I get the random errors on TM and I don't use bluetooth, it's completely off, and I am using a Mac Pro with an internal HD used as a backup.
I have a Mac Pro with a 1 TB internal HD dedicated for Time Machine. I had errors initially due to improper sectors. Have you checked out the integrity of the HD? I recommend using TechTool Pro. Otherwise, I recommend turning off Time Machine, resetting your Time Machine preferences (trash associated .plist files), then restart Time Machine. Also, be aware of what you're running when these errors occur. Every case is sensitive. Hope this helps.
Apple is always blamed for problems that users have whether it's their software's fault or not. It's my experience that many of the problems I see here and elsewhere complained about are in fact conflicts from the users setup, improper setting, or third party software they use.
---
Well Apple managed to find at least 100 problems on their own to fix. Unless they blame themselves?
To be fair, no OS is 100% issue free. The best judge of a stable OS is the percentage of errors comparatively, to either another OS or a past revision of the same OS. The "bugs" that are listed as focus issues are isolated incidents. I highly doubt users experience all listed bugs as each one is dependent upon numerous factors. That being stated, it does not mean listed focus "bugs" are not an issue that needs addressing. However, stating that Apple is 100% at fault is improper. Windows is an excellent example. The Windows OS isn't by nature a faulty OS. The problem is coding the OS to deal with numerous hardware (and third party software) drivers and conflicts. Apple supplies both the hardware and software, allowing for lesser conflicts and producing a tighter environment for debugging, resulting in a better user experience. Certainly nothing is 100%, if that were the case there would no room for improvement and no reason for progress. Ultimately, users are more apt to complain than praise, so it is reasonable to expect more online gripes than applause. As an aside, how many of the listed issues are causing the OS to be completely inoperable? Coming full circle, compared to the numerous "bugs" and conflicts in the average Windows OS, I'll happily take a Mac (and if I need to run Windows, which I do, I'll simply boot my Pro unit into Windows mode, two machines in one, can't complain).
I haven't had any wireless issues with mine per se. My wireless box at home is an Airport/Timecapsule, other places I've used the Linksys boxes with no problem. The only problem of a really flaky connection is a D-Link box at the office which refuses to keep a stable connection. I just unplug the box each morning to reboot it and it's fine afterwards.
Make sure your wireless box is in a clear location away from metal that might impede the signal. Also, if you're box is on the other side of the building/house and the signal has to pass through numerous walls, doors, whatever, it will be a hit-and-miss scenario too.
It's easy to blame Apple but in my experience with mine and other folks, it usually points to the wireless router/Access-point.
Just my 2-cents. Hope you find a resolution to this.
This problem has been around for quite a while but it isn't acknowledged by Apple. Here's a looong thread (watch out as this link crashes Safari on my machine) http://discussions.apple.com/thread....08143&tstart=0 Most people seem to be complaining that the problem started after they upgraded to 10.4.10 There are several threads like this one around on the mac related forums.
This problem has been around for quite a while but it isn't acknowledged by Apple. Here's a looong thread (watch out as this link crashes Safari on my machine) http://discussions.apple.com/thread....08143&tstart=0 Most people seem to be complaining that the problem started after they upgraded to 10.4.10 There are several threads like this one around on the mac related forums.
Again, most of those users are operating the OS on a Power Book or MacBook Pro, which is composed of Aluminum. Aluminum deteriorates the WiFi signal of the Airport card. As an example, I've owned a Mac Pro, first a quad and now an 8 core unit, and a Power Book G4, a MacBook and a MacBook Pro. I placed all four units in various scenarios at the same place/distance as my Mac Pro. The champion in all scenarios was the MacBook, my new MacBook Pro (late 2008) did better than my mid 2008 MacBook Pro, and my Power Book G4 performed the least favorably. I can state with confidence that the issue relates to the aluminum encasing interfering with the WiFi devices (the Airport cards in Power Mac G5's and Mac Pro's are located in a perforated section of the enclosure, hence the lack of general interference).
