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Time Machine won't work on laptop

I use Time machine to back up my iMac once a week no problem.


I've launched Time machine for the first time on my MacBook pro and it won't load, doesn't even start to load.


I tried copying it from my iMac onto the laptop and that version is the same and doesn't work either.


Anyone know why Time Machine won't load on my MacBook pro?


lm2

Posted on Aug 19, 2012 7:26 AM

Reply
3 replies

Aug 19, 2012 1:40 PM in response to londonman2

What OS is the MBP running??


When you say you copied it from iMac.. please define "it" .. what did you copy??


If you copied executable files of a different version of TM.. you might need to use a very specific procedure.


So what OS is iMac running?


Time machine is integral part of the OS.. if it fails to start, I think your install is corrupt. I would recommend scrapping the install and start again with a clean install of the OS.

Aug 19, 2012 2:06 PM in response to LaPastenague

I've never run Time Machine on it since I bought it with Snow Leopard. I've updated the MacBook Pro to Lion and now to Mountain Lion and both my iMac and MacBook pro are running fine with that OSX.


I ran Time Machine on the MacBook and it doesn't load at all. I copied the same version over from my iMac thinking the Time Machine might be corrupt and it still didn't load. Years ago I would have just thrown a preference file away to solve such an issue...


I run Creative Suite 6.0 mainly using Illustrator and Photoshop and also run Office for Powerpoint, no issues at all with any other software whatsoever, only Time Machine...


lm2

Aug 19, 2012 2:40 PM in response to londonman2

Install the widget and see if you get something in a log as to why the TM won't start up.


http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html


See A1..


But you may need to look in other logs because the software is failing completely to start it might not give a message at all.


I think all our troubleshooting is issue with TM but it has to have started.. if it refuses to start at all, sorry but I think you are going to need to use a clean install.


Of course TM is not the only backup software around.. there are plenty of excellent utilities for the Mac.. Pondini lists a few.


CCC, Superduper, Chronosync.


In some ways these have superior features.. particularly that they produce a full clone of the disk, rather than just a jumble of everything.


http://pondini.org/TM/Clones.html

Time Machine won't work on laptop

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