Time Machine not, um, adding up...

[OrangeCuse44]

So out of nowhere Time Machine isn't backing up correctly. I attached screen shots of exactly what is happening. On my internal HD, I have 322GB used, 64 GB excluded from backup, and an external HD capacity of 297 GB. For all those non mathematicians out there, I am trying to back up 258 GB on a 297 GB drive. I'm not exactly sure what TM is trying to do here or how to fix the situation. Any help is appreciated..

 

[GizmoDVD]

Where can I get your background? Pretty colors...

 

[OrangeCuse44]

Where can I get your background? Pretty colors...

From here: http://www.hdwallpapers.net/

So, even with my detailed breakdown of the problem, no ideas?

 

[AmbitiousLemon]

I think the trouble you are having involves the way time machine backs up. It doesn't just periodically copy all your files. It creates a timeline of changes to your drive and saves just the changes. This allows you to then use time machine to choose various backup states for both the full drive and for individual files. You could for instance retrieve a paper you have been working on and retrieve backed up copies of it showing the changes made over several days. You basically only have space on that drive for one complete backup. So when time machine tries to go back and save additional changes there isn't enough room. You need a bigger hard drive.

 

[gnasher729]

From here: http://www.hdwallpapers.net/

So, even with my detailed breakdown of the problem, no ideas?

Time Machine won't delete the last backup until the next backup is complete - just in case something goes wrong with the next backup. It seems that you have 123 GB of changed files, which Time Machine wants to backup first before it deletes the previous version.

What you can do: You probably have some idea where these 123 GB are. Exclude that folder from the backup (that might for example be your iTunes music folder, or your folder for videos, or whatever it is you have been changing). Perform the backup, include that folder again, and do another backup.

Basically with that 40 GB only free on your external drive, Time Machine will have problems whenever you change more than 40 GB between backups.

 

[OrangeCuse44]

Time Machine won't delete the last backup until the next backup is complete - just in case something goes wrong with the next backup. It seems that you have 123 GB of changed files, which Time Machine wants to backup first before it deletes the previous version.

What you can do: You probably have some idea where these 123 GB are. Exclude that folder from the backup (that might for example be your iTunes music folder, or your folder for videos, or whatever it is you have been changing). Perform the backup, include that folder again, and do another backup.

Basically with that 40 GB only free on your external drive, Time Machine will have problems whenever you change more than 40 GB between backups.

This makes sense, thank you. Problem is, I have no clue why it thinks I changed 123 GB worth of data. Since my last backup, all I have done is download a bunch of media, which is in the D/L folder I excluded. Quite perplexing. I'm thinking my best bet may be to wipe all previous backups and start fresh?