcp._tcp.local/Moor%20P%20Time%20Capsul
15-01-22 7:24:43 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Couldn't find en0.
15-01-22 7:24:49 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Couldn't find en0.
15-01-22 7:24:55 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] QUICKCHECK ONLY; FILESYSTEM CLEAN
15-01-22 7:24:59 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Disk image /Volumes/Moor P Time Capsul-1/Moor’s Computer.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups
15-01-22 7:24:59 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Couldn't find en0.
15-01-22 7:24:59 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
15-01-22 7:25:01 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Couldn't find en0.
15-01-22 7:30:18 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Event store UUIDs don't match for volume: Macintosh HD
15-01-22 7:31:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:32:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:33:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:34:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:35:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:36:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:37:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:38:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:39:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:40:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:41:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:42:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:43:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:44:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:45:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:46:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:47:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:48:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:49:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:50:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:51:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:52:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:53:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:54:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:55:50 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Waiting for index to be ready (101)
15-01-22 7:58:11 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|new event db|
15-01-22 8:08:05 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] No pre-backup thinning needed: 24.48 GB requested (including padding), 322.57 GB available
15-01-22 8:32:47 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Copied 77.1 MB of 15.2 GB, 14 of 35712 items
15-01-22 8:48:27 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Bulk setting Spotlight attributes failed.
15-01-22 9:07:21 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Bulk setting Spotlight attributes failed.
15-01-22 9:36:35 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Copied 405.0 MB of 15.2 GB, 19 of 35712 items
15-01-22 10:01:51 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Bulk setting Spotlight attributes failed.
15-01-22 10:06:09 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Indexing a file failed. Returned 200 for: /Applications/Installers/FileMaker Pro 8.5 Trial/FileMaker Pro 8.5 Trial Installer/FileMaker Pro 8.5, /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Moor P MacBook Pro/2013-02-12-105220.inProgress/DF433380-6DE9-4092-A6DD-B8C507091025/Macintosh HD/Applications/Installers/FileMaker Pro 8.5 Trial/FileMaker Pro 8.5 Trial Installer/FileMaker Pro 8.5
15-01-22 10:06:09 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Aborting backup because indexing a file failed.
15-01-22 10:06:09 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Stopping backup.
15-01-22 10:06:09 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Copied 31 files (535.7 MB) from volume Macintosh HD.
15-01-22 10:06:09 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Copy stage failed with error:11
15-01-22 10:06:09 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Couldn't find en0.
15-01-22 10:06:17 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Backup failed with error: 11
15-01-22 10:06:32 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Ejected Time Machine disk image.
15-01-22 10:06:33 PM com.apple.backupd[2294] Ejected Time Machine network volume.

 

[maflynn]

Did you run any diagnostics on your hard drive, it looks like its throwing some errors.

 

[macbookpro2008]

Thanks for your reply.

I ran verify permissions and verify disk on my macbook pro hard drive before the scan I just reported. Everything is ok on it.

I read one should not use disk utility for the time capsule. I am not sure how to test the disk in the time capsule.

 

[macbookpro2008]

OK, I plugged the macbook pro in to the time capsule with an ethernet cable and ran disk utility on it, which checked out fine:

Verify and Repair volume “Time Machine Backups”
Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Detected a case-sensitive volume.
Checking extents overflow file.
Checking catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking catalog hierarchy.
Checking extended attributes file.
Checking multi-linked directories.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
The volume Time Machine Backups appears to be OK.
Volume repair complete.Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.

then I tried again to run a time machine backup and it failed. Here is the output from time machine buddy.

Starting standard backup
Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/Moor P's Time Capsul-1
Couldn't find en0.
Failed to attach to image: /Volumes/Moor P's Time Capsul-1/Moor’s Computer.sparsebundle, DIHLDiskImageAttach returned: 35
Disk image /Volumes/Moor P's Time Capsul-1/Moor’s Computer.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups
Couldn't find en0.
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
Couldn't find en0.
Event store UUIDs don't match for volume: Macintosh HD
Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|new event db|
No pre-backup thinning needed: 24.48 GB requested (including padding), 547.00 GB available
Indexing a file failed. Returned 200 for: /Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/MicrosoftWlmFile.framework, /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Moor p’s MacBook Pro/2013-02-12-105220.inProgress/FE4B7253-F866-4589-AB88-9CD46D628754/Macintosh HD/Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/MicrosoftWlmFile.framework
Aborting backup because indexing a file failed.
Stopping backup.
Copied 174 files (270.7 MB) from volume Macintosh HD.
Copy stage failed with error:11
Couldn't find en0.
Backup failed with error: 11
Ejected Time Machine disk image.
Ejected Time Machine network volume.

