Repeated "Preparing Backup" delays

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Level 1

6 points

Repeated "Preparing Backup" delays

I'm using Time Machine with a Time Capsule. All Firmware and software is up-to-date. This problem (lengthy Preparing Backup and Indexing) is occurring repeatedly since I updated to OS 10.7.4 on my MacBook Pro. It resolves itself, then starts over again in less than a day. I need a "fix" that goes beyond rebooting, resetting, and letting it reindex. At times the system is almost unusable because Time Machine is using too much processor or WiFi bandwidth. Logging out and back in often leads to a Finder crash and then I have to reboot.

Posted on May 15, 2012 10:28 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

May 15, 2012 5:10 PM in response to daveungar

You may have a problem with the index itself. A clue may be lurking in your logs. Use the widget in #A1 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting to display the backup messages from your logs.

See if there are repeated "waiting for index to be ready" messages, in multiple backups. If so, check the backup before one with the repeated messages -- see if the backup completed successfully.

If in doubt, copy and post a representative sample here.

You may need to delete the index, so TM will re-create it "from scratch." See the pink box in #D2 of the same article for instructions.

EDIT: I'll ask the Hosts to move this to the Lion forum.

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Answer 2

daveungar Author

Level 1

6 points

Sep 17, 2012 10:24 AM in response to Pondini

Pondini - thank you for your excellent site on Time Machine and Time Capsule. I apologize for taking 4 months to thank you, but it took a while to solve my problem. I probably had an index issue when I first posted my message in May but shortly afterwards I copied some files to a Western Digital HD for a friend. After months of messing with problems mounting the backup disks I finally found your seciton on Incompatible software. Sure enough, I had clicked on the WD software installer - but only looked at it once - and it had installed a process that interfered with mounting the Time Capsule.

Thanks again for your great articles.

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Answer 3

Conrad57

Level 1

10 points

Oct 28, 2012 4:55 AM in response to Pondini

The widget was great! Thanks for that. I was baffled why my backup would not start but the widget "told me" that it was b/c I time machine was in the process of getting rid of 2 backups (my disk is full), so it was just a matter of being patient. It's much easier to be patient when you know what's going on.

Thanks a bunch!

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