Time Machine Capsule

I have been receiving a message on one mac over this past week that Time Machine can’t connect to the backup disk. “The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error 64.)” 

Unfortunately, this is usually an indication that the Time Machine backup file on the Time Capsule is likely corrupted, but we'll not jump to conclusions without some further testing. Ironically, this can be a Time Machine software issue, which affects the hardware operations.

I have 2 Macs running 1:1 two Wi-Fi networks supported by 2 Airport Time Machine Capsules for many years without problems.

We don't know whether both Macs were backing up to both Time Capsules, or whether each Mac was backing up to a separate Time Capsule. Can you clarify on that please?

I opened the Airport Utility and observed the graphic overview only lists 1 of 2 Time capsules. I clicked the list for Other Wi-Fi Devices and nothing is listed.

Did you do this with both Macs, or only one Mac? If only one Mac, can the "other" Mac normally see both Time Capsules?

Is this an Airport issue or a time capsule issue?

It is likely a Time Machine software issue, which can unfortunately affect the hardware......(the Time Capsule hard disk), but more investigation and some diagnostic tests will be needed.

For now, please power off the Time Capsule that is not appearing in AirPort Utility

Restart the Mac (or Macs( that are normally backing up to the Time Capsule

Power up the Time Capsule again and let it run for a minute

Does the Time Capsule appear in AirPort Utility at this time? On both Macs?

On the Mac that is having problems backing up to the Time Capsule.........

Hold down the option key on the Mac while you click on the Time Machine "clock" icon at the top of the Mac's screen

Select Verify Backups

Run the process

The operation might take anywhere from 10-60 minutes or more depending on how much data is stored on the Time Capsule hard drive. Let the process run until it completes, or until you see an error message appear on the screen.

If an error message appears, post back with the exact text of the message please.

You can watch the progress of the diagnostic check by clicking on the Time Machine clock icon and then clicking on Open Time Machine Preferences.

But a widow opened stating that the backup was encrypting on an unencrypted disk. so I stopped it and went back to uncheck to encrypt and then went back to start the backup and that was when I started to get the error messages again, and so on.

You will need to erase the hard drive on the Time Capsule using the Zero Out Data option and start over again and try a new backup.

I would recommend that you not try to encrypt the backup on the Time Capsule because it makes things a lot more complicated in addition to backups running much slower.

It might be a separate discussion, but the Time Capsule hard drive starts to become "iffy" at about the 7-8 years as well as the power supply. I would not trust the Time Capsule as my only backup plan if the products are at the 7-8 year point.

When you erase the Time Capsule drive using AirPort Utility, it will erase everything on the drive.

I'm still not clear on whether you had both Macs backing up to both Time Capsules, or whether each Mac backed up to a separate Time Capsule.

Dual backups would provide some sort of protection when one of the Time Capsule hard drives decides to stop spinning.

Nice work!