I also got these messages in the console between 'node requires deep traversal' and the index failure:

15-01-23 6:21:15 AM com.apple.backupd[2895] Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|new event db|
15-01-23 6:26:35 AM com.apple.backupd[2895] No pre-backup thinning needed: 24.48 GB requested (including padding), 547.00 GB available
15-01-23 6:26:38 AM /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker[3277] MDS Error: unable to create user DBs in /var/folders/zz/zzzivhrRnAmviuee++++KE+++3Y/-Caches-//mds
15-01-23 6:26:38 AM /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker[3277] MDS Error: unable to create user DBs in /var/folders/zz/zzzivhrRnAmviuee++++KE+++3Y/-Caches-//mds
15-01-23 6:26:38 AM /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker[3277] MDS Error: unable to create user DBs in /var/folders/zz/zzzivhrRnAmviuee++++KE+++3Y/-Caches-//mds
15-01-23 6:26:38 AM /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker[3277] MDS Error: unable to create user DBs in /var/folders/zz/zzzivhrRnAmviuee++++KE+++3Y/-Caches-//mds
15-01-23 6:26:38 AM /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker[3277] MDS Error: unable to create user DBs in /var/folders/zz/zzzivhrRnAmviuee++++KE+++3Y/-Caches-//mds
15-01-23 6:26:38 AM /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker[3277] MDS Error: unable to create user DBs in /var/folders/zz/zzzivhrRnAmviuee++++KE+++3Y/-Caches-//mds
15-01-23 6:26:38 AM /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker[3277] MDS Error: unable to create user DBs in /var/folders/zz/zzzivhrRnAmviuee++++KE+++3Y/-Caches-//mds
15-01-23 6:30:05 AM com.apple.backupd[2895] Indexing a file failed. Returned 200 for: /Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/MicrosoftWlmFile.framework, /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb/Moor P’s MacBook Pro/2013-02-12-105220.inProgress/FE4B7253-F866-4589-AB88-9CD46D628754/Macintosh HD/Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/MicrosoftWlmFile.framework

 

[macbookpro2008]

I'm still trying on this, but it isn't the only problem it seems. Due to the spotlight errors in what I pasted above I reindexed the macbook pro hard disk. Spotlight did not indicate with a progress bar or "indexing" that is what it was doing but the activity monitored showed cpu intensive activity from mds, mdworker, etc and eventually that stops.

However I cannot index my time machine backups. I use the same command in terminal and I can hear the disk start up on the time capsule but it stops after a few seconds.

This is the command line:
sudo mdutil -E /Volumes/Time\ Machine\ Backups
/Volumes/Time Machine Backups:
Indexing enabled.


On the other hand I can see all the files in the time machine backups in finder.

I think the indexing failure error in time machine is related to the fact that spotlight will not index the time capsule.
The macbook pro and the time capsule are connected via ethernet and airport is off...

Is this hopeless?

 

[macbookpro2008]

A trick worked

I found a trick that was counterintuitive.

Spotlight can cause indexing crashes in time machine, because it can start to index it during backup. I hadn't paid attention to this because like I said I cannot get spotlight to actually index the time capsule disk, although it will start to do so if forced.

As a last resort I tried it anyway -- in spotlight preferences, privacy tab, exclude the time machine disk.

It worked! I got my backup (16Gb) in less than 40 minutes. What speeded it up alot was to stop finder from calculating file sizes in directories that have large files.

I"m quoting the instructions I found elsewhere on the web:

When looking at your TimeMachine log files, if the error is something like "Indexing a file failed. Returned xxx for : yyy" then chances are high that ... Spotlight is responsible for this mess.

It seems that Spotlight doesn't automatically ignore TimeMachine mounted files and, each time TM mount its remote backup image, Spotlight tries to index it - which causes file access conflicts.

Solution:
- Click "apple" menu => System Properties...
- Click on Spotlight, then go on the "Privacy" tab
- Force initiate a TM backup ("Back up now") to force TM to mount the drive
- as TM is trying to backup your system, click on the "+" sign in the "Privacy" tab of Spotlight preferences and add the now visible TimeMachine drive as a drive it should ignore in its indexing
- close the System Properties window

you should now be all set.

http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=34321

I still have the problem with spotlight and other issues but now I can easily get a new install of an upgraded os x.

 

[maflynn]

As a last resort I tried it anyway -- in spotlight preferences, privacy tab, exclude the time machine disk.
.

I never had a problem with spotlight and Time Machine but I think by default I have spotlight disabled on my drobo volume that holds my time machine backup. I suppose that may be why I never incurred any issues.

I'm glad to see you resolved the issue.