Time Machine Backup Stopped

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Level 1

4 points

Time Machine Backup Stopped

21 days ago, Time Machine stopped backing up my 5-year-old iMac (2019). After doing some initial research, I discovered that I also had my 500GB external hard drive connected too. Has something happened to take the Time Machine offline running seamlessly in the background previously?

In the meantime, earlier today, I managed to reconnect Time Machine so that backups would resume like they have been doing since my iMac was connected all those 5 years ago. However, later on, I put my iMac to sleep like I normally do when I'm not using it and discovered that I had to reconnect again. This has never happened before until 21 days ago.

My question is, how do I get my Time Machine to go back and do what it's supposed to be doing without interruption? Please note that I have disconnected my other external backup device. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and regards,

Mike

Posted on Oct 29, 2024 11:59 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 30, 2024 2:53 PM in response to NZMikey1

If your disc is an Apple Time Capsule and it's damaged then you'll get a notification to tell you so - I think it comes via the Airport App from memory.

I've got 4 Apple Time Capsules, a mixture of the flat ones and the tall ones, one of which is still going strong from 2009. There are stories online that the PSU's are flaky but a few months ago one of the tall ones failed and I got a notification that the disc was buggered - spinning rust doesn't last forever. I managed to swap the drive out for a new disc by following some detailed instructions that I found online and it's all working again.

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Answer 2

Oct 30, 2024 1:59 PM in response to NZMikey1

Time to replace the Time Capsule with a new external drive and start a new backup with the Time Machine application.

Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

Backup disks you can use with Time Machine - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Oct 30, 2024 1:44 PM in response to NZMikey1

Is one of these the "Time Machine" you are describing?

These were "Time Capsule" devices. (Brilliant marketing move by Apple. Not.) They were sold by Apple as an external drive to be use by the Time Machine application software built into the Mac. If your Time Capsule is many years old, it is likely that the internal drive of that device is failing and it's time to replace it. I've never opened up one of these so I can't say if replacing the internal drive is a DIY project or not.

This is the icon for the Time Machine application.

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Answer 4

John Galt

Level 10

146,408 points

Oct 30, 2024 3:36 AM in response to NZMikey1

21 days ago, Time Machine stopped backing up my 5-year-old iMac (2019). After doing some initial research, I discovered that I also had my 500GB external hard drive connected too.

I have questions. I understand TM stopped backing up despite the fact that backup drive remained connected. Then, you reconnected it (how?). Then it stopped backing up after the Mac entered sleep mode. Is that continuing to occur? Obviously it shouldn't, and suggests the backup drive is becoming unreliable. Potential solutions are to substitute another drive cable known to be reliable, erase it and start a new set, or replace the drive (in that order).

Please note that I have disconnected my other external backup device.

What other backup device was that? Did TM continue to back up to it?

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Answer 5

NZMikey1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 30, 2024 12:04 PM in response to John Galt

Greetings John and thank you kindly for your quick response.

To reconnect, I simply clicked on Time Machine and then clicked on the reconnect icon, and in seconds, it was back and I could hear it whirling away. However, as I stated previously, any time I put my iMac in sleep mode, I noticed I had to reconnect via the same method I described above.

Are you saying that my Time Machine (which is a decade old) is failing? As far as a new external, that's easy to do, and will get on that asap.

If Time Machine is failing, can I just use a new external hard drive device that will solve all this?

Regards, and many thanks.

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Answer 6

John Galt

Level 10

146,408 points

Oct 30, 2024 12:37 PM in response to NZMikey1

Some hard disk drive manufacturers incorporate firmware that put their drives to sleep according to criteria that only they decide upon. That could be one explanation, but it's not normal for a drive to become disconnected when a Mac sleeps. It's certainly annoying. Even if the drive "sleeps" waking the Mac should wake the drive also.

What kind is it? If you installed any non-Apple "drive management" or "utility" software on the Mac, uninstall it because it could also be a factor in its spontaneous disconnection.

The drive might be operating in some kind of failure mode, or not. It's only one possible explanation. Obtaining an additional one is certainly a good idea, if only to serve as an additional redundant TM backup drive, even if the first one is working perfectly ok.

Another question: does the drive have its own power supply, or does it rely on the Mac's USB port for power? Drives with their own independent power supply or drives connected through a powered USB hub tend to be more reliable.

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Answer 7

NZMikey1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 30, 2024 1:10 PM in response to John Galt

The external hard drive that was connected to my iMac (for a time) is a Seagate (GoFlex) 500GB which has served me well with no hiccups and it's a dozen years old at least.

A computer geek friend of mine (who is no longer in contact) I remember had to do something to this Seagate in order so it could communicate (that's all I know).

I am wondering though about my Time Machine, and whether it could be failing given its age. Do I need it or could a substitute more up-to-date do the job with less fuss than the setup I currently have? I know of only one time the firmware in my TM needed updating and since then, it's worked perfectly up til now. My TM also has its own power supply although Seagate does not.

No other non-Apple software has been been installed (to my knowledge) to my iMac since I have owned it.

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Answer 8

NZMikey1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 30, 2024 1:58 PM in response to D.I. Johnson

I apologize if I have confused the issue entirely. Yes, I have a time capsule external drive that is 12 or so years old and it was working fine up until some 3 weeks ago.

These were "Time Capsule" devices. (Brilliant marketing move by Apple. Not.) They were sold by Apple as an external drive to be use by the Time Machine application software built into the Mac. If your Time Capsule is many years old, it is likely that the internal drive of that device is failing and it's time to replace it.

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Answer 9

John Galt

Level 10

146,408 points

Oct 30, 2024 2:07 PM in response to NZMikey1

Since I have become horribly confused you might be better off starting at the beginning and describing what's wrong, and with each device please.

Time Capsule: if it is not backing up, then you may simply need to remove it from Time Machine, and add it again.

External Backup Drive (Seagate): if it is not backing up, you may need to use Disk Utility to "repair" it. Then, same instructions apply — remove it from Time Machine, add it again.

These are the Time Machine equivalents for "turn it off and on again".

Yes any device can fail at any time, but I have never had any model Time Capsule fail, and I have many many of them from the earliest to the latest. They remain in daily use. If one of their hard disk drives should ever fail they can be replaced (with difficulty).

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Answer 10

NZMikey1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 21, 2024 11:54 AM in response to John Galt

Hello gentlemen, I do apologize for the delayed reply. Last week I was able to delete the data file from Time Machine and reinstall it. Once it was done, my Time Capsule began whirling away like it always had.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who chipped in with their feedback to help me resolve this. I certainly did learn a bit from this experience.

Thank you all.

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