What size Hard Drive do I need?

Question

Level 1

6 points

What size Hard Drive do I need?

I have a MacBook Pro 2.2 with a 120GB Hard Drive and an external 300GB Hard drive.
I get the message, "This backup is too large for the backup volume. The backup requires a 320.8 GB but only 279.2 are available".
The external Hard Drive has been formatted Mac OS Extended Journaled.
That appears to be about 2 1/2 times the size of my computer hard drive.
Is this correct?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.5), 120GB Hard Drive

Posted on Sep 22, 2008 7:20 AM

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Answer 1

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Sep 22, 2008 8:37 AM in response to fruguy

this is a bug in Time machine. it was supposed to be fixed by 10.5.5 update but it seems that it wasn't. I've seen a number of posts about it post 10.5.5. let Apple know http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html
You can also file a bug report
https://bugreport.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/RadarWeb.woa/wa/signIn

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Answer 2

Sep 22, 2008 11:32 AM in response to fruguy

fruguy,

Go into the Time Machine prefs, click "Options..." and make sure your external backup disk is listed as being 'excluded' from backup. According to the sizes you mention it sounds like TM is trying to backup it's own drive to itself.

Let us know. If not I might have some other suggestions.

Cheers!

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Answer 3

fruguy Author

Level 1

6 points

Sep 22, 2008 4:14 PM in response to V.K.

Thanks, sent in the feedback

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Answer 4

fruguy Author

Level 1

6 points

Sep 22, 2008 4:16 PM in response to Glenn Carter

The 300GB Hard Drive is excluded and there is still showing "failed"

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Answer 5

Sep 22, 2008 5:37 PM in response to fruguy

FRUGUY,

Just curious, try this for me:

*Reset Time Machine Preferences .plist *
Open Time Machine Preferences.
Click “Change Disk…”.
Select “None” and click “Stop Backing Up”.
This should move the slider on the left to “OFF”.
Close System Preferences.
Reboot the Mac.
Open Time Machine Preferences.
Click “Change Disk…”.
Select the Time Machine backup disk and click “Use for Backup”.
This should move the slider on the left to “ON”.
Now initiate a backup.

Let us know if this made any difference.

Cheers!

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Answer 6

playshop

Level 1

4 points

Sep 24, 2008 8:03 AM in response to Glenn Carter

Thanks,
So far it is working. At about 850 MB of 65.2 MB. It may take a while and it is more than I gotten before.

Thanks again.

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