Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Time Machine is slow under OS X Lion.

Ever since i downloaded and installed lion yesterday, Time Machine takes a really long time to initiate a backup to my Time Capsule. Anyone else having this issue and/or have a solution?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 7:07 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 8:11 PM

Same here. I spends so long backing up (we're talking 2 whole MB here) that by the time it's finished, it's nearly time to start the next backup. My time capsule is starting to get really annoying.

48 replies

Jul 21, 2011 8:52 PM in response to ssgp

OS X Lion users lose support for Time Machine backups with third-party NAS hard drives. Time Machine in OS X Lion is now only compatible with Netatalk 2.0. This means that third-party NAS (network attached storage) drives will need a software upgrade from their respective manufactures in order to work with Apple’s next-generation Mac operating system. Users of cable-connected external hard drives will not be affected.

Jul 22, 2011 1:16 AM in response to dillonschultz

Update:


I think Time Machine, or its progress reporting is just flaky with Lion. It had to backup 33GB and was stuck at 2GB for what seemed like millennia. All of a sudden it said the backup was done. Wha?!? 31GB in a few seconds?


I tried another backup immediately after that to ensure Lion/TM had not "forgotten" something, but it just backed up a few KB, it appears the complete backup really did happen.

Jul 23, 2011 7:02 AM in response to Pondini

The troubleshooting doesn't work for most of us, because Lion must have done something different. Yes, the first backup was terribly slow because there was much to transfer. But EVERY backup takes forever. I spend most of the hour in backup mode, and then it starts again an hour later. I think I spend most of my time in backup mode now. I have a laptop so I can go places with it. I don't like stopping backups in the middle of their work, so I might just turn the feature off for a while until Apple fixes this. Of course last time I did that, 3 weeks in, my logic board failed and I needed my backups.


Before upgrading, I was concerned that the 'versions' feature might lead to far more data being saved, since every save of a file will now be more data it wants to backup, rather than just the current version as of the time of the backup. But the part that takes the longest for me over a wifi connection to the Time Capsule is the indexing backup part.

Jul 23, 2011 7:54 AM in response to JimInIowa

JimInIowa wrote:

. . .

But EVERY backup takes forever. I spend most of the hour in backup mode, and then it starts again an hour later.

That's not normal, and not happening to everyone. What is your setup? Is it any different if you connect via Ethernet?


Before upgrading, I was concerned that the 'versions' feature might lead to far more data being saved, since every save of a file will now be more data it wants to backup, rather than just the current version as of the time of the backup.

No, the Versions feature does not make a complete new copy of a document; it only saves the changes.


And Time Machine does not save that information; it only saves the current version.

Jul 23, 2011 8:12 AM in response to Pondini

It may not be true for everyone, but the way I'm reading the posts above, it doesn't sound like many of them are concerned about the one-time update of a few GB of data following the upgrade.


The only change made to my configuration was installing Lion OS. It spends 10's of minutes "Indexing Backup..." as it's doing right now. It wasn't that way before upgrading to Lion OS. I bought the Time Capsule to enable wireless backups, so although for troubleshooting, I could connect to the unit with a cable, I'd rather not do that more than once. Since it's the indexing that takes a long time, I doubt a cable would fix things, but I may consider doing it sometime soon. But I need to find some time when it's NOT backing up, which is tricky now.


Configuration:

MacBook Pro 15" (Feb 2011 model)

Lion OS, having upgraded from what was previously the latest OS

Time Capsule

No known wireless issues (Data rates are good, I don't see channel conflicts/interference, etc.)


I know my system spends more time saving things off since I haven't made an exception for web browser data, so most hours have an update of the size of whatever I've viewed in the last hour (I know how to fix that, but it was that way before Lion when things were better). I usually use Google Chrome.

Jul 23, 2011 8:19 AM in response to JimInIowa

JimInIowa wrote:

. . .

It spends 10's of minutes "Indexing Backup..." as it's doing right now.

There may be a problem with the index, or the indexing may not have completed.


Did you repair your backups?


The easiest thing to do may be to connect via Ethernet temporarily; if it gets caught-up, the problem may be over. If not, you may need to delete the index.


I know my system spends more time saving things off since I haven't made an exception for web browser data, so most hours have an update of the size of whatever I've viewed in the last hour (I know how to fix that, but it was that way before Lion when things were better). I usually use Google Chrome.

Browser data shouldn't be very large. Once you get the indexing problem fixed, see #D4 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting for some common culprits, and ways to find out just what's getting backed-up.

Time Machine is slow under OS X Lion.

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.