Time Machine not working with Yosemite

You can always try to open Disk Utility and repair TM disk and repair disk permissions.

Repair TM disk: check

Initialize TM disk and start all over: check

Reset TC itself and start from scratch: check

Repair HD in Mac Pro: check

Repair Disk Permissions in Mac Pro: check

Reset PRAM: Check

Reset SMC: check

Turn off TM, delete alle related plists and start all over: check

et cetera.

The TM interface is broken in my Yosemite (as is the case with lots of other users). If you go back in time things become unresponsive. First selecting Macintosh HD in TM interface helps sometimes but not always.

I've also connected a second stand alone drive and made a new TM backup: the problem remains.

Something is really broken!

I hate for you to have to reinstall Yosemite again, but sometimes it fixes the problem.

I don't think there is something wrong with Yosemite's since it works on the majority of users.

Yosemite is absolute garbage. Am I expecting too much out of my Macintosh? I've done one clean install wt Migration assistant, & also two completely clean installs after that failed. Every time I experience completely different problems. Now I keep having WiFi problems, and my Time machine will not operate properly. The only way I am able to retrieve old data, is by using the backup drive. You know, the old fashioned way, like I did when I had a low cost Windows PC.

No help. Yosemite is the problem. Seems several users here have work arounds, myself included, but they don't apply to every user here. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Apple needs to fix this.

Time Machine on Yosemite is truly, truly broken.

This is the list of those that I've experienced:

• On remount of disk, uses full size (including data already backed-up and not needing backup) rather than delta, so may delete backups it shouldn't
• Backs up partial files if large copy is running in parallel with the backup (use to continue running and backup the whole file)
• Hit or miss whether you can see backup history through Time Machine UI
• Deletes backups <24 hours old
• Time of next backup in preferences bears little relation to time it runs (can be +- 30 minutes either way)
• Skips backups randomly (used to produce message if skipped because already backed-up in previous 10 minutes)
• Unpredictable behaviour messages in log

I can navigate within Time Machine in Yosemite on my client's iMac if I do the suggested routine of opening the hard drive first.

The problem we're having is that we want to navigate within Apple Mail to retrieve a folder but we cannot go back in time. Clicking on the chronology bar within Time Machine has no reaction. Clicking on the up/down arrow in the window above and below "today" has no effect either. The Restore button is grayed out.

Thanks for the information re: Apple notification of problem. Have you heard of any time frame regarding the update?

It is hard to believe that everyone using time machine on Mavericks and now converting to Yosemite aren't having this problem. sThanks for the info. Hope Apple gets the lead out! and gets a fix out soon. Thanks again for taking time to call Apple and get the word out.

Add me to the list of those who've experienced Time Machine to be broken in Yosemite. I have a 2011 MBP and a 2009 Mac Pro. The MBP is connected via Airport to a new Time Capsule for its Time Machine, the Mac Pro via USB 3.0 to a new model Drobo for its Time Machine. Both have the same problem: Can do a full restore from Time Machine as long as I like the latest backup, which is the only backup offered when doing a restore. Absolutely no inside Time Machine access to older backups and/or individual files. Only noticed it one day when I wanted to restore a app. Been working with Apple Support via phone for two weeks = no joy, yet.

10.10.1 is out.

"Resolved an issue that might prevent Time Machine from displaying older backups"

Fingers crossed.

10.10.1 is out:

Resolved an issue that might prevent Time Machine from displaying older backups

Fingers crossed

You can let your fingers go now. Yosemite 10.10.1 did not resolve the Time Machine issues for me.

Now all we have to do is wait for 10.10.2.

Definitely let them go.

First major 10.10.0 bug I tested in 10.10.1 is still there.

If you have an external disk that is dismounted when Time Machine runs, next occasion that Time Machine runs and the disk is mounted - Time Machine uses total space on that disk as part of the requirement.

Why is this important - because it vastly overstates what is needed and may unnecessarily delete backups.

Example - Calculated c47GB (wrong) but only backed up c110KB, (correct) so may have deleted anything up to 47GB of backups that it shouldn't.

1. Do Time Machine Backup

2. Dismounted ScratchUse

3. Do Time Machine Backup

4. Mounted ScratchUse

5. Do Time Machine Backup

This is the output from item 5.

17/11/2014 19:49:25.153 com.apple.backupd[653]: Starting manual backup

17/11/2014 19:49:25.166 com.apple.backupd[653]: Backing up to /dev/disk4s2: /Volumes/Time Machine Backup/Backups.backupdb

17/11/2014 19:49:26.109 com.apple.backupd[653]: Will copy (Zero KB) from ScratchUse

17/11/2014 19:49:26.112 com.apple.backupd[653]: Will copy (110 KB) from Macintosh HD

17/11/2014 19:49:26.112 com.apple.backupd[653]: Will copy (Zero KB) from Photo Masters Vol 3

17/11/2014 19:49:26.113 com.apple.backupd[653]: Will copy (Zero KB) from Photo Masters 5

17/11/2014 19:49:26.113 com.apple.backupd[653]: Will copy (Zero KB) from Music and Video

17/11/2014 19:49:26.114 com.apple.backupd[653]: Found 78 files (46.97 GB) needing backup

17/11/2014 19:49:26.128 com.apple.backupd[653]: 58.16 GB required (including padding), 1.24 TB available

17/11/2014 19:49:26.676 com.apple.backupd[653]: Copied 3 items (234 bytes) from volume ScratchUse. Linked 5.

17/11/2014 19:49:28.844 com.apple.backupd[653]: Copied 28 items (110 KB) from volume Macintosh HD. Linked 367.

17/11/2014 19:49:30.535 com.apple.backupd[653]: Copied 1 items (Zero KB) from volume Photo Masters Vol 3. Linked 5.

17/11/2014 19:49:31.428 com.apple.backupd[653]: Copied 1 items (Zero KB) from volume Photo Masters 5. Linked 3.

17/11/2014 19:49:32.180 com.apple.backupd[653]: Copied 1 items (Zero KB) from volume Music and Video. Linked 7.

17/11/2014 19:49:33.202 com.apple.backupd[653]: Created new backup: 2014-11-17-194932

The difference is the files on ScratchUse that had already been backed-up.

If you want to test this, I suggest making sure that you use a disk where the amount used on the disk is less than the free space on your backup drive, otherwise you will lose backups.