As per the statements that WiFi issues were fine in one revision but less improved in another, anecdotal at best. Unless all instances of said WiFi inoperability occurred in exactly similar situations and were documented precisely (as in a controlled experiment), more often it is a perceived notion rather than the actuality. As most people remember occurrences of inoperability (rather than always being aware of every second your system is actually functioning), most instances are exaggerated and inaccurate. Gripes about WiFi instability in Mac OS X have been around for years, and in almost all cases they have been associated with portable Pro units. I would certainly believe that if this was a wide spread issue that Apple could test empirically it would have been addressed years ago. I do believe Apple has improved the WiFi issue in relation to Pro portables with the late 2008 revision (the first revision of across the board portable systems since the Power Book G4) by placing the Airport Card within the aluminum enclosure that best suits radio frequency contact. Otherwise, as other commentators have stated, other factors such as access points, routers and their firmware, local radio interference (most people do not realize that even cordless phones operating on different channels may negatively impact WiFi reception), etc. are almost always to blame. I can not count how many times I've had to flash the firmware of Linksys routers (the worst router in my opinion) or simply trashed them and recommended clients to purchase an Apple unit. Granted, they are more expensive than most commercial quality routers, however they outperform most other units and have less conflicts, especially with Windows OS.
(I forgot to mention the new iMac's have aluminum as well, but in small amounts as the back of the unit is aluminum free)
... as an aside, and I mean no offense paxman, I've noticed by your comments you seem to be experiencing quite a few problems with your systems. What hardware are you using and in what situations do these problems persist?
... as an aside, and I mean no offense paxman, I've noticed by your comments you seem to be experiencing quite a few problems with your systems. What hardware are you using and in what situations do these problems persist?
I know you mean no offence and none taken but I have very few problems on my Macs. Except for that one on a plastic macBook. My brother has the same on a white iMac. I just think you are being too assured in your knowledge. This problem has been around for a while and Apple has not been able to resolve a single case as for as I can see from the forums
I have a Mac Pro with a 1 TB internal HD dedicated for Time Machine. I had errors initially due to improper sectors. Have you checked out the integrity of the HD? I recommend using TechTool Pro. Otherwise, I recommend turning off Time Machine, resetting your Time Machine preferences (trash associated .plist files), then restart Time Machine. Also, be aware of what you're running when these errors occur. Every case is sensitive. Hope this helps.
I've had different configurations with TM before and it always happens. My brother has the same issue with very different hardware and the Apple forums, where I posted, seem to know about this issue and feel that it's now "normal". So now I don't really worry about it. I hit OK and continue on. It would be good to see it fixed.
I find it odd how people can claim these issues yet don't explain what they were doing at the time of supposed error.
You can find all my posts about it on apple's discussion boards. We basically narrowed it down to running iTunes. We used spincontrol to narrow down where the issues came from but iTunes never came up on it. I came to the point where I installed a fresh OS (zero'd data too), installed my work environment which is CS3, BBEdit, XCode, OmniGraffle, and Firefox. Started running iTunes ALONE and it started beachballing on me. There are numerous other people that witness the 1-5 minute beachballs on 10.5.5 on the discussion boards. Once I stopped using iTunes, it seemed to go away. But I have had some random freezes since. Computer passes hardware checks and don't have any issues with 10.5.4.
I came to Mac in August after using Windows from the gecko...
I must say they have just as many issues as Windows... lol
Hoping 10.5.6 will fix the issues with Time Machine Errors
you're joking right? as a windows sys admin and tech support for 4 years i haven't seen anywhere near the same number of issues crop up on os x as on windows.
Apple is always blamed for problems that users have whether it's their software's fault or not. It's my experience that many of the problems I see here and elsewhere complained about are in fact conflicts from the users setup, improper setting, or third party software they use.
---
Well Apple managed to find at least 100 problems on their own to fix. Unless they blame themselves?
No, there are always going to be faults - but the number who blame Apple for stupid things they themselves do - it is ridiculous.
Look at the number of people who complain about things going wrong whilst never disclosing to this forum the fact that they're using a third party hack that uses undocumented parts of the operating system?
I'd suggest that you take complaints with a large grain of salt - because there are a lot of idiots out there.
My airport wireless signal drops once a week, but syncing in mobile me is definitely the one I will watch out for, I have one or two files that cause it problems.
you're joking right? as a windows sys admin and tech support for 4 years i haven't seen anywhere near the same number of issues crop up on os x as on windows.
you must have had one stable windows box!
It is a miracle really I read about the most stable Windows Boxes on AI!
