Time machine wants to start completely new backup set...
i recently had a hardware problem with my imac. essentially the internal HD is history. have been working off an external FW drive that was restored from the last time machine backup.
now (2 weeks later) i thought it would be a good idea to update the TM backup so i enabled it. instead of just updating TM with an incremental backup, it insists on creating a complete new backup set of my 200GB drive. not only does that take a few days, but in the end it would never successfully complete the backup! just stayed stuck at 'finishing backup' forever.
anybody experience this or have a solution?
now (2 weeks later) i thought it would be a good idea to update the TM backup so i enabled it. instead of just updating TM with an incremental backup, it insists on creating a complete new backup set of my 200GB drive. not only does that take a few days, but in the end it would never successfully complete the backup! just stayed stuck at 'finishing backup' forever.
anybody experience this or have a solution?
Comments
With regard to your failed attempt: it could be that Time Machine only makes backups of (an) internal (Apple) HD(s) to (an) external (non-Apple) HD(s). And not from (an) external (non-Apple) HD(s) to (an)other external (non-Apple) HD(s). I don't know... But I wouldn't put it past Apple! In fact I expect it. It's called 'lock-in'...
Other than that it's the same as when shooting a fire arm, afaic: suppose you pull the trigger, but just hear 'click' and nothing happens. What do you do now? Remember, you've got a live round chambered! Can't take chances! Gotta be careful! Well, the adage is: re-cock and fire again! (in a safe direction of course!) Because the round will probably fire then. Statistically that m.o. solves 85% of problems.
So, at the end of an evening:
• shut off your internet connection,
• clean up your iMac,
• empty the Trash,
• quit all apps,
• repair permissions (Disk Utility) on that external FW drive,
• set up Time Machine again to make a first backup of that external FW drive onto your external backup HD,
• make sure your external backup HD has ample free space (you may have to delete older files),
• Restart!,
• start Time Machine making the backup,
let it run and go to bed.
If it's still running in the morning, and not frozen, let it run.
If it's still running in the evening, and not frozen, let it run.
You may be able to simultaneously do some light work on it like managing your mail, running Word, iTunes and websurfing. Heavy graphical photo, video and sound editing, rendering and/or modelling would be strains I would avoid while running that backup.
If it's still running in the morning, and not frozen, let it run.
If it's still running in the evening, and not frozen, let it run for one more night.
You really need that first complete backup file!
There must be a first backup file – of that volume – to be able to add incremental files of that volume to later. Time Machine cannot add incremental files of one volume to a backup file of another volume.
time machine screws with me all the time. with use of my dvBOX FireWire 800/400 USB2.0 eSATA. Will not let me eject anymore now for some apparent reason even after trying to shut every app off and other things.
Start Disk Utility, select your dvBOX FireWire 800/400 USB2.0 eSATA in the left column and press the eject button.
If that fails you may have to do a hard, physical disconnect: switch off the dvBOX FireWire 800/400 USB2.0 eSATA's power. Then the disconnect the wire. You'll get a 'Volume Removed without bla-bla' message. Click OK.
In Disk Utility select your Mac's HD and repair permissions. Then restart your Mac! When your Mac is done restarting reconnect your dvBOX FireWire 800/400 USB2.0 eSATA, switch on its power, and check its integrity with Disk Utility.