Back up failure

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Level 1

14 points

Back up failure

a

Hello,

I have had my early 09 IMac backing up to my Airport 1TB drive for several uneventful years now. The drive is less than 50% full.

Yesterday I noticed some inconsistencies in the Time Machine widget reports

I have stopped and started Time Machine several times

I have rebooted the Airport 1Tb drive

I have excluded and saved then removed the exclusion of 1 App.

I have edited some name details in the report below

The latest report from the Widget is

Attempting to mount network destination URL: afp://xxxx%20xxx;AUTH=SRP@Wixxxxx%20Time%20Capsule._afpovertcp._tcp.local./Will iam%20xxxxx%20Time%20Cap

Mounted network destination at mount point: /Volumes/xxx Time Cap using URL: afp://xx%20xx;AUTH=SRP@xxxxx%20Time%20Capsule._afpovertcp._tcp.local./xx%20xx%2 0Time%20Cap

Property list invalid for format: 200 (property lists cannot contain NULL)

Disk image /Volumes/xxxx Time Cap/xxxx iMac.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups

Property list invalid for format: 200 (property lists cannot contain NULL)

This the next widget report which has just started

Starting automatic backup

Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/xxxxx Time Cap

Disk image already attached: /Volumes/xxxxxx Time Cap/xxxxx iMac.sparsebundle, DIHLDiskImageAttach returned: 35

Disk image /Volumes/xxxxx Time Cap/xxxxxiMac.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups

Backing up to /dev/disk2s2: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb

Will copy (20.4 MB) from Macintosh HD

Found 2707 files (76.7 MB) needing backup

2.79 GB required (including padding), 564.92 GB available

Other errors which pop are that Time Machine was unable to eject the volume and next time it starts reports that volume is already mounted. Times when it appears to be working will take over an hour to back up 3 Gb''s. It also appears that as soon as the IMac reboots it tries a backup even when its not due. Perhaps its trying to finish one.

I have successfully opened time machine and restored a file from several months ago and all backups appear to there.

Thanks in Advance for any Help

Cheers

Bill

Posted on Jul 3, 2015 1:26 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

LaPastenague

Level 9

67,226 points

Jul 3, 2015 5:43 AM in response to cetus547

I have had my early 09 IMac backing up to my Airport 1TB drive for several uneventful years now.

Did you buy the TC with the iMac.. if so the TC is probably living on borrowed time. Do you backup over wireless.. ?? Let me strongly recommend that death is imminent.. and you should either move the backup to USB drive or actually just plug the USB drive into the Mac and start doing backups locally.

If you really want to work on the existing backup.. then do a verify.. See A5 in pondini's KB which you apparently know about.

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

Other errors which pop are that Time Machine was unable to eject the volume

Eject manually.. this is a common problem in the past..

Again the old pondini stuff is still relevant.. See 12,17

If you run the mac on Yosemite.. I can almost guarantee you issues.. TM is not as reliable as it once was..

And Yosemite networking is hopeless.

So really it might be time for a rethink. Especially using a USB drive (FW800 even better)

Lifespans are close to the end.. expect increasing issues.

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Answer 2

cetus547 Author

Level 1

14 points

Jul 3, 2015 1:35 PM in response to LaPastenague

Thanks for the prompt reply.

I have to say this was floating about somewhere in my head that an upgrade might be about due and what is now old hardware mixing it with new software.

I have just this past week or 2 been in discussion with the chief finance minister pointing out that perhaps its time to upgrade.

This may just do the trick. Now what to buy Hmmmmm.

Cheers

Bill

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Answer 3

cetus547 Author

Level 1

14 points

Jul 6, 2015 7:59 PM in response to cetus547

Well bought a new G-Technology 1TB USB3 portable drive.

Plugged it in pulled up TM Preferences and selected it for TM backups. Pleasantly surprised that I can actually have 2 drives for TM backup with TM alternating between them. I'll buy another drive in 6-9 months and setup alternating backups to cover failure. Removed the existing Airport disk and have now disconnected it and will put into storage for a while.

What a difference this makes compared to using my old Airport over WiFi. Should have done this years ago.

Thanks for the great advice again

LaPastenague

Cheers

Bill

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