johnsalter2
Level 1 (4 points)
Peripherals

Q: Slow Bluetooth when doing Time Capsule Backup

I am running El Capitan on a Mac Pro. Every time my 2TB Time Capsule starts a backup my bluetooth devices slow to a crawl and sometimes disconnect. The Magic Mouse becomes jerky and slow. The Apple keyboard slows to a rate of ~1 character/second or disconnects completely.

This seems to be a recurrent theme on this communities site with no real answer to the problem that I can find.

While I love my bluetooth devices, especially the Magic Mouse, it just isn't worth my while stopping work for several minutes every hour while the backup takes over. Has somebody found a fix? Is it possible to change the priorities on any of the devices to resolve it?

Mac Pro (Late 2013)

Posted on Jun 21, 2016 10:18 AM

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johnsalter2

Q: Slow Bluetooth when doing Time Capsule Backup

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  • by Lindsay_B.,

    Lindsay_B. Lindsay_B. Jun 22, 2016 8:15 AM in response to johnsalter2
    Community Specialists
    Jun 22, 2016 8:15 AM in response to johnsalter2

    Hi there, johnsalter2!

     

    Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities! Based on the information you've given, I understand that when Time Machine is running, your Apple wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse are slow to respond. I use my computer all day, so I know making sure the mouse and keyboard inputs are responding as expected is important, and I have some troubleshooting that should help. Try the following steps (in order), stopping when the issue is resolved.

     

    1. Reset your Mac's System Management Controller. You can read about what the System Management Controller does, and how to reset it, in the article linked below.

    Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac

     

    Once you've reset the SMC, wait to see if the mouse and keyboard are still slow during the Time Machine backup. If they are, try the next step.

     

    2. Reset the computer's NVRAM. Information on what the NVRAM is and does, as well as how to reset it, can be found in the following article.

    How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac

     

    Like the previous step, after resetting the NVRAM test the mouse and keyboard during a backup. If the response is still slower than expected, try the following.

     

    3. Test in safe mode. The article below is will give you more information on safe mode and how to use it. Despite the article's title not being specific to your situation, it is still a relevant step to take because it runs a few checks on the system, and disables certain software that could be causing a conflict.

    Try safe mode if your Mac doesn‘t finish starting up

     

    You'll want to test the mouse and keyboard's performance during a backup while in safe mode. Make note of how they perform, then restart the computer as normal and test again. If the issue persists, try the next step.

     

    4. Test in a new user account. Read the article linked below to get more information on how a new user account can help, how to set one up if you need assistance, and what to do if the issue persists beyond this step.

    How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

     

    Have a great day!