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Thread: Imac and Time Machine Backup

  1. #1
    Master reggie747's Avatar
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    Imac and Time Machine Backup

    Experts and the knowledge font, can you help please....?

    I've had a 2tb Western Digital USB drive plugged for a few years and Time Machine has quietly been doing its stuff behind the scenes. All good and in fact saved my bacon about 3 wks back when I had to reload its entire contents onto my Imac after some troubles I had (for the first time in about 12yrs since moving from Microsoft to Apple)

    Just prior to it going slightly Pete Tong, I was then informed that the Time Machine was nearly full so after the Imac was back up and running after hoovering the contents of the Time Machine bacon saver, I purchased a Western Digital 5tb "Mac Ready" USB 3 HDD as a new Time Machine.

    Following plugging in the new drive and making it the Time Machine, it then took around 14hrs to back up my drive, no problemo. I have it set up to perform back ups hourly, then daily back ups for the month and finally weekly back ups for the previous months. In fact I've changed nowt because I assume it's default set up as per previous.

    I was then told "Back up failed" repeatedly so I formatted the drive as suggested, waited another 14hrs or so and all was well until about 48hrs later when I got the same message.
    I'm effectively going round in circles because I'm back where I started.

    Can any Mac experts offer an opinion where/what/why this process is not being as straightforward as it should be (and has been for the last decade or so) ?

    Thanks in advance

  2. #2
    Grand Master Onelasttime's Avatar
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    I can't help specifically but I delete all my backups from, say, a year ago so there's always space. I reason that I'll only ever need the last back up TM made.

    I'm sure someone will now inform me that I've effectively deleted all photographic memories of my kids from when they born until January this year

  3. #3
    Grand Master MartynJC (UK)'s Avatar
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    Try re-formatting your external drive to - Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and retry



    Critical reminder: Do not format a Time Machine volume of any kind (SSD or hard drive) using APFS. Time Machine requires HFS+.



    Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 20th September 2021 at 20:42.
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  4. #4
    Grand Master Seamaster73's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MartynJC (UK) View Post
    I did read this (but not sure how true it is): Critical reminder: Do not format a Time Machine volume of any kind (SSD or hard drive) using APFS. Time Machine requires HFS+.
    Not true at all anymore.

    "APFS or APFS Encrypted disks are the preferred format for a Time Machine backup disk."

    https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guid...lp/mh15139/mac

  5. #5
    Grand Master MartynJC (UK)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Seamaster73 View Post
    Not true at all anymore.

    "APFS or APFS Encrypted disks are the preferred format for a Time Machine backup disk."

    https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guid...lp/mh15139/mac
    Depends on the version of MacOS - Big Sur or later supports APFS for time machine backups - if using Mojave or Catalina or earlier then still have to use HP+

    OP what version of MacOS do you have running?
    Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 20th September 2021 at 21:22.
    “ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG

  6. #6
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Moving forward I would do two backups using different external hard drives. One using Time Machine, the other using "SuperDuper!"

  7. #7
    Master Franco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    Moving forward I would do two backups using different external hard drives. One using Time Machine, the other using "SuperDuper!"
    SuperDuper has had problem with newer Mac OSs. May be they have sorted it now

  8. #8
    Master Maysie's Avatar
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    From the thread title, I thought this was going to be about Dr Whos' hair removal supplies.

  9. #9
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    I have this problem from time to time, and it normally requires that I re-select my Time Machine as the backup drive. Don't know why it happens, though.

    As an aside I also back up all my files on Carbonite (it also backs up the external hard drive on which I store all of my photos and videos). I've been using it for about a decade without a problem, and I can also access files from it remotely when I need to.

  10. #10
    Grand Master magirus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    I have this problem from time to time, and it normally requires that I re-select my Time Machine as the backup drive. Don't know why it happens, though.

    As an aside I also back up all my files on Carbonite (it also backs up the external hard drive on which I store all of my photos and videos). I've been using it for about a decade without a problem, and I can also access files from it remotely when I need to.
    Carbonite looks very interesting Tony. I have 2 externals at the moment, a 1TB and a 2TB, which I'll be replacing shortly with 4 or 5TB drives, I think I may well add Carbonite as extra protection.
    F.T.F.A.

  11. #11
    Master John Wall's Avatar
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    Imac and Time Machine Backup

    Can I just say,
    that I have absolutely no idea
    what you are talking about

  12. #12
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    I thought that TM disks, once full, overwrote the oldest back ups?
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

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