airport time capsule over heating

Assuming the unit is not actually overheating go to AirPort Utility and select Edit for the Extreme, select Advanced, select file Sharing & Disks. Next run OFF or On File Sharing, based on the existing setting. Select Done until the Update Setting prompt, then select Update. The Airport will reset and the error message should be gone.

These are general instructions for using AirPort Utility on an iPhone or iPad. Will you be using an iPhone / iPad, or will you be using a Mac?

Either way, please understand that there are no guarantees that this will work......but it is worth a try.....to find out if the Time Capsule really is overheating, or you are receiving a false indication that be may caused by a bug in the firmware for the Time Capsule.

We asked you to check the temperature on the TC because there is a firmware bug on the TC that will sometimes generate a false message about overheating when in fact nothing is wrong. So, that would be the first possibility that we check out before moving to other options

If the overheating issue is still present, it will take an hour or two for the notice to appear. again, so check back on the TC in a few hours.

If things seem to be OK, keep in mind that this bug can cause the same issue again in the future, so you might want to print up the instructions for future use.

The average useful life of the TC is about 5-6 years, and your unit is 7+, so you would not want to keep any data that you cannot afford to lose on the TC hard drive, since it is now in the "suspect" stage as well the TC power supply.

The internal cooling fan is also on the verge. If you hear "squeaking" from the TC, the fan is clogged with dust or the lubrication has simply worn out. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to replace the fan inside the TC since Apple never designed the product to be serviced.

On your Mac, open AirPort Utility. It is located as follows: Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility.

Click on the picture of the TC to select it. When you do this, a smaller window with info about the TC will appear

Click Edit in the lower right hand corner of the small window

Click the Disks tab at the top of the next window that appears

Look for the listing to Enable File Sharing, and click on the check box there to remove the check mark

Wait a minute or two

Click on the same box again to enter a check mark in the box next to Enable File Sharing

Click on Update at the lower right of the window and give the TC a full minute to restart

Power off the TC by pulling the power cord from the back of the device, or pulling the power cord from the wall AC socket, whichever is easier for you

Wait a minute or two

Power the TC back on and check on the Time Capsule status in an hour or two

Report on your results

If you put your hand on top of the Time Capsule, does it feel warm? I have a hard time detecting any warmth at all when the Time Capsule here is operating normally. It might be a few degrees warmer at most. Barely detectable.

What model of Time Capsule? We ask because different models......there were 5 versions......have different causes for overheating.

Is the Time Capsule "tall" or "tower" shaped? If yes, tell us you have the tower version

Is the Time Capsule "flat" shaped, like a small white pizza box? If yes, look on the bottom of the Time Capsule for the model number, usually embedded in the foam pad base. The model number starts with an "A" followed by 4 numbers. Example........A 1409. Post back that model info please.

watt65 wrote:

I will do that, any suggestions of the hard drive and it's composite?

I’ve been using Seagate externals in the 4 to 6 TB range. Current prices tend to be USD$100 to USD$120 range. 4 TB STEB4000100 is available for a little below USD$100, though other and larger hard drives are scarce and/or expensive right now due to some cryptocurrency idiocy. This external storage for isolated Macs, or Macs that need a specific backup for off-site rotation. For groups of Macs, either a Mac with a lot of storage, or a Synology NAS server, or the Synology Wi-Fi router with added USB storage.

The fastest, cheapest, and most reliable way to back up by far is connect a USB hard drive directly to the iMac.