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User profile for user: satsi
satsi Author
User level: Level 1
32 points

Time Machine backups stopping without completing

Hi,


Time Machine fails to complete backups changing from creating backups to stopping.


Prior to that it was working properly with 1,57 TB of available space and regular backups.


I tried the following without success:

  • Resetting Time Capsule from AirPort utility
  • Resetting Time Capsule to factory setings from AirPort utility
  • Deleting the latest back up in progress from Time Machine
  • Deleting all backups from Time Machine and erasing the disk from AirPort Utility
  • Repairing both discs on Mac and Time Capsule using Disk Utility
  • Deleting Time Machine .plist from library
  • Stopping Auto Backups and selecting again target disc from Time Machine Utility


My set-up is the following:

  • MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)
  • MacOS Mojave 10.14 (Build: 18A391)
  • AirPort Time Capsule 3TB with firmware 7.7.9 (Build: 77900.2)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2016), macOS Mojave (10.14)

Posted on Oct 14, 2018 4:33 AM

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6 replies
User profile for user: Tesserax
Tesserax
User level: Level 10
152,666 points

Oct 14, 2018 9:19 AM in response to satsi

You have already done some extensive troubleshooting on this issue so I won't waste your time with things you have already tried.


We get numerous posts here related to users having issues with using Time Machine (TM with the Time Capsule (TC) since macOS Sierra, and continuing with High Sierra and Mojave. The bottom line is that Time Machine has become unreliable for backups. Interestingly, this issue does not seem to affect backups to drives that are locally attached or to NAS devices. As such, a number of us have been recommending that users should look into alternative incremental backup solutions, like Carbon Copy Cloner, if they wish to continue using their Time Capsules for backups.


Here are some things you can try:

  1. Check your Mac first:
    • Remove or disable any anti-virus programs that it may be running.
    • Verify that it does not have any adware or malware present. I would suggest that you consider using Malwarebytes for Mac if you currently aren't already doing so.
    • Configure your Mac's network configuration to use, as a minimum: IPv6 Link-local only

      System Preferences > Network > Ethernet OR Wi-Fi > Advanced > TCP/IP > Configure IPv6: Link-local only

      Note: This should not be performed if your ISP is providing you with a full implementation of IPv6. In that case, use the IPv6 settings recommended by your ISP.

    • Verify your TM backups:

      Hold down the option key, and then, click on the TM icon on the macOS menu bar.

      Click on Verify Backups.

  2. For the TC:
    • Use a fixed local IP address for the TC.
    • Use WPA2 Personal for the wireless security type.
  • For both the base station name AND the wireless security password, use between 8-16 characters that do not include spaces or special characters in the name to begin with. If successful, you can increase the security by adding special characters to the mix.
    • Reply
    User profile for user: satsi
    satsi Author
    User level: Level 1
    32 points

    Oct 14, 2018 12:34 PM in response to satsi

    Thanks to both of you for your support.


    • I am using AVG AntiVirus and this worked without any issues with Time Machine until last Thursday when the problem occured. I will try nevertheless to use it with AVG disabled.
    • I am currenty using Malwarebytes for Mac as a precaution.
    • IPv6 is set to Automatic which I believe covers Link-local only setting as a minimum, but I will try that as well.
    • Backups are now deleted but I have used Repair function on Disk Utility before deleting them without success.
    • Time Capsule has been set on Bridge Mode from the beginning.
    • WPA2 password has been set but I have disabled the Wi-Fi function of Time Capsule as I am using my router's network (Speedport Entry 2i).
    • Same password with minimum 8 characters is being used for both base station and wireless network.
    • I am always using an Ethernet connection through a USB to Ethernet adaptor without any issues so far.
    • I have also tried the Backup with Consistency Scan from the Time Machine icon without success.


    I am currently zero erasing the Time Capsule's HDD in order to see if the process will be completed without errors.


    If the drive has no bad sectors then the problem is rather a configuration or a software one which is good because otherwise Time Capsule would be useless and I have already replaced it once since 2014 that I originally bought it, using Apple Care in 2016.


    I will contact Apple support tomorrow and I will update you with any alternative workarounds. Please feel free to add to this.

    Reply
    User profile for user: Bob Timmons
    Bob Timmons
    Community+ 2024
    User level: Level 10
    169,334 points

    Oct 14, 2018 9:45 AM in response to satsi

    If there are no backups on the Time Capsule disk, you won't be able to run the Verify Backups check that Tesserax has suggested, but if there is a partial backup on the Time Capsule, it would not hurt to run Verify Backups.


    In addition to the suggestions from Tesserax, try connecting your MacBook Pro to the Time Capsule using a wired Ethernet cable connection for the first "master" back up of the MBP.....rather than using wireless. Be sure to turn off the WiFi on the Mac to insure that the connection will be over Ethernet.


    If your MBP does not have an Ethernet port, you can use a Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter to establish the connection.


    Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter - Applehttps://www.apple.com › All Accessories › Power & Cables


    No guarantees that this will help, but if it does, the backup will probably occur twice as fast this way. You can switch back to WiFi for incremental backups.


    As a last resort, hold down the Shift key on your Mac while you click on the Time Machine "clock" icon at the top of the screen. Click on Back Up With Consistency Scan to start the backup attempt.

    Reply
    User profile for user: satsi
    satsi Author
    User level: Level 1
    32 points

    Oct 24, 2018 3:24 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Hi,


    The issue has been solved as it was related with the limited amount of disk space available on the MacBook Pro.


    The SSD on the device had fewer than 1GB of space available from the 0.5TB of total capacity and this prevented Time Machine to create the necessary temporary space on Macintosh HD that was needed to perform the backups and this was the reason for stopping on different time intervals.


    After freeing up some space the initial Time Machine backup of 499GB was concluded successfully and after that the process is continuously running seamlessly.

    Reply

    Time Machine backups stopping without completing

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