Error Message on iMac: "Time Machine couldn't back up to 'Time Machine.'" OS Monterrey 12.4, latest.

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Level 1

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Error Message on iMac: "Time Machine couldn't back up to 'Time Machine.'" OS Monterrey 12.4, latest.

I keep getting this error message "Time Machine couldn't back up to 'Time Machine.'" OS Monterrey 12.4, latest. I'm using a Seagate Backup Hub Plus external drive and it has been performing backups perfectly but I'm now getting close to the 6 TB limit of storage (5.945 used) and no matter what I do it will not add any new backups, even though it's supposed to delete the oldest backup. So, here's my question: Isn't TM supposed to delete the earliest backups to make room for the latest backup? This TM isn't doing that. I have done all the usual things: turning off iMac, PRAM reset, yadda, yadda. How can I get the TM app to delete the earliest backup and keep recording? Have checked Apple Support docs. Thanks.

iMac 27″, macOS 12.4

Posted on Jun 19, 2022 12:56 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Old Toad

Level 10

210,491 points

Jun 20, 2022 10:29 AM in response to LGSW

How much free space do you have on your boot drive? If there's not enough room for a local snapshot TM won't backup.

If you have sufficient space on the boot drive and don't have any files on the TM drive that are not on your boot drive you can try erasing the drive and formatting it APFS (Case-sensitive) and try again.

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Answer 2

LGSW Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 19, 2022 2:27 PM in response to Old Toad

Hey, thanks for the quick reply but it is already, and has always been, plugged directly into the Mac. But, maybe I don't understand what you mean... The Seagate is plugged via USB cable into one of the Mac USB ports. As it is a big one (6 TB) it has its own power supply. So 2 cords: 1 is power cord and 2 is USB drive to Mac. It is called Seagate Hub Plus but it is just an external drive; it is formatted as Mac OS Extended (Case-Sensitive, Journaled). I formatted it for a Time Machine right out of the box. There is no separate "hub" involved, such as a device in between the Mac and the drive. Do you mean a different way to connect? Plz see attached Info. Thanks.

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Answer 3

LGSW Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 20, 2022 11:32 AM in response to Old Toad

Fascinating; checked iMac storage and it's only 2.2GB/3.12TB available. Scary that I'm that close to maxing out. Housekeeping needs is in order. Thanks for the info on the local snapshot angle; didn't know. So, next question: You recommend APFS, rather than Mac OS Extended? Or are they the same format?

Thanks, Old Toad (love the name)

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Answer 4

LGSW Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 20, 2022 12:59 PM in response to Old Toad

Very interesting! Thanks for letting me know. Now, if you could just help me jettison decades worth of old bytes... My 1st Mac was the 1985 (?) 512K model, haha. With migrations to each successive Mac, I literally have decades of data. Sigh. Thanks for your help on the Time Machine issue.

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Answer 5

Mal-S

Level 5

4,984 points

Jun 20, 2022 1:08 PM in response to LGSW

Try deleting local snapshots as described in this article.

https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/06/26/how-to-delete-time-machine-local-snapshots-in-macos#:~:text=How%20to%20manually%20delete%20Time%20Machine%20local%20snapshots.,stamp%2C%20the%20local%20snapshot%20has%20been%20deleted.%20

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Answer 6

Ken_eh

Level 1

9 points

Jul 2, 2022 11:43 AM in response to Old Toad

Old Toad, re the original question by LGSW, I too am having this issue, but I have 500 GB of my 1 TB internal SSD space available. I have 165 GB of backup to do since this backup drive was last plugged in ( we moved and the backup was packed away) and MAC OS is saying that it needs 230 GB of space on the 3TB drive in order to proceed. In this case, I have sufficient internal hard disk space available for the local backup (I assume??) and I have 63 backups dating from 2018. Why would TM not just delete the oldest and carry on?

Thanks

Ken

Canada

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