Time Machine Problem - New Internal Hard Drive, Now Backup Takes Hours

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Level 2

347 points

Time Machine Problem - New Internal Hard Drive, Now Backup Takes Hours

Need some help!

Background.

Almost 4 year old 24" aluminum iMac; 4 gb ram; 500 gb hard drive; OS 10.6.8.

About 2 months after Alpple Care expired, the internal hard drive failed (New Year's Eve of all times!). Everything else working great.

Had a Mac technician I know install a new 750 gb drive for me. I cloned back from SuperDuper, and was ready to go. The SuperDuper external is 1.5 TB, partitioned - one half TM, the other half SuperDuper.

All apps, internet, mail - fine.

I hooked up my existing Time Macinne (probably not a good idea), and the next backup failed.

Did some research, and since I have plenty of archived backup anyway, decided that the best thing to do would be to erase the TM external, and start fresh.

Did that, and as expected, first backup took a couple hours.

The Problem.

Now, every incremental backup takes 4 to 5 hours, even if no data has changed.

"Indexing" lasts for 45 minues; "Backing Up" reads 600,000 plus files, which also goes on for 30 or 40 minutes (approx.), and wants to Calculate changes etc forever; then the actual backup starts out at 10 kb, and in 20 minutes is at 30 kb and then after about an hour I start getting into gbs and the blue bar progresses pretty fast after that. Then "Finishing Up" takes approximately 2 - 3 hours.

Not right. :~(

What I've Done to Toubleshoot.

First, I re-erased the TM external.

Then reset PRAM and did an SMC reset on the iMac.

Then backed up to TM again. The same problem persisted.

So next, I repeated that process (other than backing up), and I also deleted from the Root Library/Preferences com.apple.timemachine.plist, and from Home/Library/Preferences deleted com.apple.finder.plist. Then rebboted the iMac. Then I did a Disk Utility verify of the empty external - all was/is fine. Then I ran DiskWarrior on the iMac and all was fine; repaired permissions on the iMac from DiscWarrior as well. Then, I did another TM backup to the external, which took a couple hours since it was backing up to an empty drive.

Next 3 incremental backups still take 4 to 5 hours, even if nothing has changed on theiMac.

The Request.

Please if anyone can give me some easy to understand step by step options I might try to get TM working correctly again, it will be most appreciated.

If I've left out any details that might assist, please also let me know.

The problem computer is at home and I'm at work, so if any logs are needed, I can post those later today (but in that event, please tell me exactly which log to post and how to isolate it from System Profiler or Console (as there are many logs to choose from and I want to provide the proper info if someone needs to see a log to assist)).

Thanks in advance!

iMac27";iMac24";2 iMac 20";iMac 17";MBP 17";2 MBP 15";iMac and eMac G4; iBook G3, Mac OS X (10.6.7), 8G Ram; 4G Ram; 3G Ram; 2G Ram

Posted on Jan 4, 2012 9:27 AM

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Answer 1

pcbjr Author

Level 2

347 points

Jan 4, 2012 3:40 PM in response to pcbjr

Please help!

I've since done a complete SMC and PRAM re-set (again) and reinstalled the 10.6.8 Combo Updater - problem persists.

Any help will be most appreciated!

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Answer 2

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 4, 2012 6:13 PM in response to pcbjr

Try the things you haven't already done in the green box of #D2 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

If none of those help, since this started after reinstalling OSX, it sounds like something there might be damaged. Try installing a fresh copy of OSX (that won't disturb anything else), per the same link.

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Answer 3

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 4, 2012 6:14 PM in response to pcbjr

pcbjr wrote:

. . .

if any logs are needed, I can post those later today (but in that event, please tell me exactly which log to post

We don't need them (not yet, anyway), but the best way to see what Time Machine is up to is via the widget in #A1 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting

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Answer 4

pcbjr Author

Level 2

347 points

Jan 4, 2012 6:48 PM in response to Pondini

Pondini,

Thanks for the reply - have been hoping you'd chime in!

Here's where I am now:

Rewiped the external again, reset PRAM and SMC again, reinstalled the Combo 10.6.8, and follwed other advice in A4 (Full Reset ...) and D1 and D2. So far, no joy - still hanging at about 9 kbs on the second phase of the backup, and all of the checking 600,000 files persists.

I've got to get some sleep tonight and work tomorrow at the office (this iMac is at the home office but I have client appointments downtown tomorrow) so I won't be able to try D2 again until after dark tomorrow.

Please keep an eye open for a post in 24 to 26 hours and we'll go from there.

Thanks!

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Answer 5

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 4, 2012 6:53 PM in response to pcbjr

pcbjr wrote:

. . .

and all of the checking 600,000 files persists.

Yes, that has to be repeated for every backup until one completes normally. 😟 When a backup fails or is cancelled, Time Machine can't use the hidden log of changes that OSX keeps to know what needs to be backed-up, but must compare everything on your system to the backups.

Keep us posted . . .

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Answer 6

pcbjr Author

Level 2

347 points

Jan 4, 2012 7:01 PM in response to Pondini

Thanks again, and please docket to check back on this tomorrow after dinner. I'll redo D2 and advise further afterwards. Afterwards, if you want any logs, just let me know what and how best to locate what you want.

