louisfromclarkston

Q: Time Machine stuck in preparing backup

My Time Machine is stuck in "preparing backup."  How do I correct this issue?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on May 11, 2016 6:18 PM

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Q: Time Machine stuck in preparing backup

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  • by alex_h1,

    alex_h1 alex_h1 May 13, 2016 6:14 AM in response to louisfromclarkston
    Community Specialists
    May 13, 2016 6:14 AM in response to louisfromclarkston

    Hello Louis,

    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

     

    I see you're concerned by your Time Machine backup taking a long time to prepare.  Take a look at the reasons this can happen outlined below.

     

    Backing up large changes

    Some backups might take longer than others if you've made changes to a lot of files, or changes to large files since the last time you backed up. You might see "Preparing" in the Time Machine menu for a longer period of time when this happens. For example:

    • When your backup disk isn't available (like when you're traveling, or your backup disk is disconnected or powered off) Time Machine can't back up your files. If you use your Mac for several days without access to your backup drive, it might take longer the next time the drive is available.
    • If you have a virtual machine set up on your computer like Parallels or VMWare, this software might create a large disk image (or a similar file) to store data related to other operating systems. Time Machine might try to back up the whole disk image, even if you've only changed a few files on it. For best results, make sure your software is up to date, then check the developer's support site for information on using Time Machine with these apps. If you want Time Machine to skip these files, you can also tell Time Machine to exclude them from your backup.
    • If you recently installed new software or upgraded OS X, it might take longer to complete the next backup. After Time Machine finishes backing up your new software, backups should happen faster. 
    • If you cancelled or unexpectedly interrupted the previous backup, Time Machine might take longer the next time it backs up your files. This can also happen if you don't shut down your Mac properly, or if you don't eject a drive before disconnecting it.

    If a Time Machine backup takes longer than you expect

     

    Cheers.