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Q: Time Capsule does not delete old backups.

Our 2TB time capsule is full and no longer deletes old backups so new back ups fail.  We have two Macs with El Capitan. What can we do to have the time capsule delete old backups?

Posted on Dec 26, 2015 6:47 AM

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Q: Time Capsule does not delete old backups.

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  • by Bob Timmons,Helpful

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Dec 26, 2015 7:38 AM in response to babaapple
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    Dec 26, 2015 7:38 AM in response to babaapple

    Unfortunately, when the proposed backup is too large, Time Machine cannot delete enough old files to make room for new backups.

     

    Your options....in terms of most expensive on down.....are:

     

    1) Add another Time Capsule and start backups going there

     

    2) Add a USB hard drive to your existing Time Capsule and start backups going there

     

    3) Erase the hard drive on the existing Time Capsule and start backups over again

  • by babaapple,

    babaapple babaapple Dec 26, 2015 7:51 AM in response to Bob Timmons
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    Dec 26, 2015 7:51 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    How do I erase all data in the Time Capsule? The link below with your recommendations of August 2011 cannot be followed with El Capitan. Thank you for an update.

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Dec 26, 2015 8:00 AM in response to babaapple
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    Dec 26, 2015 8:00 AM in response to babaapple

    Not sure what link you are referring to, since I did not provide a link in my last post. 

     

    This link........Verify, repair, or erase an AirPort Time Capsule drive - Apple Support........would probably be a lot more useful though.

     

    Open AirPort Utility

    Click on the picture of the Time Capsule

    Click Edit in the smaller window that appears

    Click the Disks tab at the top of the next window

    Click Erase Disk

    Choose the Quick Erase option

    Click Erase

     

    The operation will only take a minute or two, then you are ready to start backups again. Allow plenty of time for the first backup, since everything on the Mac must be copied over.

  • by babaapple,

    babaapple babaapple Dec 26, 2015 8:21 AM in response to Bob Timmons
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    Dec 26, 2015 8:21 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Thank you Bob.  Followed the sequence but Time Capsule does not get erased.  We had two MacBooks backed-up in the capsule.  Five days ago we got new ones, had the data in the old ones transferred to the new ones and it was then that the problem began.  It appears that the AirPort Utility procedure fails to erase the back ups of the old Macs.  Any suggestion? Thank you again!!

  • by Bob Timmons,Helpful

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Dec 26, 2015 9:16 AM in response to babaapple
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    Dec 26, 2015 9:16 AM in response to babaapple

    Sorry, but you have my steps and you have the same steps from Apple's support document.  If that is not working, then all that I can suggest at this point is to get with Apple support.

  • by babaapple,

    babaapple babaapple Dec 26, 2015 9:16 AM in response to Bob Timmons
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    Dec 26, 2015 9:16 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Will do.

  • by babaapple,

    babaapple babaapple Dec 27, 2015 7:01 AM in response to babaapple
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    Dec 27, 2015 7:01 AM in response to babaapple

    Thank you Bob again. Your recommendation worked.  What I did not realize was that after the erase I had to remove the disk as a back up and in preferences look for another disk. It worked.

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Dec 27, 2015 8:37 AM in response to babaapple
    Level 10 (105,008 points)
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    Dec 27, 2015 8:37 AM in response to babaapple

    Glad that you got things working.

     

    After providing the steps to erase the Time Capsule, I guess we took your statement that.......it appears that the AirPort Utility procedure fails to erase the back ups of the old Macs.......at face value.

     

    If you had said that you were having difficulty getting backups going again, that would have been a different question.....and we would have answered differently.

  • by babaapple,

    babaapple babaapple Dec 27, 2015 8:48 AM in response to Bob Timmons
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    Dec 27, 2015 8:48 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Ah, the challenge of writing the question/problem correctly!