Time Machine takes large backup every day

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Time Machine takes large backup every day

I have been using Time Machine for a few months without any problems until I updated to Mac OS X 10.7.5, when it began to take a 90GB backup every day. Sometimes it begins a new backup immediately it finishes because it doesn't recognise that it has completed successfully. Backups are running a lot of the time. I applied the OS X 10.7.5 supplemental update but it has made no difference. Any ideas?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.5), Time Machine with external USB HDD

Posted on Oct 16, 2012 1:13 PM

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Answer 1

keg55

Level 6

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Oct 16, 2012 1:41 PM in response to Green Pete

Make sure you EXCLUDE any partitions, external drives, etc. in the OPTIONs of Time Machine and only backup the volume you want to target.

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Answer 2

Green Pete Author

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Oct 16, 2012 1:50 PM in response to keg55

The external drive is excluded. There are no partitions.

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Answer 3

Green Pete Author

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Oct 24, 2012 1:18 AM in response to Green Pete

I have fixed the problem. Searching the web for similar problems, I noticed that AV software was sometimes implicated. I use ESET Cybersecurity and I saw some suggestions that it was sometimes necessary to uninstall and reinstall it asfter an OS update. I uninstalled it and Time Machine immediately reverted to normal behaviour, with small backups taking only seconds or a minute or two. I monitored it for a few days and everything was fine. I then reinstalled ESET and everything is still OK. It has been running normally for several days now, so I think I have solved the problem. 🙂

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