You are maybe surprized bu they do exist. I run Win2000 in emulation and virtualization environments with zero crash since 2003. However I don't go out to the internet with this. On the other hand, the Mac OS X host machines (Panther and now Leopard) have the occasional lock up (not kernel panics) requiring a forced restart (more frequent in Leopard). And this does not happen when the virtual Windows machine runs.
My wife also has a WinXP laptop, with a screwed up installation. However it still runs without crashing (no hard system crash actually since 2003). So, yes, this is another quite stable Windows machine despite the problems with the system installation making its use a frustration sometimes. From my personal experience I don't believe that Mac OS X is more stable than Windows. I think Windows got this bad reputation because of the instabilities caused by the myriad of crap software one can install and by every kind of infection coming from the internet. Oh, and there is the horrible record of the older Windows versions.
Interestingly, I have seen Time Machine errors solely on iMacs that have a Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse setup.
Happens sometimes on my macbook pro. far from debilitating though. asking it to back up now nearly always works immediately afterwords. just somewhat disconcerting that it didn't work right the first time.
I've had a problem with my FireWire external hard drive in 10.5.5 system.
OS sometimes loses its connetion to FireWire external hard drive. This is very annoying.
Once it loses the connetion, it never gets it back until I reboot the system.
This is very annoying, but often I find this helpful: Disconnect the external drive from its power source and the Mac at the same time. Wait for a couple of seconds before connecting them back.
I hope this will be adressed by an update through.
I've had a problem with my FireWire external hard drive in 10.5.5 system.
OS sometimes loses its connetion to FireWire external hard drive. This is very annoying.
Once it loses the connetion, it never gets it back until I reboot the system.
I've seen other guy who has the same problem with me. He had no answer too.
Hopefully 10.5.6 will fix this problem.
What drive are you using? I've experienced similar issues with Western Digital Desktop HD's. There are drivers/software that need to be downloaded and installed for certain drive manufacturers. Visit the manufacturer website to determine if that may be the case. This mostly happens with Western Digital units, etc. Once the software is loaded and configured, the drive (may it be FireWire, USB or eSATA), worked like a charm.
If you're utilizing a LaCie HD, well, good luck. Personally, I've experienced nothing but heart ache with LaCie drives. Eight times out of ten, hard drive failures are associated with LaCie units. AVOID. I'm not certain if LaCie is utilizing Seagate or Western Digital for their HD's, regardless, it sometimes isn't the drive but the shell, wiring and below standard equipment that LaCie implements resulting in hardware failures. I'd recommend Western Digital, as they are the manufacturer Apple utilizes for their systems (with some exceptions).
Happens sometimes on my macbook pro. far from debilitating though. asking it to back up now nearly always works immediately afterwords. just somewhat disconcerting that it didn't work right the first time.
Time Machine is a newer application and bugs are an inevitable reality. Even isolated issues doesn't mean there shouldn't be a fix around the corner, hopefully 10.5.6 will address many of those bugs.
For those running Time Machine on a portable, it is important to note one thing: always do your initial backup connected to your Time Capsule if you are using your wireless for Time Machine, and do not use your system while making this initial backup, let it run over night. Apple retail needs to properly inform clients that any initial backups to a Time Capsule (or any initial backups to Time Machine, whether it is WiFi or direct) must be done with a direct ethernet connection and the system should never be used while backing up initially. If you are utilizing your OS while making a backup, the backup record will not be properly implemented as using your system will inevitably change the files Time Machine is attempting to store. This may result in conflicts, but will always result in a much slower initial backup.
My best advice when making an initial Time Machine backup is it plug it in directly to your Time Capsule (if wireless), or connect whatever drive you will be utilizing, and let it run over night. Most initial backups take hours to complete. I've had a few clients with MacBook Pro's that have taken almost days. Once your initial backup is complete, it is not always necessary (unless you wish) to have Time Machine running automatically. You may turn it off and on when you wish to backup your system. I wish Apple would allow for varying automatic time intervals with Time Machine, as the only options currently are every hour automatically or manual implementation. Once a day, or week, etc. would be a nice option.
Comments
I get the random errors on TM and I don't use bluetooth, it's completely off, and I am using a Mac Pro with an internal HD used as a backup.
