Time Machine Backup Hangs at "Calculating Changes"

The last solution didn't work. Here's what my log reads:

Sep 2 13:20:37 com.apple.backupd[575]: Starting standard backup
Sep 2 13:20:37 com.apple.backupd[575]: Attempting to mount network destination using URL: afp://-Capsule.local/%20Capsule
Sep 2 13:20:37 com.apple.backupd[575]: Mounted network destination using URL: afp://-Capsule.local/%20Capsule
Sep 2 13:20:40 com.apple.backupd[575]: Disk image /Volumes/ Capsule/_001ec206182b.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Backup of
Sep 2 13:20:40 com.apple.backupd[575]: Backing up to: /Volumes/Backup of /Backups.backupdb
Sep 2 13:20:45 com.apple.backupd[575]: Event store UUIDs don't match for volume: Macintosh HD
Sep 2 13:20:59 com.apple.backupd[575]: Node requires deep traversal:/Users/spencerl/Pictures/iPhoto Library reason:must scan subdirs|missed reservation|
Sep 2 13:21:03 com.apple.backupd[575]: Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|new event db|
Sep 2 13:36:08 com.apple.backupd[575]: Compacting storage: 11.20 GB requested (including padding), 8.43 GB available before compacting
Sep 2 13:36:08 com.apple.backupd[575]: Stopping backup.
Sep 2 13:36:09 com.apple.backupd[575]: Backup canceled.
Sep 2 13:36:11 com.apple.backupd[575]: Ejected Time Machine disk image.

Message was edited by: Spencer Lewis

There are some errors here that might shed light on the situation:

Sep 2 13:52:17 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Backup of speener/Backups.backupdb/speener/2009-06-07-001434: 8.43 GB now available
Sep 2 13:52:17 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Error -47 deleting backup: /Volumes/Backup of speener/Backups.backupdb/speener/2009-06-14-001719
Sep 2 13:52:17 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Backup of speener/Backups.backupdb/speener/2009-06-14-001719: 8.43 GB now available
Sep 2 13:52:17 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Found partially deleted backup - trying again to delete: 2009-06-21-002017
Sep 2 13:52:18 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Error -47 deleting backup: /Volumes/Backup of speener/Backups.backupdb/speener/2009-06-21-002017
Sep 2 13:52:18 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Backup of speener/Backups.backupdb/speener/2009-06-21-002017: 8.43 GB now available
Sep 2 13:52:18 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Found partially deleted backup - trying again to delete: 2009-08-30-202316
Sep 2 13:52:18 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Error -47 deleting backup: /Volumes/Backup of speener/Backups.backupdb/speener/2009-08-30-202316
Sep 2 13:52:18 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Deleted backup /Volumes/Backup of speener/Backups.backupdb/speener/2009-08-30-202316: 8.43 GB now available
Sep 2 13:52:18 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Stopping backup.

Spencer Lewis wrote:
There are some errors here that might shed light on the situation:

Sep 2 13:52:17 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Error -47 deleting backup: /Volumes/Backup of speener/Backups.backupdb/speener/2009-06-14-001719
Sep 2 13:52:17 speener com.apple.backupd[575]: Found partially deleted backup - trying again to delete: 2009-06-21-002017

Yes, indeed. TM is obviously having trouble deleting old backups.

Have you ever moved, changed, or deleted anything in your TM backups via the Finder? If so, that's likely the cause. Apple doesn't do a very good job of warning folks not to do that, other than putting special "deny everybody everything" permissions on them.

You should repair your TC's disk, via Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utilities folder).

Mount the sparse bundle by opening the TC in the Finder and double-clicking on the sparse bundle. Drag the sparse bundle into Disk Utility's sidebar, and do a +*Repair Disk*+ (not permissions) on it. If it finds errors it can't fix, run it again (and again), until it either fixes them all, or can't fix any more.

Well, this fix lasted only about a day. It's broken again and it's not the permissions error this time. I guess I'll try the "full reset".

I've been back and forth with Applecare - they asked me to send them my log files (they sent me a program to download them). From there I'm archiving* my previous time machine bundle to a second hard drive and will start from scratch on my time capsule.

* Here's an article on archiving your time capsule http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1281

I had this problem on both the Air and the IMac. I have temporarily resolved the issue by a workaround. I turned Time Machine off on both machines. I did a reboot on each and have started manually using "Back Up Now". I have successfully backed up both machines several times a day.
for several days now. Hope this works for you....

I'm fixed again. I tried reinstalls, installing to an external disk, you name it. It turns out that my Mac worked perfectly as long as all of my external firewire disks were disconnected. Great, but that sorta kills the idea of a TM backup, doesn't it.

Besides, my Mini has an 80gb HD, so my iTunes and iPhoto libraries are stored on an external disk...which I discovered was suffering from all sorts of directory issues. Once I repaired the external drive everything works perfectly. All of the system hangs and application crashes were being caused by the Mac trying to access a disk with directory problems.

I forgot an old troubleshooting trick: start with a bare machine and see if it works before connecting peripherals. Maybe this is contributing the problem others are having?

TM Buddy froze my dashboard as well

David Nash2 wrote:
TM Buddy froze my dashboard as well

Have you tried any of the previous suggestions? Like using Console?

Try signing-on as Admin; if TM Buddy works there, your other sign-on likely doesn't have permission to read the logs. Grant it read rights to /private/var/log and it's enclosed files.

I'm having a similar problem. My calculating changes has never got to 99% though.

Here is my log.

