Time machine does not back up Applications

Question

Time machine does not back up Applications

That's it, really - everything else seems to back up properly, but Applications just show a "no entry" sign rather than an icon in all back-ups.

Any help gratefully received.

Thanks.

Posted on Jul 23, 2020 7:16 AM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

215,960 points

Jul 23, 2020 3:59 PM in response to Peter Holliday

Put the Application folder in the excluded pane and reboot. Then take it out and reboot again. If it still doesn't backup the folder boot into Safe Mode (How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support) by booting with the Shift key held down and check there to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing.

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Answer 2

Tuco09

Level 1

116 points

Jul 24, 2020 11:29 AM in response to Peter Holliday

I use an external My Book HD for time machine backups. A couple of times when I have had greyed out files, I have ran First Aid with good results.

No harm in trying?

Regards

Neil

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Answer 3

Jul 23, 2020 10:59 AM in response to Peter Holliday

Hi Tuco09

Sorry, that seemed a bit curt when I looked at it again. I appreciate your response. I'm afraid I had spent quite a while trying to sort the backup prob, and had already been through all the general responses.

Regards

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Answer 4

Jul 24, 2020 10:01 AM in response to Old Toad

Hi - thanks for your suggestions, and apologies for the delay in replying. (I've been having broadband problems as well.)

Anyway, I did as you suggested, and there was a bit of an improvement, but it's still weird. In some recent backups (since the intervention), some apps now seem accessible. At first I thought it was just the third party apps that were greyed-out, but it turns out not to be that clear cut - for example App Store and Calculator and Dashboard and others now look ok, but iMovie and Garage Band, for example, are still "no entry".

If you have any further ideas I'll give them a go, but I'm tempted towards the nuclear option - reformat the back-up disc and start again. There's nothing much I'd lose (unless the Mac broke in the meantime), as the back-up is basically a clone of the Mac in case of emergency - previous versions of files are not important in this case.

Regards, Peter

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