I have a Mac Pro with a 1 TB internal HD dedicated for Time Machine. I had errors initially due to improper sectors. Have you checked out the integrity of the HD? I recommend using TechTool Pro. Otherwise, I recommend turning off Time Machine, resetting your Time Machine preferences (trash associated .plist files), then restart Time Machine. Also, be aware of what you're running when these errors occur. Every case is sensitive. Hope this helps.
Apple is always blamed for problems that users have whether it's their software's fault or not. It's my experience that many of the problems I see here and elsewhere complained about are in fact conflicts from the users setup, improper setting, or third party software they use.
---
Well Apple managed to find at least 100 problems on their own to fix. Unless they blame themselves?
To be fair, no OS is 100% issue free. The best judge of a stable OS is the percentage of errors comparatively, to either another OS or a past revision of the same OS. The "bugs" that are listed as focus issues are isolated incidents. I highly doubt users experience all listed bugs as each one is dependent upon numerous factors. That being stated, it does not mean listed focus "bugs" are not an issue that needs addressing. However, stating that Apple is 100% at fault is improper. Windows is an excellent example. The Windows OS isn't by nature a faulty OS. The problem is coding the OS to deal with numerous hardware (and third party software) drivers and conflicts. Apple supplies both the hardware and software, allowing for lesser conflicts and producing a tighter environment for debugging, resulting in a better user experience. Certainly nothing is 100%, if that were the case there would no room for improvement and no reason for progress. Ultimately, users are more apt to complain than praise, so it is reasonable to expect more online gripes than applause. As an aside, how many of the listed issues are causing the OS to be completely inoperable? Coming full circle, compared to the numerous "bugs" and conflicts in the average Windows OS, I'll happily take a Mac (and if I need to run Windows, which I do, I'll simply boot my Pro unit into Windows mode, two machines in one, can't complain).
I haven't had any wireless issues with mine per se. My wireless box at home is an Airport/Timecapsule, other places I've used the Linksys boxes with no problem. The only problem of a really flaky connection is a D-Link box at the office which refuses to keep a stable connection. I just unplug the box each morning to reboot it and it's fine afterwards.
Make sure your wireless box is in a clear location away from metal that might impede the signal. Also, if you're box is on the other side of the building/house and the signal has to pass through numerous walls, doors, whatever, it will be a hit-and-miss scenario too.
It's easy to blame Apple but in my experience with mine and other folks, it usually points to the wireless router/Access-point.
Just my 2-cents. Hope you find a resolution to this.
This problem has been around for quite a while but it isn't acknowledged by Apple. Here's a looong thread (watch out as this link crashes Safari on my machine) http://discussions.apple.com/thread....08143&tstart=0 Most people seem to be complaining that the problem started after they upgraded to 10.4.10 There are several threads like this one around on the mac related forums.
I have the same problem. And the sonic screwdriver doesn't even work.
This problem has been around for quite a while but it isn't acknowledged by Apple. Here's a looong thread (watch out as this link crashes Safari on my machine) http://discussions.apple.com/thread....08143&tstart=0 Most people seem to be complaining that the problem started after they upgraded to 10.4.10 There are several threads like this one around on the mac related forums.
Again, most of those users are operating the OS on a Power Book or MacBook Pro, which is composed of Aluminum. Aluminum deteriorates the WiFi signal of the Airport card. As an example, I've owned a Mac Pro, first a quad and now an 8 core unit, and a Power Book G4, a MacBook and a MacBook Pro. I placed all four units in various scenarios at the same place/distance as my Mac Pro. The champion in all scenarios was the MacBook, my new MacBook Pro (late 2008) did better than my mid 2008 MacBook Pro, and my Power Book G4 performed the least favorably. I can state with confidence that the issue relates to the aluminum encasing interfering with the WiFi devices (the Airport cards in Power Mac G5's and Mac Pro's are located in a perforated section of the enclosure, hence the lack of general interference).
