Time machine backup not working in macOS high sierra

mbp 2016 high sierra

time capsule 3tb (airport still awesome after all these years)

time machine backups fail --last successful backup 11/14

using superduper for clone now

high sierra bug??? looking for a fix

Hi,

I had the problem of Time Machine failing directly after upgrading to High Sierra on iMac 27 with Fusion drive. My MacBook Pro with SSD upgraded and worked ok.

Eventually after many contacts with Apple support they finally recommended removing ~Library/Mobile Documents from the backup and this has worked successfully.

To remove Open System Preferences/Time Machine/ Options. Next open the Finder window on the same screen and while holding down the Option(Alt) key select Go from the menu at the top of the screen. Select Library and locate the Mobile documents folder. Drag this folder into the Time Machine Options screen as if to exclude it from the backup. Now try backing up. Apple have explained to me that the contents of this folder has something to do with iCloud documents. Still not sure why they won't backup though. Hope this helps someone.🙂

Steve

I have the same configuration (one iMac with a fusion drive and a MBP with SSD) and similar problems, though the iMac seems to do the backup without problems. The MBP on the other hand is stuck at "preparing backup" and then at some point just quits trying to do the backup. Before upgrading to High Sierra, everything worked just fine.

Time Machine hasn't worked properly since APFS was introduced! I have completed two full backups since then (now at 10.13.3). It takes forever to back up. In fact, the time between new versions is the time it usually takes to backup the new install. Then a new version launches, and we're back to square one, using weeks to complete a backup. Apple has effectively killed Time Machine. I have since given up, and I'm now using Carbon Copy Cloner. It works like a charm, just like Time Machine used to do.

Before: Time Machine worked. Period.

Now:

Thanks, Apple, great work!

Hello and welcome to Apple Support Communities, Attinder saini.
If I understand your post correctly, you have been unable to back up using Time Machine since upgrading to macOS High Sierra. Back ups are important. I'd like to help.
Try the steps in this article:
If you can‘t back up or restore your Mac using Time Machine
Let us know if that resolves this issue for you.
Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities. Take care.

I have this problem too, however I have a iMac with. fusion drive and a MBP with SSD, both either stop at about 20GB of backup or with my MBP it just says preparing and nothing else. Looks as is High Sierra is having trouble especially as with my MBP it is now APFS.

I have the same Problem - it stops at a certain % of backed up data nearly.

I deleted to old time machine, formated the drive and created a new time machine on a new build up high sierra -> same result. Somehow it get's stuck in between....

I have the similar issue. My time machine succeed to prepare backup (over the 20 Gb) and start copying it to my Time capsule (2 TB) but after some time it just stop with the report of my previous backup. It's not even giving any error message. I don't know is it important, before it was not, automatic back up is off. I used to do it manually.

I read some suggestions to erase all previous backups and to do new fresh one, but I would like not do it if it is possible.

hey I had the same issue with macbook air mid 2012 and external WD storage

I also tried to get back from zero and start a fresh new time machine disk but the issue is still the same.

anyway I finally succeeded backing up by checking "automatic backup" (before I was in manual way which seems to be the problem to me with high sierra 10.13.1

After so many attempts to succesfully make my backup without any success, at the end, I was forced to erase my 2-years backup, afterwards I was able to make a backup. However, even with this approach, backup process was stopped for three times after it succeeded to finalize it.

Now, there is no any problems to make backups.

I think that Apple was obliged to inform us about this possibility before upgrading to High Sierra, if there was no any possibility to make complementary previous backups with fresh ones.

Since update to 10.13 all new backup tries fails on MacBook Pro (2017). Starting a backup as usual: Connect to external drive, automatic start. Since 10.13 it just stays in prepair mode with no success. Waiting 12 hours - no success. Tried several times. Also with total new external drive - new backup cycle. No success. Must break and disconnect the drive in the morning - cause have to travel and work with the MacBook.

No backup - no reliability - no work. Thats sad.
Looking for another stable backup workaround.

Ok, this solved my problem: the hard-drive was getting quite full, I had about 20 GB free disc space left. After cleaning up a bit and making some room the backups started working agains as usual. Might just have been a coincidence with the OS update, or maybe High Sierra needs more free disc space to complete backups - in any case, would have been nice if the OS simply told me the problem instead of leaving me wondering and tinkering for a couple of days.

I had the same problem: I tried several times, and the backup kept getting stuck around 20gB. What seems to have solved it for me is preventing the computer from sleeping:

System Preferences -> Energy Saver

check "Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off"

Hi - I have similar problem - MBP 17inch mid 2010 running High Sierra - Time Machine stopped backing up after I updated OS 10.13.1. I'm not getting any error message - it just stopped. I am using an external hard drive connected by USB to my Airport Extreme router. I am backing up just over 1TB which is large but it never had any issues previously. It begins backing up - goes so far maybe 70GB and then just stops.

I have re-formatted the drive - no joy

I have re-formatted the drive and connected the drive directly to USB of the MBP - no joy

I excluded the mobile documents folder as suggested by another user - no joy

This is really frustrating and a complete waste of time so any help greatly appreciated !

Thanks