Time Capsule / Time Machine --

Question

Time Capsule / Time Machine --

I purchased a Time Capsule this last January setting it up so that it is accessed wirelessly. I'm using a MacBook Pro running OS X 10.6.4 and all software updates have been applied. Everything went fine until early June. Since then the Time Machine backups to the Time capsule are not incremental but are full multi-hour backups, each backup taking around twelve hours to complete.

In the last month I have made around eight visits to the Genius Bar at the local Apple store and the various actions applied there haven't cured the problem. Such actions included a complete reinstall of the operating system followed by a migration of my data from the latest backup on the Time Capsule. Unfortunately I had to spend almost two full days to restore my applications and to configure my user and administrative accounts the way they were.

At the most recent trip to the Genius Bar the backups on the Time Capsule were erased and a backup to the Time Capsule, which was connected via ethernet, was initiated, and stopped after about two gigs of data were backed up. I then went home and completed the ethernet connected backup, a process taking about four hours. The system then automatically ran another two hourly incremental backups. I then disconnected the ethernet connection and then reconnected it wirelessly. After that I had to shut down the computer (I was taking it elsewhere) and then when I reconnected it the next Time Machine backup was not incremental.

So here I am, again not able to run an incremental backup. Is there any way that every single internal reference on my MacBook Pro regarding the Time Capsule can be removed? That is, can both the computer and the Time Capsule be restored to the state they were in prior to my purchasing the Time Capsule? My thought is that if things can be such an installation of the Time Capsule might return things to how they were for those initial five months when everything was working just fine.

Many thanks in advance for suggestions!

MacBook Pro 17", Mac OS X (10.6.2), 1.67 GHZ -- 17" -- 2 GB RAM

Posted on Jul 13, 2010 10:26 AM

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Answer 1

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 13, 2010 3:52 PM in response to James_L. Ryan

Are the backups full backups of your entire system, or of your home folder only?

If in doubt, make a second user account and see if the same thing happens to it.

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Answer 2

Jul 14, 2010 8:56 PM in response to Pondini

The Time Machine backups are for the full system.

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Answer 3

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 14, 2010 9:01 PM in response to James_L. Ryan

TaliesinSoft wrote:
The Time Machine backups are for the full system.

Just to be sure we're communicating, are you sure the full backups (that should be incrementals) are really backing-up your entire system, or just your home folder? If in doubt, check the sizes, via the +Time Machine Buddy+ widget, per #A1 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

There are different possible fixes depending on whether it's your entire system or just the home folder.

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Answer 4

Jul 15, 2010 8:48 PM in response to Pondini

Today I again went to the Genius Bar at a local Apple store. While there we initiated a backup with my Time Capsule connected by ethernet. After letting a few gigabytes backup we stopped the backup and I went home and again connected the Time Capsule by ethernet and reinitiated the backup which took about seven hours to complete. I then, with the Time Capsule still connected by ethernet, initiated another backup which took about a minute. I then disconnected the Time Capsule and relocated it so that I could connect it to my modem. The connections to the internet worked just fine. I then initiated another backup and this one YET AGAIN started backing up as though a prior backup didn't exist. I'm letting it complete, a process that will likely take about twelve hours. There seems to be a fundamental flaw in the Time Machine to Time Capsule backups that a ethernet connection backup isn't recognized when the Time Capsule is accessed wirelessly.

I'll post again after the wireless backup has completed and I try a followup wireless backup.

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Answer 5

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 15, 2010 9:03 PM in response to James_L. Ryan

TaliesinSoft wrote:
. . .
There seems to be a fundamental flaw in the Time Machine to Time Capsule backups that a ethernet connection backup isn't recognized when the Time Capsule is accessed wirelessly.

No. If that were true, there would be thousands of similar posts here. This is much harder -- it's something unique in your setup, or the way you're connecting.

Click your Time Capsule in a Finder Sidebar. It should look something like this (in +Column View):+
|

|

Click the Data folder. In the next column should be the +sparse bundle+ containing your backups.

Are there two of them?

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Answer 6

Jul 15, 2010 9:26 PM in response to Pondini

If, through the Finder, I open the Time Capsule I then encounter a single folder named Data. Within Data is a single sparse bundle. That sparse bundle has separate folders for each backup run that was made since the Time Capsule was returned to "factory new" condition.

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Answer 7

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 16, 2010 8:21 AM in response to James_L. Ryan

TaliesinSoft wrote:
If, through the Finder, I open the Time Capsule I then encounter a single folder named Data. Within Data is a single sparse bundle. That sparse bundle has separate folders for each backup run that was made since the Time Capsule was returned to "factory new" condition.

Ok, that's what you should see. That rules out Time Machine somehow thinking your Mac is a different one.

I doubt it will help, but try a "full reset" of Time Machine, per #A4 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum).

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Answer 8

Jul 16, 2010 9:50 AM in response to James_L. Ryan

Yesterday at the Genius Bar we initiated a Time Machine backup with the Time Capsule connected via ethernet. After the backup had run for about five minutes we stopped it.

When I got home I reinitiated the Time Machine backup, again with the Time Capsule connected via ethernet. That backup took about five hours to complete.

I then did a few things, such as checking mail, and initiated another Time Machine backup, again with the Time Capsule connected via ethernet. That backup took a couple minutes to complete.

I then initiated another Time Machine backup, this time with the Time Capsule connected wirelessly. That backup took about twelve hours to complete.

I then, as before, did a few things, after which I initiated another Time Machine backup. This time I got a failure message stating that the backup disk was in use.

Following that I shut down and restarted the computer and again initiated a Time Machine backup. This one succeeded, only taking a couple minutes to complete.

Since then I have successfully initiated several Time Machine backups, each one completing in a couple minutes.

So, much to my delight, it appears that the Time Machine to wirelessly connected Time Capsule are working as they should!

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Answer 9

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 16, 2010 9:57 AM in response to James_L. Ryan

That's very strange. It should not have done that extra full backup.

I hope it won't happen again, but glad it's working now, anyway!

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