As per the statements that WiFi issues were fine in one revision but less improved in another, anecdotal at best. Unless all instances of said WiFi inoperability occurred in exactly similar situations and were documented precisely (as in a controlled experiment), more often it is a perceived notion rather than the actuality. As most people remember occurrences of inoperability (rather than always being aware of every second your system is actually functioning), most instances are exaggerated and inaccurate. Gripes about WiFi instability in Mac OS X have been around for years, and in almost all cases they have been associated with portable Pro units. I would certainly believe that if this was a wide spread issue that Apple could test empirically it would have been addressed years ago. I do believe Apple has improved the WiFi issue in relation to Pro portables with the late 2008 revision (the first revision of across the board portable systems since the Power Book G4) by placing the Airport Card within the aluminum enclosure that best suits radio frequency contact. Otherwise, as other commentators have stated, other factors such as access points, routers and their firmware, local radio interference (most people do not realize that even cordless phones operating on different channels may negatively impact WiFi reception), etc. are almost always to blame. I can not count how many times I've had to flash the firmware of Linksys routers (the worst router in my opinion) or simply trashed them and recommended clients to purchase an Apple unit. Granted, they are more expensive than most commercial quality routers, however they outperform most other units and have less conflicts, especially with Windows OS.
(I forgot to mention the new iMac's have aluminum as well, but in small amounts as the back of the unit is aluminum free)
... as an aside, and I mean no offense paxman, I've noticed by your comments you seem to be experiencing quite a few problems with your systems. What hardware are you using and in what situations do these problems persist?
But the sonic screwdriver fixes everything!
And if that fails, reverse the polarity of the neutron flow. That always works.
... as an aside, and I mean no offense paxman, I've noticed by your comments you seem to be experiencing quite a few problems with your systems. What hardware are you using and in what situations do these problems persist?
I know you mean no offence and none taken but I have very few problems on my Macs. Except for that one on a plastic macBook. My brother has the same on a white iMac. I just think you are being too assured in your knowledge. This problem has been around for a while and Apple has not been able to resolve a single case as for as I can see from the forums
I have a Mac Pro with a 1 TB internal HD dedicated for Time Machine. I had errors initially due to improper sectors. Have you checked out the integrity of the HD? I recommend using TechTool Pro. Otherwise, I recommend turning off Time Machine, resetting your Time Machine preferences (trash associated .plist files), then restart Time Machine. Also, be aware of what you're running when these errors occur. Every case is sensitive. Hope this helps.
I've had different configurations with TM before and it always happens. My brother has the same issue with very different hardware and the Apple forums, where I posted, seem to know about this issue and feel that it's now "normal". So now I don't really worry about it. I hit OK and continue on. It would be good to see it fixed.
OS sometimes loses its connetion to FireWire external hard drive. This is very annoying.
Once it loses the connetion, it never gets it back until I reboot the system.
I've seen other guy who has the same problem with me. He had no answer too.
Hopefully 10.5.6 will fix this problem.
I find it odd how people can claim these issues yet don't explain what they were doing at the time of supposed error.
You can find all my posts about it on apple's discussion boards. We basically narrowed it down to running iTunes. We used spincontrol to narrow down where the issues came from but iTunes never came up on it. I came to the point where I installed a fresh OS (zero'd data too), installed my work environment which is CS3, BBEdit, XCode, OmniGraffle, and Firefox. Started running iTunes ALONE and it started beachballing on me. There are numerous other people that witness the 1-5 minute beachballs on 10.5.5 on the discussion boards. Once I stopped using iTunes, it seemed to go away. But I have had some random freezes since. Computer passes hardware checks and don't have any issues with 10.5.4.
They're not problems, they're adventures!
and segfaults are like treasure hunts!
I came to Mac in August after using Windows from the gecko...
I must say they have just as many issues as Windows... lol
Hoping 10.5.6 will fix the issues with Time Machine Errors
you're joking right? as a windows sys admin and tech support for 4 years i haven't seen anywhere near the same number of issues crop up on os x as on windows.
you must have had one stable windows box!
Apple is always blamed for problems that users have whether it's their software's fault or not. It's my experience that many of the problems I see here and elsewhere complained about are in fact conflicts from the users setup, improper setting, or third party software they use.
---
Well Apple managed to find at least 100 problems on their own to fix. Unless they blame themselves?
No, there are always going to be faults - but the number who blame Apple for stupid things they themselves do - it is ridiculous.
Look at the number of people who complain about things going wrong whilst never disclosing to this forum the fact that they're using a third party hack that uses undocumented parts of the operating system?
I'd suggest that you take complaints with a large grain of salt - because there are a lot of idiots out there.
Apple this week is believed throwing the finishing touches on Mac OS X 10.5.6.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
My airport wireless signal drops once a week, but syncing in mobile me is definitely the one I will watch out for, I have one or two files that cause it problems.
you're joking right? as a windows sys admin and tech support for 4 years i haven't seen anywhere near the same number of issues crop up on os x as on windows.
you must have had one stable windows box!