BTW - Where in Fla are you? I'm in Gainesville. It's chilly here!

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Answer 7

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 4, 2012 7:11 PM in response to pcbjr

pcbjr wrote:

Thanks again, and please docket to check back on this tomorrow after dinner.

Don't have to -- I'm automatically subscribed to any thread I post in, so I'll get an email when you post.

BTW - Where in Fla are you? I'm in Gainesville. It's chilly here!

Clermont, a few miles west of Orlando. Chilly here, too (but not quite as chilly)!

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Answer 8

pcbjr Author

Level 2

347 points

Jan 5, 2012 7:24 AM in response to Pondini

Pondini,

At work now so not in front of the iMac with TM issues.

Last night I left it on all night. From about 10:00 until 6:15 it did two updates, both of which appear to have taken over 2 hours; another started at 6:45 (approx) and finished about 8:45 this AM. It is completeing backups but taking an incredibly inordinate amount of time for each.

When I get back to that iMac this evening, I'm going to D2 again, as you suggested above, and will download the widget.

After that, I'll post results. If you have any other suggestions I ought to try before posting, please give me some specific instructions so that I do them correctly!

Thanks!

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Answer 9

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 5, 2012 9:35 AM in response to pcbjr

Cool. If nothing in D2 helps, the widget messages may give us a clue.

Keep us posted.

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Answer 10

pcbjr Author

Level 2

347 points

Jan 5, 2012 12:09 PM in response to Pondini

OK - D2 after work.

Should I downloaod the widget and run it before I try the next backup, run it during the backup, or run it after the next backup? I want to make sure I'm giving you the precise info you need, should another go-round with D2 not work.

Thanks in advance for this clarification, and for your continued assistance!

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Answer 11

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 5, 2012 12:16 PM in response to pcbjr

pcbjr wrote:

. . .

Should I downloaod the widget and run it before I try the next backup, run it during the backup, or run it after the next backup?

Doesn't matter; all it does is look into your system.log and display the backup messages it finds there, one backup "run" at a time. So you can always see them for the last day or two, at least.

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Answer 12

pcbjr Author

Level 2

347 points

Jan 5, 2012 5:41 PM in response to Pondini

Pondini,

Did every step in D2 (green box) - except did not reinstall Combo Updater which I did late last night.

After that, did a TM backup - started at 6:15.

All apps were off.

Sequence of events and facts:

At start, 434.03 0f 500.1 GB available on the external TM

Last backup shown - 7:58 AM; Oldest Back Up - Yesterday at 9:56 (that's the 1st backup after I reinitialized the external for the 2nd or 3rd time trying to get this thing figured out)

Upon starting and doing the backup -

Preparing 250,000 (approx.) items (too quick to get the final number) - Parenthetically, this AM it was over 600,000; probably has to do with turning off Spotlight per your D2 instructions

Next message -

Backing Up 6.96 GB

Hung at 2 kb to 90 kb for 20 minutes before progressing

Ultimately, at 1.78 GB the progress bar started moving rapidly (as it should) - so this isn't a cable connection issue - the Backup phase took 22 minutes, but from 1.78 GB to 6.96 GB took only a few seconds; I have seen this precise same sequence repeatedly the past 2 days

Next - Backing Up (the candy cane blue and white progress bar) - Preparing 140,000 items - took 12 minutes

Now shows 426.95 GB available on the external

Next - Backing Up (no count of items shown) - started at 7:05 and went until 7:45 (40 minutes)

Next - Finishing Backup (blue/white candy cane progress bar; no count of items shown) - started at 7:45 - went until sometime after 8:15 (can't give a precise time because I need to sit down and eat :~) )

Backup completed (between bites of chicken) at 8:23.

Over 2 hours - something isn't right.

Also, TM Prefs tells me that the Latest Backup was at 7:44 - odd.

Anyway - to take a step further, here's the TM Buddy widget info you might need:

Successful Backup: 02:06:32.

There is no log entry or data showing.

Just as I sent this, a new backup started, and it appears to be going through the same routine, from Preparing ....

Gotta eat.

Please post any further instructions and I'll do what I can tonight.

Thanks!

What is the problem? How do I speed this mother up?

Thanks!

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Answer 13

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 5, 2012 5:49 PM in response to pcbjr

pcbjr wrote:

. . .

Hung at 2 kb to 90 kb for 20 minutes before progressing

Not good.

the Backup phase took 22 minutes, but from 1.78 GB to 6.96 GB took only a few seconds; I have seen this precise same sequence repeatedly the past 2 days

If the previous backup failed, that may not be a problem. When it failed, what it had copied remained on the TM drive in a hidden folder. The next backup calculates what it needs, but without considering what's in the leftover package. Once it starts actually copying, only new stuff is copied, so it looks like it's going very slowly, but then completes suddenly, long before you expect it.

Over 2 hours - something isn't right.

Yup. 😟

What is the problem? How do I speed this mother up?

I'm not sure. You've pretty much ruled everything out but a problem with OSX (although it could still be a problem with one of the drives).

I know you installed the "combo" update, but did you ever install a fresh copy of OSX? That won't disturb anything else. See Installing the ''combo'' update and/or Reinstalling OSX.

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