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time machine wants to start new backup, time machine wants to start new backup

In September, I upgraded the hard drive in my Macbook, using the System Install DVD and Time Machine (Time Capsule) to 'restore' the HD contents onto my new drive. Everything seemd to work, my Macbook functioned exactly as before. I believe I did one backup before I turned TM off and took the laptop with me on an extended trip away from home. However, when I returned and turned TM on, I was informed that there was not enough room on our Time Capsule (my wife also uses TM to backup her iMac). My TM wants to start a brand new backup sparsebundle. The old one is still there, but it now only has one backup in it, the one I did after installing my new drive. All the multitude of previous backups have disappeared. I'm mystified why TM won't back up the existing bundle. Any ideas what I should do?


JB

Macbook, iMac 24, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Nov 3, 2011 11:17 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Nov 3, 2011 4:03 PM

John Bevan wrote:

. . .

My TM wants to start a brand new backup sparsebundle.

Are you getting this message?


User uploaded file


If so, your current sparsebundle is damaged. See #C13 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.


If not, what's telling you it wants to start a new sparse bundle?



The old one is still there, but it now only has one backup in it, the one I did after installing my new drive. All the multitude of previous backups have disappeared.

Are you sure the older backups are really gone? Since you had a different drive then, they're basically backups from a disk that's no longer connected. You should be able to view them via the procedure in #E3 in the same link as above.

3 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Nov 3, 2011 4:03 PM in response to John Bevan

John Bevan wrote:

. . .

My TM wants to start a brand new backup sparsebundle.

Are you getting this message?


User uploaded file


If so, your current sparsebundle is damaged. See #C13 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.


If not, what's telling you it wants to start a new sparse bundle?



The old one is still there, but it now only has one backup in it, the one I did after installing my new drive. All the multitude of previous backups have disappeared.

Are you sure the older backups are really gone? Since you had a different drive then, they're basically backups from a disk that's no longer connected. You should be able to view them via the procedure in #E3 in the same link as above.

Nov 7, 2011 9:09 AM in response to Pondini

Thank you for your informative response with all those useful links. I read most of them before deciding to erase my sparsebundle and start a new backup. Only then, I am shameface to admit, did I realize what my problem was due to. After erasing the sparsebundle, I turned TM on and was informed that I still didn't have sufficient room on our TC, although I "knew" that my stuff was ~130GB or so. Only then did I take a hard look at what TM was attempting to back up. It was all my fault. I had partitioned my new 500GB HD into 2 volumes, one with all my stuff and a separate 100GB partition. The first time I backed up, the small volume was empty but then, before leaving on our trip, I loaded it with my wife's User folder. I hadn't realized that TM was, by default, set to back up both partitions which now exceeded the available space on our TC. Chagrined as I was😊 that I probably didn't have to have erased the sparsebundle (all I may have had to do was exclude the 100 GB volume), I now had no choice but to wait out a full backup. Since then, backups are fine and everything is normal.


The only question I still have is, what happened to all the 2 years of of backups from my original HD? Fortunately, I'm not likely to need them.

Nov 7, 2011 9:23 AM in response to John Bevan

John Bevan wrote:

. . .

I hadn't realized that TM was, by default, set to back up both partitions

The rule is, internals are included by default; externals are excluded by default.


That's an easy one to miss 😟, and Apple doesn't exactly make it obvious.



The only question I still have is, what happened to all the 2 years of of backups from my original HD? Fortunately, I'm not likely to need them.

They were from the same Mac, correct? If so, Time Machine deleted them, trying to make room for the new backup.


That's just one of the reasons many of us recommend keeping "secondary" backups. In addition, all hardware fails, sooner or later; no backup app is perfect; and most of us mere mortals make a mistake now and then. See #27 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions for some suggestions.

time machine wants to start new backup, time machine wants to start new backup

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