9/19/09 9:45:58 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Starting standard backup
9/19/09 9:45:58 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Attempting to mount network destination using URL: afp://Brant%20Weber@Brants-Time-Capsule.local/Brant's%20Time%20Capsule
9/19/09 9:45:59 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Mounted network destination using URL: afp://Brant%20Weber@Brants-Time-Capsule.local/Brant's%20Time%20Capsule
9/19/09 9:46:03 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Disk image /Volumes/Brant's Time Capsule-1/Brants MacBook Pro_001b63aa8874.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Backup of Brants MacBook Pro
9/19/09 9:46:04 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Backing up to: /Volumes/Backup of Brants MacBook Pro/Backups.backupdb
9/19/09 9:46:05 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Error parsing SystemMigration.log to determine source volume of system migration.
9/19/09 9:46:06 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|
9/19/09 9:57:57 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Compacting storage: 196.45 GB requested (including padding), 159.83 GB available before compacting
9/19/09 9:57:57 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Stopping backup.
9/19/09 9:57:57 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Backup canceled.
9/19/09 9:57:59 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Ejected Time Machine disk image.
9/19/09 9:57:59 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Compacting backup disk image to recover free space
9/19/09 9:59:28 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Completed backup disk image compaction
9/19/09 9:59:28 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Starting standard backup
9/19/09 9:59:28 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/Brant's Time Capsule-1
9/19/09 9:59:30 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Disk image /Volumes/Brant's Time Capsule-1/Brants MacBook Pro_001b63aa8874.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Backup of Brants MacBook Pro
9/19/09 9:59:31 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Backing up to: /Volumes/Backup of Brants MacBook Pro/Backups.backupdb
9/19/09 9:59:31 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Error parsing SystemMigration.log to determine source volume of system migration.
9/19/09 9:59:32 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|
9/19/09 10:06:31 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Starting pre-backup thinning: 196.48 GB requested (including padding), 159.83 GB available
9/19/09 10:06:31 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Found partially deleted backup - trying again to delete: 2009-07-30-002508

Brant Weber wrote:
I'm having a similar problem. My calculating changes has never got to 99% though.
. . .
9/19/09 10:06:31 AM com.apple.backupd[8763] Found partially deleted backup - trying again to delete: 2009-07-30-002508

Yes, this is what Spencer Lewis reported earlier in this thread. Please follow the advice in my reply to him.

Pondini wrote:
Yes, this is what Spencer Lewis reported earlier in this thread. Please follow the advice in my reply to him.

Ah, yes. I should have mentioned that. I have tried all suggestions in this thread. When I did repair disk for the Time machine mounted Sparse file it came back with no errors.

2009-09-19 02:32:39 -0700: Disk Utility started.

2009-09-19 02:32:57 -0700: Verify and Repair volume “Backup of Brants MacBook Pro”
2009-09-19 02:32:57 -0700: Starting repair tool:
2009-09-19 02:32:59 -0700: Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
2009-09-19 02:32:59 -0700: Detected a case-sensitive volume.
2009-09-19 02:32:59 -0700: Checking extents overflow file.
2009-09-19 02:33:01 -0700: Checking catalog file.
2009-09-19 02:46:56 -0700: Checking multi-linked files.
2009-09-19 02:50:33 -0700: Checking catalog hierarchy.
2009-09-19 03:06:37 -0700: Checking extended attributes file.
2009-09-19 03:08:29 -0700: Checking multi-linked directories.
2009-09-19 03:27:57 -0700: Checking volume bitmap.
2009-09-19 03:28:00 -0700: Checking volume information.
2009-09-19 03:28:00 -0700: The volume Backup of Brants MacBook Pro appears to be OK.
2009-09-19 03:28:10 -0700: Volume repair complete.2009-09-19 03:28:10 -0700: Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.2009-09-19 03:28:10 -0700: Repair tool completed:
2009-09-19 03:28:10 -0700:
2009-09-19 03:28:10 -0700:

Brant Weber wrote:
. . .
Ah, yes. I should have mentioned that. I have tried all suggestions in this thread. When I did repair disk for the Time machine mounted Sparse file it came back with no errors.

Have you done a Restart of both your Mac and Time Capsule since this started? If not, give that a try; it's fixed a number of TM problems after switching to SL (including me).

If you have, or it doesn't help, your options are limited. Why this is happening to a few folks is a mystery so far.

The easiest thing to do is delete the sparse bundle: Turn TM off, select the "none" drive, then if it's the only thing on your TC, erase it via the +*Airport Utility+* app, in your Applications/Utilities folder. Select Base Station > Manual Set-Up from the Menubar, then Disks in the tool Bar, then Erase. If there's other stuff there, delete the sparse bundle with the Finder.

Otherwise, about all you can do is let TM try to deal with it. It seems to need quite a bit of space (it's requesting 196 gb, which includes about 20% workspace), so it will have to repeatedly cycle through deleting a backup, compacting the sparse bundle, deleting another, etc., until it can make enough room. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell how many backups it will have to delete, so this may take a very long time.

You could delete some of your older backups (it was choking on one from 12:25 am on 7/30), via the TM interface (see item #12 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip).*

Ok, thanks. I have already tried the reset. I always start with the easiest solution and work my way to the hard ones. Looks like it is time to get my hands dirty. Yes, I do have other things on my TC. I made a custom sparsebundle using disk utility that is 400GB in size to do the backups so that I could use the rest of my TC.

Thanks for your help. Looks like I will just delete this Sparsebundle and just make a new one.

Brant Weber wrote:
Ok, thanks. I have already tried the reset. I always start with the easiest solution and work my way to the hard ones. Looks like it is time to get my hands dirty. Yes, I do have other things on my TC. I made a custom sparsebundle using disk utility that is 400GB in size to do the backups so that I could use the rest of my TC.

That may be the problem. Some folks have made this work, others find that TM won't back-up to a sparse bundle it didn't create, or won't work well with it. A new one, made under Snow Leopard, might work better.

Let us know how you do.