Time Machine Backups - Not all there?

[bluestarCVO]

Hello everyone. I just recently started using time machine backups about a month ago. I looked in my time machine backups, specifically at my pictures folder, and found that the only backup of my iPhoto library was in the finder pane that says "Now". The arrows to scroll back to previous backups are grayed out and cannot be clicked on, and I also cannot choose a different date by clicking the red tabs along the right side of the screen. I do know that you have to quit iPhoto in order for time machine to back it up properly, which I do. I also have 1.5 TB of free space on my time machine drive, so I know that space is not an issue. I just want to find out if I am doing something wrong, as I want to make SURE I have a good backup of all my 15,000 pictures and videos. Thanks in advance.

 

[bluestarCVO]

Anyone?

 

[Weaselboy]

Hello everyone. I just recently started using time machine backups about a month ago. I looked in my time machine backups, specifically at my pictures folder, and found that the only backup of my iPhoto library was in the finder pane that says "Now". The arrows to scroll back to previous backups are grayed out and cannot be clicked on, and I also cannot choose a different date by clicking the red tabs along the right side of the screen. I do know that you have to quit iPhoto in order for time machine to back it up properly, which I do. I also have 1.5 TB of free space on my time machine drive, so I know that space is not an issue. I just want to find out if I am doing something wrong, as I want to make SURE I have a good backup of all my 15,000 pictures and videos. Thanks in advance.

You don't need to quit iPhoto for it to backup. You should be able to scroll back and click the pink arrows and see older versions of your iPhoto library, so you have something broken.

What OS X version are you on and what kind of drive are you using for backup? Just standard, local USB?

 

[bluestarCVO]

You don't need to quit iPhoto for it to backup. You should be able to scroll back and click the pink arrows and see older versions of your iPhoto library, so you have something broken.

What OS X version are you on and what kind of drive are you using for backup? Just standard, local USB?

Thanks for the reply. I am on Yosemite now but it was doing the same on Mavericks. I am using a 3 TB Western Digital drive in a USB 3.0 enclosure. When I enter time machine, I can cycle through the documents backups, music, home drive, etc, but if I click on the pictures folder, both of the scroll arrows to the right are grayed out and I can't scroll to or manually select another time/day. I've even tried formatting the drive and starting completely over with the time machine backups. No luck.

My pictures are the most important thing on my computer. We have well over 15,000 now, so I want to make dang sure they are properly backed up. Thanks for your help.

 

[Bruno09]

Check the Time Machine exclusion list...

 

[bluestarCVO]

Check the Time Machine exclusion list...

It's not that. Sometimes it does work. Might go into time machine today and there will be a couple of days of pictures backups. But then I may go in there tomorrow and there will be nothing. Like they disappeared. Strange.

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks for the reply. I am on Yosemite now but it was doing the same on Mavericks. I am using a 3 TB Western Digital drive in a USB 3.0 enclosure. When I enter time machine, I can cycle through the documents backups, music, home drive, etc, but if I click on the pictures folder, both of the scroll arrows to the right are grayed out and I can't scroll to or manually select another time/day. I've even tried formatting the drive and starting completely over with the time machine backups. No luck.

My pictures are the most important thing on my computer. We have well over 15,000 now, so I want to make dang sure they are properly backed up. Thanks for your help.

I have seen a lot of posts here from Yosemite users having odd Time Machine issues, but the fact it was doing it on Mavericks also is troubling.

Try doing the reset process described here and see if that helps.

Also, open Console and type backup in the filter bar at the top then do a manual TM backup and watch the log entries there for any errors that might help with this.