It is a miracle really I read about the most stable Windows Boxes on AI!
you must have had one stable windows box!
You are maybe surprized bu they do exist. I run Win2000 in emulation and virtualization environments with zero crash since 2003. However I don't go out to the internet with this. On the other hand, the Mac OS X host machines (Panther and now Leopard) have the occasional lock up (not kernel panics) requiring a forced restart (more frequent in Leopard). And this does not happen when the virtual Windows machine runs.
My wife also has a WinXP laptop, with a screwed up installation. However it still runs without crashing (no hard system crash actually since 2003). So, yes, this is another quite stable Windows machine despite the problems with the system installation making its use a frustration sometimes. From my personal experience I don't believe that Mac OS X is more stable than Windows. I think Windows got this bad reputation because of the instabilities caused by the myriad of crap software one can install and by every kind of infection coming from the internet. Oh, and there is the horrible record of the older Windows versions.
Interestingly, I have seen Time Machine errors solely on iMacs that have a Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse setup.
Happens sometimes on my macbook pro. far from debilitating though. asking it to back up now nearly always works immediately afterwords. just somewhat disconcerting that it didn't work right the first time.
I've had a problem with my FireWire external hard drive in 10.5.5 system.
OS sometimes loses its connetion to FireWire external hard drive. This is very annoying.
Once it loses the connetion, it never gets it back until I reboot the system.
This is very annoying, but often I find this helpful: Disconnect the external drive from its power source and the Mac at the same time. Wait for a couple of seconds before connecting them back.
I hope this will be adressed by an update through.
I've had a problem with my FireWire external hard drive in 10.5.5 system.
OS sometimes loses its connetion to FireWire external hard drive. This is very annoying.
Once it loses the connetion, it never gets it back until I reboot the system.
I've seen other guy who has the same problem with me. He had no answer too.
Hopefully 10.5.6 will fix this problem.
What drive are you using? I've experienced similar issues with Western Digital Desktop HD's. There are drivers/software that need to be downloaded and installed for certain drive manufacturers. Visit the manufacturer website to determine if that may be the case. This mostly happens with Western Digital units, etc. Once the software is loaded and configured, the drive (may it be FireWire, USB or eSATA), worked like a charm.
If you're utilizing a LaCie HD, well, good luck. Personally, I've experienced nothing but heart ache with LaCie drives. Eight times out of ten, hard drive failures are associated with LaCie units. AVOID. I'm not certain if LaCie is utilizing Seagate or Western Digital for their HD's, regardless, it sometimes isn't the drive but the shell, wiring and below standard equipment that LaCie implements resulting in hardware failures. I'd recommend Western Digital, as they are the manufacturer Apple utilizes for their systems (with some exceptions).
Happens sometimes on my macbook pro. far from debilitating though. asking it to back up now nearly always works immediately afterwords. just somewhat disconcerting that it didn't work right the first time.
Time Machine is a newer application and bugs are an inevitable reality. Even isolated issues doesn't mean there shouldn't be a fix around the corner, hopefully 10.5.6 will address many of those bugs.
For those running Time Machine on a portable, it is important to note one thing: always do your initial backup connected to your Time Capsule if you are using your wireless for Time Machine, and do not use your system while making this initial backup, let it run over night. Apple retail needs to properly inform clients that any initial backups to a Time Capsule (or any initial backups to Time Machine, whether it is WiFi or direct) must be done with a direct ethernet connection and the system should never be used while backing up initially. If you are utilizing your OS while making a backup, the backup record will not be properly implemented as using your system will inevitably change the files Time Machine is attempting to store. This may result in conflicts, but will always result in a much slower initial backup.
My best advice when making an initial Time Machine backup is it plug it in directly to your Time Capsule (if wireless), or connect whatever drive you will be utilizing, and let it run over night. Most initial backups take hours to complete. I've had a few clients with MacBook Pro's that have taken almost days. Once your initial backup is complete, it is not always necessary (unless you wish) to have Time Machine running automatically. You may turn it off and on when you wish to backup your system. I wish Apple would allow for varying automatic time intervals with Time Machine, as the only options currently are every hour automatically or manual implementation. Once a day, or week, etc. would be a nice option.