Duchy777
Level 1 (14 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Time Machine issues

Hi

 

I just completed first TM backup of my laptop on a brand new Synology NAS. It made the back-up overnight and this morning I was greeted with this message:

 

Time Machine completed a verification of your backups on “XXX”. To improve reliability, Time Machine must create a new backup for you.

 

I had a choice of doing it later (but TM would not do any backups in the interim).

 

So I clicked OK and started from scratch. I checked progress and found that this new backup is DOUBLE the size of what's on my laptop...... nearly 450Gb

 

I checked the new .sparsebundle file which it has started to write and it is only 5GB. However when I try to restore a file from 7 hours ago, it works..... weird.

 

Anyone have any ideas? I did find posts about this error in Time Capsule area but am putting it here too as it's not solely a Time Capsule problem it seems.

 

I hope it can be fixed as this is the main reason for buying a NAS!

MacBook Air, iOS 9.3.2

Posted on Jul 17, 2016 5:33 PM

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Duchy777

Q: Time Machine issues

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Linc Davis,Helpful

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jul 17, 2016 6:25 PM in response to Duchy777
    Level 10 (207,963 points)
    Applications
    Jul 17, 2016 6:25 PM in response to Duchy777

    A third-party network-attached storage device (NAS) or router is unsuitable for use with Time Machine, especially if it's your only backup. I know this isn't what you want to hear. I know that Time Machine accepts the device as a backup destination. I know that the manufacturer says the device will work with Time Machine, and I also know that it usually seems to work. Except when you try to restore, and find that you can't.

    Apple has published a specification for network devices that work with Time Machine. No third-party vendor, as far as I know, meets that specification. They all use the incomplete, obsolete "Netatalk" implementation of Apple Filing Protocol.

    Apple does not endorse any third-party network device for use with Time Machine. See this support article.

    If you want network backup, use as the destination either an Apple Time Capsule or an external storage device connected to another Mac or to an 802.11ac AirPort base station. Only the 802.11ac base stations support Time Machine, not any older model.

    Otherwise, don't use Time Machine at all. There are other ways to back up, though none of them is anywhere near as efficient or as well integrated with OS X. I don't have a specific recommendation.

    If you're determined to keep using the device with Time Machine, your only recourse for any problems that result is to the manufacturer (which will blame Apple, or you, or anyone but itself.)

  • by Duchy777,

    Duchy777 Duchy777 Jul 17, 2016 6:30 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 17, 2016 6:30 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks Linc..... you're right, not what I wanted to hear after spending money on a Synology and 4 x 4TB WD Red drives!

    On the other place I posted someone posted this link which indicates TM will work with NAS:

    Backup disks you can use with Time Machine - Apple Support

     

    But looking at the number of issues people are having, I'd say your advice is the more sound!

     

    I'm wondering if the way I logged on has anything to do with it..... I should have typed in afp:\\XXX.YYY.Z.A as the IP.

    However I just typed in the numbers (after clicking "go.... connect to server" and it automatically put smb:\\ etc.

     

    It worked but could that have anything to do with it?

     

    Many thanks.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jul 17, 2016 6:50 PM in response to Duchy777
    Level 10 (207,963 points)
    Applications
    Jul 17, 2016 6:50 PM in response to Duchy777

    someone posted this link which indicates TM will work with NAS

    "Both your Mac and the networked backup disk should have OS X v10.5.6 or later." The NAS is not running OS X.

  • by Duchy777,

    Duchy777 Duchy777 Jul 17, 2016 7:01 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 17, 2016 7:01 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Oh yes, I missed that!

     

    I tried using afp:// and a window popped up asking which "volumes" I wanted to mount (the "volumes" are the shared folders I made on the NAS) so that's a bit different to what happened using smb.

     

    I may give it another go BUT will not rely on TM for my important stuff like photos and documents.... I will send them over as additional files!

     

    Cheers