Scott Raymond
Level 1 (17 points)
Apple Pay

Q: Accessing Time Machine Backup to Restore a File is Very Slow

If I go into my time machine backup to access a file to restore it, it is very slow. I go into Time Machine, and then click the arrows to go back in time and it gives me a blank window and says "Waiting". If I wait, upwards of 30 minutes then it will finally show me the files in that folder. If I then have to navigate to another folder, it will take over a minute to go to it.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11), 15 inch, 2.6GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB Hard Dri

Posted on Feb 16, 2016 6:40 PM

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Scott Raymond

Q: Accessing Time Machine Backup to Restore a File is Very Slow

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  • by braden85,

    braden85 braden85 Feb 18, 2016 6:22 AM in response to Scott Raymond
    Community Specialists
    Feb 18, 2016 6:22 AM in response to Scott Raymond

    Hi Scott Raymond,

     

    I understand that you are experiencing some issues when attempting to restore some files in Time Machine. I have an article for you that contains some troubleshooting steps you may want to try, and it is found here:

    Check your drives

    If you can't back up, check both your backup drives and any drives you're backing up (like your startup disk). 

    Is your backup drive turned on and connected?

    If you're using a drive connected to a port on your Mac, Time Capsule, or AirPort Base Station, make sure it's powered on. If you're using a USB hub or a similar device, try connecting the drive directly to your Mac, Time Capsule, or AirPort Base Station.

    Is your backup drive formatted correctly?

    When you select a drive to use with Time Machine, your Mac automatically prompts you if you need to reformat it.

    • If you're using an external drive connected to your Mac, use Disk Utility to make sure that your backup drive is formatted as HFS+ Extended (Journaled) and that the partition type is GUID Partition Table (GPT).
    • If you're using a Time Capsule, formatting the drive from Time Machine preferences automatically formats the drive as HFS+ Extended (Case Sensitive, Journaled) with a GUID Partition Table (GPT).

    Important: Reformatting a drive erases all of the data currently stored on that drive. Move any important files to another drive before erasing your backup drive.

    Does your startup disk or backup drive need directory repair?

    You can use Disk Utility to verify your startup disk, your backup drive, and any other drives you're trying to back up. Turn off Time Machine, then connect any drives you're using as part of your backup. 

    1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
    2. From the View menu, choose Time Machine.
    3. Set Time Machine to Off to disable Time Machine backups.
    4. Connect your backup drive to your Mac.
    5. Open Disk Utility located in /Applications/Utilities.
    6. In Disk Utility, locate and select your drive in the sidebar.
    7. Click Verify Disk, or click Repair Disk.

    You can turn Time Machine back on after your drive is verified as ok, or repaired successfully.

    If Disk Utility finds issues it can't repair, see Using Disk Utility to verify or repair disks for more information on the next steps to try. It's possible the drive might need to be reformatted, or the backup is damaged.

    Is your backup drive's firmware out of date?

    If you're backing up to an external drive, check with the drive manufacturer to make sure the drive's firmware is up to date. You can find the firmware version for the drive by connecting it to your Mac, then looking in the devices section of System Information.

    If you can't back up or restore your Mac using Time Machine - Apple Support

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204157

     

    Thanks for being a part of the Apple Support Communities!

  • by Scott Raymond,

    Scott Raymond Scott Raymond Feb 18, 2016 5:26 PM in response to braden85
    Level 1 (17 points)
    Apple Pay
    Feb 18, 2016 5:26 PM in response to braden85

    Hello,

    Thanks for your reply but it isn't any of these things. I've checked the drives with Disk Utility and everything is fine. The backup drive is formatted correctly and has the most recent firmware. It isn't that I cannot backup. I have many successful backups. In fact, Time Capsule says the last backup was at 8:00 p.m. tonight. It is now 8:24 p.m.

    My problem is when I go into recover a file, it is so slow, unacceptably slow, in navigating "back in time" through the backups to find the file. I did it and after about 45 minutes I was able to successfully restore a file. But it should not take that long, it is 2016 and even 6 years ago using Time Machine, it did not take that long. When I click on a prior date and/or time to go back to, it just says "waiting" for 20-30 minutes before it shows the contents of the folder at the date/time I chose to go back to.

  • by braden85,

    braden85 braden85 Feb 20, 2016 2:52 PM in response to Scott Raymond
    Community Specialists
    Feb 20, 2016 2:52 PM in response to Scott Raymond

    Hi again Scott,

     

    Thank you for using the Apple Support Community. Due to the nature of your issue or question you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources - https://getsupport.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action.