Error finding server old time capsule share name

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Level 1

9 points

Error finding server old time capsule share name

I recently had to replace my Time Capsule and in setting the new one up I used a slightly different name for the share where the time capsule would back up my macbook. Now I keep getting a pop-up error to the effect of "The Server "XXXXX Time Capsule" server cannot be found. This may be because the server is unavailable or...." Well, it is unavailable because I have a new Time Capsule and I am using a different name for the backup share.

Can anyone help me so that this pop up goes away and the computer stops looking for a now-defunct time capsule share?

Airport Time Capsule 802.11ac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on May 20, 2016 7:47 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Bob Timmons

Community+ 2024

Level 10

159,704 points

May 20, 2016 9:01 PM in response to kshirschmd

Did you remember to delete the old path in Time Machine Preferences that instructed your Mac where to find your old Time Capsule?

If you didn't, then the Mac will continue to look for a Time Capsule that is not there and report that it cannot find it.

Open up Time Machine Preferences

Click Add or Remove Disk

Select the old Time Capsule disk. under Backup Disks..which might be called Data, unless you changed the name

Click Remove Disk

Restart your Mac and check things again.

IF you did not change the Data name on the new Time Capsule, then you are going to see two disks both named Data. In that case, remove both Data disks.

Then, power off the old Time Capsule, restart your Mac, and set up Time Machine again by choosing the new Time Capsule disk.

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Answer 2

kshirschmd Author

Level 1

9 points

May 20, 2016 9:01 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Worked like a charm. Thanks!

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Answer 3

kshirschmd Author

Level 1

9 points

May 24, 2016 12:03 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Bob, I was mistaken. The pop-up recurred. Seems to relate to when I plug one of my mobile devices (iPhone/iPad) into the macbook but I'm not 100% sure this is the correlation. I went through the steps you suggested previously. Of note, the old name for the backup share does not appear in the list of available disks when I "select disk" in Time Machine. See the following two screen shots.

Appreciate any help you or others can provide. Thanks!

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Answer 4

May 24, 2016 1:00 PM in response to kshirschmd

It is possible that at one time you configured Office AirPort Time Capsule to be one of the items that automatically runs when you start up your Mac?

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Answer 5

kshirschmd Author

Level 1

9 points

May 24, 2016 1:08 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Possibly. The only place I know to look is in system preferences under users. See screen shot:

I don't see startup disks or the like here. Is there someplace else I should look? Thanks!

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Answer 6

May 24, 2016 2:24 PM in response to kshirschmd

If the Time Capsule is not there in the list of Startup Items, then I'm out of ideas.

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Answer 7

May 24, 2016 2:10 PM in response to kshirschmd

A guess would be that having both the previous and current Time Capsule drives named "Data" may be messing up some preference files and causing confusion.

Try renaming Data to something else and reset things in Time Machine Preferences again. Unfortunately, when you do this, Time Machine may run a new complete backup of the Mac.

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Answer 8

kshirschmd Author

Level 1

9 points

May 25, 2016 7:51 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Figured out a workaround. I renamed my new Time Capsule to the old name that was giving pop up error. Then I reconfigured Time Capsule to use the renamed Data folder (to the old name). Problem solved. Good enough for government work. Thanks for your help!

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