Time Machine - Extra, unknown folder being backed up

how do I go about removing the folder from this endless loop of TM reproduction that's taking up space?

The “reproduction” isn’t taking up space. The original backup of that drive, and any changes are the only space it uses no matter how many times you see that drive in the timeline.

There isn’t a way to remove items in the backup set sort of erasing the backup drive and starting over.

Stephen Sandlin wrote:

• Time Machine is currently backing up the HD on my 2017 Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017 iMac, running Ventura 13.4.1.

It is correctly backing up:

HD

• HD - Data

•

But is also backing up a folder called "Video Editing". This is a folder I used to have on my computer. Through thorough searches, I do not believe it exists anymore. This folder exists in backups going back to Jan 2021.

When I open the backup on the Time Machine drive it is showing 3 folders:

HD

• HD - Data

• Video Editing

I'm familiar with how to "Exclude from Backups", and would happily do this, but the folder/file does not exist on my HD, or any attached external drives.

Any suggestions on how to find out where this file is being backed up from? Or how to make it stop?

Thanks for your help

 Time Machine backups— automatically back up your "personal data," including apps, music, photos, email, and documents. This would be your "Macintosh HD - Data " volume.

System files are a SSV — a “snapshot” of the current system, (SSV) Signed System Volume. This would be the 'Macintosh HD' and not included in the backup. It is restored via Recovery Volume or Internet Recovery from Apple servers.

If you are in doubt about "Video Editing" do a Spotlight search

ref: Search with Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support

If in doubt you can itemize your user data and size from Terminal.app copy and paste:

sudo du -h -d 1 ~/

an example of the disk structure and associated Volumes—

MacBook-Pro ~ % diskutil list internal

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk0

1: EFI EFI 314.6 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_APFS Container disk1 1.0 TB disk0s2

/dev/disk1 (synthesized):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: APFS Container Scheme - +1.0 TB disk1

Physical Store disk0s2

1: APFS Volume Macintosh HD 9.2 GB disk1s1

2: APFS Snapshot com.apple.os.update-... 9.2 GB disk1s1s1

3: APFS Volume Macintosh HD - Data 422.0 GB disk1s2

4: APFS Volume Preboot 2.0 GB disk1s3

5: APFS Volume Recovery 1.2 GB disk1s4

6: APFS Volume VM 3.2 GB disk1s5

Since your Mac is running macOS Ventura, it is most likely has its internal drive structured under APFS. What used to be called "Partitions" in HFS+, are now called "Containers."

Within a Container, you can have one or more "Volumes." macOS uses a volume pair, Macintosh HD & Macintosh HD - Data, within a single Container.

Depending on the View that you are using with the Disk Utility, it appears that the "Video Editing" can be another Volume in that Container OR it could be a single Volume in another Container.

Ref: View all devices or only volumes in Disk Utility on Mac - Apple Support

You can search for that folder by downloading and running the shareware app Find Any File.  For that folder you'd do the following search: 

FAF can search areas that Spotlight can't like invisible folders, system folders and packages.  

Stephen Sandlin wrote:

This directory is not on my computer, as far as my searches go.

The directory size is 266Gb, so it would be easily recognizable.

What seems strange to me is that it's showing up as a third directory, next to the HD & HD-Data. It's almost as if I selected it specifically to back up. It's not within HD-Data (where you would obviously find apps, music, photos, email, and documents)

Thanks, again

What is the date on that Video backup "folder"? When you open that folder, what do you see? What are the dates on files inside it?

What you are describing sounds like you had a separate volume some time ago and had Time Machine back it up, later ejected that volume, have not reconnected it since, and hence it sits on the Time Machine backup drive patiently waiting for it to be reconnected so that volume's backup can be updated.

I recommend not trying to delete that folder as manually modifying Time Machine backups can make them unusable.

This directory is not on my computer, as far as my searches go.

You said it was previously on your Mac:

This is a folder I used to have on my computer

What seems strange to me is that it's showing up as a third directory, next to the HD & HD-Data. It's almost as if I selected it specifically to back up. It's not within HD-Data (where you would obviously find apps, music, photos, email, and documents)

If it was a drive you previously had connected to your Mac and backing it up (default), it would appear in the Time Machine backup. Why do you think it should not be there if it was backed up by Time Machine, previously.

Thus, my original question, and my not understanding why TM is creating this specific folder in addition to the HDs. More importantly, where is is duplicating this file from?

It doesn't appear it is duplicating anything. It backed up the drive and the backup is available to restore should you need to do so. Is there a reason you should not be seeing it?

Try this: use this free app, GrandPerspective, to find the largest files on your drive. The result are presented graphically so large files are easy to spot.