Unable to verify time machine under Lion

Have you done this yet?

http://www.macworld.com/article/161421/2011/07/migrate_time_machine_backup_to_ne w_mac_in_lion.html

If you have, or if your Time Machine backups are from your current Mac and Lion installation, then you should see an option to VERIFY BACKUPS if you hold the option key while clicking on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar.

I can also not verify backups on my Time Machine disk.

I did a clean install of Lion on my MacBook Pro 8,2, after reading the above-referenced Macworld article, thinking that it would be awesome to be able to access my previous documents etc. After doing the clean install, though, none of the options mentioned in that article were available. It makes sense after the fact; the options mentioned are for moving a TM disk from one computer to another, and Lion is intended by Apple to be upgraded over Snow Leopard. Still a bit disappointing, though.

But when I go into Time Machine on my MBP with Lion, the timeline shows dates going all the way back to when I first got the computer. I simply can't select any of those dates to view the files. And, like the original poster, when I hold down the Option key, "Verify Backups" is greyed out and unavailable. It's disappointing, to say the least.

I'm not completely hosed, though; I have a full clone of my computer made right before the clean install. Multiple backups for the win! It'd be good to be able to use TM properly, however.

I have the same problem, unable to verify the TM backups :S

Any solution ? Maybe OS X 10.7.1 ....

The same problem is happening to me. Verifying the disk using DU reports that everything is OK, and I am able to access files from previous backups. Still, this makes me nervous.

any solution yet?

I also have the verify option greyed out, despite having started a new backup set (accidentally) alongside the old one instead of (as intended) continuing from the Snow Leopard one. However, plenty of disk space and new machine, so maybe no bad thing... BUT...

As well as the Verify option being greyed out (I read somewhere it never was a full verify anyway, just a structural integrity checker) I can't seem to force TM to do a full disk check to make sure everything's there, as described in:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2263189?threadID=2263189

I need to do this, as TM failed to do a proper backup after I'd been away for a week - it only backed up a couple of MB, I was expecting up to a GB! - and a couple of spot checks showed that much of my work while I was away was not there on the latest backup, and two or three attempts failed to rectify it.

So I tried the process in the thread above - restarting in Safe Mode then normal then backing up... first with the TM disk not plugged in until the last bit, and then again with it plugged in throughout - no difference.

Has this been disabled in Lion, or is there a different process to force it?

I'm actually having the same Issue with my MacBook Pro, which was running Lion since I bought it. I've been using Time Machine with a USB external hard drive since December, and when I hold option on the time machine menu "Back Up Now" changes to "Verify Backups", but the latter is grayed out.

I'm running Mac OS X 10.7.3

I was considering reinstalling Lion and then use my Time Machine Backup to restore all my data. But I went to "Verify Backups" when cliking the Time Machine icon and holding option but the option is greyed out. I'm running a mid-2007 iMac and now running Lion but I started backing up in Snow Leopard.

That option only works on network backups.

If you think there's a problem with backups on an internal or directly-connected external HD, Repair them per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

Thanks so much!

Hy Pondini

A lot of thanks for this post, you are the only one person I find that help to me.

I have the same issue, in grey, "verificar copias de seguridad" (in spanish), and I can´t find why I can´t select this.

I read your answer, it´s ONLY WORKS ON NETWORK BUCKUPS, my HD backup Time Machine its a 2 TB in to my MacPro, in slot 4 HD, and I understand why is this option grayed to me

I will run the A5 Time Machine - Troubleshooting. with Disk Utility repair Disk before install Mountain Lion from Lion, my OS today.

I work hard every day with my MacPro and NEED to be SURE that all it's ok before upgrade to Mountain Lion, and read your post, solve my questions about security of my backup Time Machine, I need know all are OK.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!! and sorry for my bad english :S

Pablo Olmos wrote:

Hy Pondini

A lot of thanks for this post, you are the only one person I find that help to me.

You're quite welcome -- glad it helped.

I work hard every day with my MacPro and NEED to be SURE that all it's ok before upgrade to Mountain Lion, and read your post, solve my questions about security of my backup Time Machine, I need know all are OK.

To be extra safe, you might want to consider also making "secondary" backups, just in case something goes wrong. See Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #27 for some suggestions.

sorry for my bad english :S

You do just fine. 🙂

Pondini, thanks.

I tell you that I upgrade today to Mountain Lion and my MacPro runs ALL OK. The sistem runs FINE, a good job from apple, I have a quest about if my MacPro 3,1 (early2008) but with 18GbRAM and upgrade graphics card ATI Radeon HD 5770, runs a few slow, but RUNS FINE and FAST than Lion.

The HD Time Machine 2Tb runs ok, and I know something about duplicate after read your link, Thanks!!

I've a good luck finding PONDINI, THANKS from spain!!!

I save the link www.pondini.org in a good safe of Safari, THANKS to do this fantastic and helped web.

Regards. Pablo