Time machine backups are gone

[LeeS]

My Time Machine has been making the usual regular backups for a few months onto my Time Capsule. I just found that all the backups prior to about a week ago have vanished.

It's not a disaster (I think) as I assume that the current backups reflect what's on my iMac (I haven't had to delete files from it yet).

Where did they go? Why did they go?

A possible connection: My TC is 500GB; my iMac 1TB. I recently put extra files for temporary use onto the iMac hard drive - Time Machine said (in effect) 'that's too much, try removing certain folders from the backup'. I excluded said folder and things seemed okay, but it would be at around the time I did that that my old backups have gone.

What do you guys think? Have I messed up and how do I avoid a repetition?

 

[Jasonc23]

I dont think you did much wrong. Just leave those files alone

 

[LeeS]

I dont think you did much wrong. Just leave those files alone

Ha! You bet!

I think I can answer my own question (for those who may follow) - I checked which files were not being backed up and the WHOLE backup had somehow got into the list of things NOT to be backed up, along with the folder that was too large. Can't work out how I did that, but it's worth being careful with this facility, as every Time Machine drive eventually gets full . . . .🙂