HT204078: How to migrate Time Machine backups from one AirPort Time Capsule to another

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guessagain
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Q: Unable to mount the existing Time Capsule

I can't get step 8 to work. When I try to mount the existing Time Capsule I get a warning that says:

 

The operation can't be completed because the original item for "Data" can't be found.

 

If I ignore this and try to continue with the further steps it just creates a 2MB alias and nothing seems to transfer from one disk to the other.

 

Any ideas what's going wrong here and how I can fix it?

Time Capsule 802.11n (4th Gen)

Posted on Apr 7, 2013 2:16 PM

by guessagain,Solvedanswer
guessagain guessagain
Level 1 (0 points)
A:

Success!  ...but I don't understand why.

 

The original problem of being unable to mount the existing TC was resolved during the first hour or so on the call to Apple support, but it seemed to resolve itself for no apparent reason. 

 

Nothing seemed to work or make any difference as various suggestions were implemented.  Then, while doing nothing different the TC mounted.  Simply while looking at the finder window the contents of the "Data" file on the existing TC appeared, showing 4 sparsebundle disk images (for the 4 Macs that had been backing up onto this TC).  If I had to guess, I would say that perhaps it must take quite some time for this to happen (maybe hours?), so it appears that nothing is working but then it just appears.  Once it had done this once, it didn't seem to take too long to mount again.

 

If I may make a suggestion at this stage, the HT5097 instructions would benefit from a couple of pictures to show exactly what is meant.  For example: "7. Mount the Time Capsule volume by clicking it" - which part is the "volume" and what does it look like in the Finder?  How can I click it if I don't know what it looks like?  Not knowing whether or not I have clicked the right thing causes confusion when nothing appears to happen, followed by random clicking of anything and everything else that might possibly be a "volume" in an endless series of trial and error and error and error... 

 

A picture of the "disk image" in step 9 would also help identify when it hasn't appeared yet, as well as a picture showing where it needs to be dragged.  The written instructions are just too vague to follow without a prior understanding of what it ought to look like.

 

With respect, Pondini's instructions are even worse for jargon crimes.  I got lost very early in the unexplained distinction between "local drives" and "network drives".

 

Anyway, back to the long and convoluted success story.  Once the sparsebundle disk images appeared, every attempt to drag them to the new TC in a 2nd Finder window failed.  Depending on where they were dragged to they simply bounced back or gave an error message that the new TC could not be modified.  This refusal persisted despite some hours of Apple support working patiently through every method they could think of, even in "God mode" it still refused to co-operate.  They concluded that there must be a hardware problem with the new TC and arranged for replacement.

 

I installed the replacement TC and got it to mount OK but it still refused to allow anything to be dragged into it from the existing TC so I had to wait to this morning for the time to make another Apple support call.  Early in that call, again without having changed anything at all since my series of unsuccessful attempts over the last few days, it suddenly worked and started copying one of the sparsebundle disk images from the old TC to the new one.  I have absolutely no idea why it worked today and wouldn't work yesterday or the day before.  Again, my only guess is that perhaps it needs a day or two to think about it before it will let the transfer commence.

 

All migration has now been successfully completed, taking about 7 hours via ethernet.

Posted on Apr 13, 2013 1:21 AM

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guessagain

Q: Unable to mount the existing Time Capsule

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  • Helpful answers

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Apr 7, 2013 2:47 PM in response to guessagain
    Level 9 (52,481 points)
    Wireless
    Apr 7, 2013 2:47 PM in response to guessagain

    Step 8???

     

    Try using Pondini's instructions.. they are more helpful than Apple's convoluted methods.

     

    http://pondini.org/TM/TCQ1.html

     

    Just doesn't take that many steps to get TM working.

     

    I would also begin by rebooting the whole network.. or at least the TC..

    For whole network, restart in correct order.. modem. TC.. clients.. with 2min gap.

     

    Refreshing the IP and tables for network often seems to wake things up.. for a few hours/days at least.

     

    Mountain Lion is the chief OS that gives these issues.. so tell us what OS you are doing this on.

     

    And what version of the Utility you are running?? Does the TC come up in the utility even if you have issues mounting the disk in finder?

  • by guessagain,

    guessagain guessagain Apr 7, 2013 3:54 PM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 7, 2013 3:54 PM in response to LaPastenague

    Thanks for the help.  I rebooted everything as you suggested, but it made no difference.

