Cannot browse Time Machine backups in Tahoe.
Browse looks normal when opened. Backups indicate they are being taken daily.
But cannot use timescale on right of screen to select any backup.
Can use up/down arrows to navigate to immediate prior backup, then spinning wheel.
Can you tell us what type of drive is the Time Machine backup; HDD or SSD?
How old is it and how long have you been using it as a backup drive.
What is the capacity and how much free space is on the drive.
I ask because if it's more than six or seven years old you may be due to replace it.
The spinning wheel suggest to me that TM is having trouble accessing info on the drive and that could be caused by several things.
If the drive has become too full then it may be time to wipe it and start over with a new backup set as TM cannot always delete older backups to make room for new ones.
You might try running Disk Utility's First Aid on the backup drive to see if there's anything in the directory that might need repair. Repair a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac – Apple Support (UK)
Can you tell us what type of drive is the Time Machine backup; HDD or SSD?
How old is it and how long have you been using it as a backup drive.
What is the capacity and how much free space is on the drive.
I ask because if it's more than six or seven years old you may be due to replace it.
The spinning wheel suggest to me that TM is having trouble accessing info on the drive and that could be caused by several things.
If the drive has become too full then it may be time to wipe it and start over with a new backup set as TM cannot always delete older backups to make room for new ones.
You might try running Disk Utility's First Aid on the backup drive to see if there's anything in the directory that might need repair. Repair a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac – Apple Support (UK)
Are you able to see all the backups via Finder? (Navigate to the backup drive - there should be folders for all of your backups. Inside these folders you should find all your backed up files.)
I have a similar problem and I have read more than once on these forums about others with apparently the same issue. I finally just gave up on the Time Machine interface and use Finder to get what I need.
Seagate HDD.
Since 2020? Last recreated the TM backup March 26, 2024.
5TB capacity.
Used 2.6TB.
First aid on the drive runs fine:
Running First Aid on “Seagate BUP BK Media” (disk2)
Checking prerequisites
Checking the partition list
Checking the partition map size
Checking for an EFI system partition
Checking the EFI system partition’s size
Checking the EFI system partition’s file system
Checking the EFI system partition’s folder content
Checking all HFS data partition loader spaces
Checking booter partitions
Checking Core Storage Physical Volume partitions
The partition map appears to be OK
Operation successful.
First aid on the APFS Container fails because the disk is mounted.
First aid on the APFS Volume fails because the disk is mounted.
Should have been marked as "Helpful" - I clicked Helpful then I went to click on Reply and then the buttons moved, and Not helpful got clicked - and now I'm "at my limit" for voting so I cannot change it. Will try again later.
Anyway, it is a helpful question. I can navigate through the directories and see files on the Time Machine backup disk, and open files!
Great work-around; still a bit easier to flip through via the Time Machine interface if I could get that working again.
OK - this was really SUPER helpful.
Unsure why, but AFTER having done this, then going off to do other things on the computer, then returning to thinking about this, I tried browsing the Time Machine again.
It was slow, but it worked - both the forward backward icons next to the current folder, and the timeline scale on the far right of the screen. It got faster as I navigated around - even through 2 years of backups.
How is this possible?
which is the model of your computer?
MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019.
That's great, if mystifying!
Cannot browse Time Machine backups in Tahoe
