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Lexxis Author

Level 1

6 points

Time Machine ignored my backupbundle and started a new one

Hi everyone

I use Time Machine backups on an Airport Time Capsule 3TB. I've used it for years with no hickups, but this week something happened and suddenly I've ˜run out of space˜. Investigating further I realized that time Machine has "decided" to ignore my backupbundle and started a new one from scratch.

Now I hae "<COMPUTERNAME>.backupbundle" and "<COMPUTERNAME> 1.backupbundle" and this is causing my backup to fail because of disk space.

When I enter Time Machine now I only see backups from yesterday... all the years have disappeared (as they obviously are in the "old" backupbundle file...

Time Machine seems to have lost the link between my computer and the original backupbundle file.

I would like to understand why this happened and how to fix it if possible.

Attached you will find screenshots with OS information, Time Capsule files (showing the two backupbundle files I mentioned) and Time Machine view (showing backups started just yesterday morning as if it was a new computer).

Thanks in advance!

Alex

Here you can see my OS info

Time Machine is now almost "empty" with backups since yesterday morning only

Time Capsule shows two files fro the same computer (please ignore the third file - it's the backup of a second computer).

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jul 10, 2020 5:53 AM

Top-ranking reply

LaPastenague

Level 9

67,244 points

Posted on Jul 10, 2020 3:14 PM

The latest patch to Catalina has caused multiple problems with Time Machine to network target like Time Capsule.

Normally it would throw up a warning that the old backup was corrupt, wipe it and start over. In your case it has simply failed to recognise the old TM backup and started a new one.

Unfortunately trying to make TM inherit the old backup and continue using it is near impossible. And even if successful would more likely destroy it 2 days later.

If you need the old backups.. I would advise using a 3TB or larger USB drive and archive off the existing backups. Archive is available on the disk tab in Airport Utility.

Then erase the TC disk.. even do a secure erase which will take a day or so to ensure the drive is still good.. the 3TB Seagate is infamous.. well known to be prone to issues.. Then do a new backup from both your computers.

If you don't want to be so wholesale about it you can still copy or archive off the backup.. and just delete the two current backups then start again.

Catalina is now so bad we do recommend people use an alternative like Carbon Copy Cloner for backups to Time Capsule.

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Time Machine ignored my backupbundle and started a new one

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