     

    OS is 10.8.2 and Airport Utility is v6.2

     

    Both TCs are showing in the utility

     

    I couldn't open the Pondini link you provided, for some reason Safari can't connect to that server at the moment (my internet connection has been dropping out a bit).  I did read through a Pondini page on this topic a little earlier (not sure if it's the same one), but I couldn't really follow it.

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Apr 7, 2013 4:28 PM in response to guessagain
    Level 9 (52,481 points)
    Wireless
    Apr 7, 2013 4:28 PM in response to guessagain

     

    Both TCs are showing in the utility

     

    I think you need to give us the full blown picture of the problem.. nothing in your first post indicated we are looking at two TC..

     

    So I need the whole network picture..

    Modem.. what type.. is it a router?

     

    TC1.. TC2.. what mode are they in.. are they plugged into each other? Is there double NAT warning?

     

    The very fact that you cannot get Safari to connect suggests you have a network error like double NAT or duplicate IP going on.

  • by guessagain,

    guessagain guessagain Apr 8, 2013 1:44 PM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 8, 2013 1:44 PM in response to LaPastenague

    Sorry for the delay responding. Spent several hours on the phone to Apple support yesterday and it now seems to be a hardware problem with the new TC so theyre swapping it for another one today.

     

    I might have been a bit cryptic in the original post. HT5097 is the number of a support article that gives instructions on how to migrate the contents of an existing Time Capsule to a new one, which necessarily involves 2 TCs.

     

    I'll report back when I've tried out the replacement TC and hopefully all will be well.

  • by guessagain,Solvedanswer

    guessagain guessagain Apr 13, 2013 1:21 AM in response to guessagain
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 13, 2013 1:21 AM in response to guessagain

    Success!  ...but I don't understand why.

     

    The original problem of being unable to mount the existing TC was resolved during the first hour or so on the call to Apple support, but it seemed to resolve itself for no apparent reason. 

     

    Nothing seemed to work or make any difference as various suggestions were implemented.  Then, while doing nothing different the TC mounted.  Simply while looking at the finder window the contents of the "Data" file on the existing TC appeared, showing 4 sparsebundle disk images (for the 4 Macs that had been backing up onto this TC).  If I had to guess, I would say that perhaps it must take quite some time for this to happen (maybe hours?), so it appears that nothing is working but then it just appears.  Once it had done this once, it didn't seem to take too long to mount again.

     

    If I may make a suggestion at this stage, the HT5097 instructions would benefit from a couple of pictures to show exactly what is meant.  For example: "7. Mount the Time Capsule volume by clicking it" - which part is the "volume" and what does it look like in the Finder?  How can I click it if I don't know what it looks like?  Not knowing whether or not I have clicked the right thing causes confusion when nothing appears to happen, followed by random clicking of anything and everything else that might possibly be a "volume" in an endless series of trial and error and error and error... 

     

    A picture of the "disk image" in step 9 would also help identify when it hasn't appeared yet, as well as a picture showing where it needs to be dragged.  The written instructions are just too vague to follow without a prior understanding of what it ought to look like.

     

    With respect, Pondini's instructions are even worse for jargon crimes.  I got lost very early in the unexplained distinction between "local drives" and "network drives".

     

    Anyway, back to the long and convoluted success story.  Once the sparsebundle disk images appeared, every attempt to drag them to the new TC in a 2nd Finder window failed.  Depending on where they were dragged to they simply bounced back or gave an error message that the new TC could not be modified.  This refusal persisted despite some hours of Apple support working patiently through every method they could think of, even in "God mode" it still refused to co-operate.  They concluded that there must be a hardware problem with the new TC and arranged for replacement.

     

    I installed the replacement TC and got it to mount OK but it still refused to allow anything to be dragged into it from the existing TC so I had to wait to this morning for the time to make another Apple support call.  Early in that call, again without having changed anything at all since my series of unsuccessful attempts over the last few days, it suddenly worked and started copying one of the sparsebundle disk images from the old TC to the new one.  I have absolutely no idea why it worked today and wouldn't work yesterday or the day before.  Again, my only guess is that perhaps it needs a day or two to think about it before it will let the transfer commence.

     

    All migration has now been successfully completed, taking about 7 hours via ethernet.