My Time Machine won't find the backup disk. What is wrong?

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Level 1

29 points

My Time Machine won't find the backup disk. What is wrong?

My Time Machine has worked properly for a couple years. Now it won't backup, either in automatic mode or manually. When a backup is attempted, the dialogue box shows "Looking for backup disk" and never finds it.

You can "Enter the Time Machine" but there is a very limited number of backups visible there, none going back past June 1 2023.

Currently running MacOS Monterey 12.6.7

Any help appreciated.

iMac 21.5″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Jun 30, 2023 6:03 AM

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Answer 1

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John Galt

Level 10

141,438 points

Jul 3, 2023 6:08 AM in response to Florida Mike

Everything looks exactly as it should.

To reset the Time Capsule from the AirPort Utility app, be sure to select (single-click) the Time Capsule. Then the Base Station > Restart... option should work.

If selecting the TC asks for its password and you don't remember what it is, you can "soft reset" the TC by momentarily pressing the tiny reset pushbutton in back of the TC. That lowers its defenses for five minutes so that you can provide a new password: How to reset your AirPort base station - Apple Support

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Answer 2

John Galt

Level 10

141,438 points

Jul 2, 2023 7:20 PM in response to Florida Mike

Thanks for that explanation. From your description, it seems you are using the Time Capsule as your wireless router, and that function seems to be working ok.

The first, easiest and simplest step is to merely restart the Time Capsule. You can either select it in the Airport Utility app using its Base Station menu > Restart... or unplug it for an arbitrary moment and plug it in again.

While you do that you might as well restart the modem also. Unplug it, wait a moment, plug it back in again.

Sometimes restarting the Mac helps if restarting the other devices doesn't.

Let the modem and the Time Capsule restart, which will take a minute or two. Wait for the Time Capsule's status LED to illuminate steady green. Then, reconnect to its wireless network (if necessary, by selecting it in your Mac's Wi-Fi menu), make sure you are connected to the Internet (simply load a web page) and start a manual backup.

See if that simple first step works.

If Time Machine remains unable to find the backup disk, the next step will be to have Time Machine "reconnect" to the backup disk using the procedure in this Discussion: Time Machine "the backup disk could not be found" - Apple Community. That link will take you directly to the procedure.

Please write back if Time Machine still can't find the backup disk after following those steps.

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Answer 3

Jul 5, 2023 11:56 PM in response to Florida Mike

There could be several reasons why your time machine is not finding the backup disk. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

Check the Connection: Ensure that the backup disk is properly connected to your computer. If you are using an external hard drive, make sure the cables are securely plugged in and that the drive is powered on.
Verify Compatibility: Make sure that the backup disk is compatible with your operating system and Time Machine version. Check the system requirements for your specific setup to ensure compatibility.
Restart the Computer: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve connectivity issues. Restart your computer and try again to see if the backup disk is detected.
Check Disk Utility: Use Disk Utility (on macOS) or a similar disk management tool to check if the backup disk is recognized by the system. Look for the disk in the list of connected drives and check its status.
Format the Backup Disk: If the backup disk is not formatted correctly, Time Machine may not be able to recognize it. Make sure the disk is formatted in a compatible file system such as HFS+ or APFS (for macOS) or NTFS (for Windows). Formatting the disk will erase all existing data, so be sure to back up any important files before doing so.
Test with a Different Disk: If possible, try connecting a different backup disk to your computer to see if Time Machine recognizes it. This will help determine if the issue lies with the backup disk or the Time Machine software.
Update Time Machine: Ensure that you have the latest version of Time Machine installed on your computer. Updates often include bug fixes and improvements that could resolve the issue you're facing.
Reset Time Machine: If none of the above steps work, you can try resetting Time Machine. Open Time Machine preferences, click on the "Options" button, and remove the backup disk from the list of excluded items. Then, restart your computer and try adding the backup disk again.

If you've tried all these steps and are still experiencing issues, it may be helpful to consult the official documentation or seek assistance from Apple Support (if you're using macOS) or the support resources for your specific operating system.

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Answer 4

Florida Mike Author

Level 1

29 points

Jul 2, 2023 5:41 PM in response to John Galt

Thanks for responding, John. It is an external Apple Airport Time Capsule. It generates its own WiFi, I'm pretty sure and I use that for a connection but I also see an ethernet cable back to my cable modem from the external Airport unit. I do know that if I do not have the wifi set to use the one that came with the Time Machine, it will not back up. But even with that correctly set, it will sometimes, like now, not find the backup disk. It is connected to power and the little green light is lit on the bottom.

I've looked in the Time Machine options/settings trying to figure out more about how it is configured and works, but I can'r find much info about it. Maybe I don't know how to find it.

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Answer 5

Florida Mike Author

Level 1

29 points

Jul 3, 2023 5:48 AM in response to John Galt

Your suggestions prompted a light to go on. There are two components here, it appears. There is the Time machine itself and the TM app. Then there is the Airport utility app, which I had forgotten about completely. It is hidden back under .../Applications/Utilities/Airport Utility.app . That is where the config/wireless setup and the internet connection is accessed.

When I try to restart the Base Station, all options there, including "Restart" are greyed out, so I am not able to perform the restart. I see, though, that the TM has performed a successful update. Not sure what changed to enabled that, nothing that I see. It is set to do automatic updates.

My opening screen in Airport Utility looks like the below screen capture. Looks normal?

What function would the ethernet cable from the base station to the modem be providing? It is a white Apple cable that likely came with the original unit?

Thanks for your continued help. I am appreciative.

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Answer 6

Florida Mike Author

Level 1

29 points

Jul 5, 2023 11:05 AM in response to John Galt

I did not know to first select the Time Capsule from the Airport Utility opening screen. When I did that, the Restart function performed as expected. We'll see if the next scheduled backup goes off as scheduled later this afternoon.

The help available via the Apple documentation is pretty limited in trouble shooting or even just understanding how things work. Thank you for the guidance.

Do you have a thought on what function the ethernet cable between the Base Station and the internet modem might be serving? The AirPort seems to be connected via the WiFi. Maybe that is just an alternate way to connect the base station to the Mac and is simply not being currently configured or used?

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Answer 7

John Galt

Level 10

141,438 points

Jul 5, 2023 5:23 PM in response to Florida Mike

Judging from the AirPort Utility screenshot, that cable serves to connect your Time Capsule — which creates your local wireless network, to the modem — which connects the TC to the Internet, through the ISP or cable service you're probably paying for every month.

Without it, the TC could only create a wireless network that would lack any way to communicate with the world beyond it.

So, you need it 🙂

This assumes AirPort Utility is correctly depicting your network infrastructure, which it usually does.

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