What's going on with this TM backup?

[TuckerdogAVL]

I got a message that the 1TB External didn't have enough space to back up the 900GB of the computer. There was only 56GB left, and I assume since the computer only has 100GB of space left, the computer and external can't manage the backup.

So... I purchase a 2TB and set it up so I have the old backup (the last one that was possible was 2/11).

This started yesterday afternoon.

The am running Monterey. I have clicked boxes to allow background admin, set the computer not to go to sleep if the monitor does, and have attempted to keep the computer running and just turned off the monitor.

Yesterday, it took about five hours to get to 11.8%
8 hrs later it was at 17%.
After ten hours, and having to sign in, go to TM, I see "waiting for the first backup", go to TM, click on it, and back at 11.4%.
Go to bed.
This morning, sign in again, go to TM, see "waiting for the first backup," go to TM, says 54.%.
Have breakfast... and now, I see this.
Huh? Is this just doing incremental backups? And, if so, when do we get to 100% of the incremental backup? If after almost 20 hrs, it's backed up 96MB, I guess this will take about four months?

 

[TuckerdogAVL]

I think we're good. I've been babysitting it. Long way still to go but both iCloud and TM appear to be moving. The iCloud has been almost 20 hrs as well.

 

[chevy]

If I may, a factor 2 between your machine load and your backup disk may be a bit short. I try to always have at least a factor 3. But this is just my experience.

 

[SGilbert]

If I may, a factor 2 between your machine load and your backup disk may be a bit short. I try to always have at least a factor 3. But this is just my experience.

WHAT?? HUH??

 

[TuckerdogAVL]

If I may, a factor 2 between your machine load and your backup disk may be a bit short. I try to always have at least a factor 3. But this is just my experience.

Yes, I think you're correct after what I've read. However, it does appear the backup will eventually finish. We're at 84.2%. I will have the previous backup (the system had erased all previous since I'd run out of room on the External) and I'll have this new one and use this External for TM. In the meantime, I'm watching the 67GB going into the iCloud. I still haven't figured out what to do about my iMovie videos, events, etc. which take up 300GB of the 1TB. Trying to get all this down to a reasonable size so I can "just simply" upgrade to a MM2 with just 512GB on it.

 

[chevy]

It will finish. But my experience is that the system backs up a lot and fills rapidly. So to avoid to have too much old stuff erased and to keep efficiency, I see better results with large enough back-up disk.

But my experience is limited to a few machines (desktop and macbook).

 

[Satcomer]

All I know is Time Machine first make a whole startup disk backup and then every three hours do only changes to the original snapshot backup and the initial backup! It's very basic backup and is best to DAS disks!

 

[TuckerdogAVL]

Well, we're back to the beginning. After almost three solid days, we got to 63%. Each time I would check it was at 63%. It appeared to be backing up everything but "desktop and documents" I assume it doesn't if those are set to be in the iCloud (but all aren't in the iCloud since the computer is 960gb full and I have 200gb for the iCloud). That's another issue.

Here are screen captures of what I'm seeing. Tell me this is not crazy.
The "get info" shows that of the 2TB there is less than 500GB left.
The "Backup" shows it's still waiting to do the first backup.

If I attempt to start anything, it starts over. After an 1 1/2 hrs, It got to 12% and I stopped it and wrote this note.
WTF? Is going on. There was never an issue with backups for 7 years. Now, I need a backup because the old 1TB won't delete old files because there aren't any (and the 1TB is almost full). I want to "just simply" create a backup of the stuff on the computer for Pete sake. So I can proceed with getting a new computer.

Sheesh.

 

[Cheryl]

You have two back up drives listed. What is the first one for/from? You more than likely do not it and can remove it from TM.

My suggestion: Start all over, allowing TM to prepare the drive, but don't back up the system. Back up just your files and apps. See if that speeds things up.

Alternate way would be to use Super Duper or Carbon Copy Cloner to do a full bootable copy of your hard drive. You just need to do this once. Then have TM do just your files.

Note to self - since I just upgraded my OS, I need to do a new superDuper copy.

 

[TuckerdogAVL]

Hi, I started over, but didn't see your note about backup just your files and apps. Don't honestly know how to do that using TM. I thought it was all or nothing except for excluding additional drives. So, I would go into where you choose the apps and system there?

And I think that's what is happening now ... here's where I am.

The first BU is the one that has been backing up for 4 years. Was 1TB and the Computer is 1TB. The computer got to 900gb. The External BU got to 940 or so. Got messages that it could no longer delete old TM BUs because there wasn't room. Then started researching why that was happening. Led me to find out that the computer really likes at least a 2TB if not 3TB External so it has room to do the backups. Bought the 2TB to replace that since it wasn't going anywhere. Started a backup on the new one and found out about the "double duty" BU and choosing. And finally yesterday gave it up and disconnected the BU1 so the computer wouldn't look for it, and set up BU2 on the 2TB.

Since doing this, I have learned via the internet that if I want a full back up on the external I would have to drag out everything that is in the iCloud back to the local computer. Which explains why the iCloud 200gb is showing files and folders in the Cloud but not marked with a little cloud icon for some... and some have a little cloud, so I'm understanding that means those are 100% in the iCloud. Very confusing ....

On top of that I have 200gb in a family plan available in the cloud; the other user has used 35gb and needs space; apparently my computer is planning on using all the available iCloud space until it can't go any further. I'm assuming since I check the iCloud Drive and that's very confusing because I now have two desktop folders (MacMini1, MacMini) as I had used iCloud previously for desktop and documents, turned it off about a year ago and started it up again. I can't wait for the message "you've run out of iCloud space" and I have to figure out how to fix that. I'm assuming I have to drag folders out one at a time via the "download." Right now it seems there is a heckofalot more "no cloud/remove downloads" with no cloud next to it, than files with little clouds on them. And the cloud/arrow just confuses me more.

Most of what was on my desktop in the new iCloud were all aliases, so those now show up in the iCloud folder, but they all go to the original MacMini iCloud folder since that's where they actually live.

In the meantime, all of this started because I have 300+gb of movie files and I'm afraid to move the iMovie library, particularly the main one, though I've moved three others, since I have 15+ years of event and project clips that I have been amassing to do edits with, for family vids to digital.... and now I'm running out of room.

Meanwhile, I have 4 Externals that are all 1TB or more ... and they are at about 80%....I've dragged things into so many places for fear of something not being backed up over the years I have triplicates.. so I'm cleaning that up along the way.

Meanwhile, I want to upgrade to a MM2 from MM1 that is a TB and I would like to go down to 512GB and utilize all these cloud and external choices .... and, with BestBuy, (which doesn't offer the 1TB MM2), I can get the AppleCare free. So, It would cost an additional $400 to get a MM2 1TB which is silly since I have all these externals.

Meanwhile... the Backup story, the 2TB says that 1.27TB is available, it's at 87% finished (closest I've gotten to seeing 100% in four days), with 50GB copied. That tells me it's doing a partial backup unless suddenly it's going to do 800gb in 15 minutes. So, I'm babysitting the computer that keeps going to sleep and stopping the TM though I have "allow TM in the background" and have even left the computer running (and just manually turning off the monitor) every night since Saturday .

I honestly don't care how everything is saved, or where, or what system, I just want to feel assured it's all somewhere... which is how I got into this mess to begin with

 

[Cheryl]

It sounds like you have things going smoothly. Once that 87% moves to 100%, you'll be fine. That first backup then can be erased using Disk Utility. It could be the issue was having two disks set up for TM.

I double checked TM panel and you can select what you want backed up in the Options button. (Options> then select the plus to select what you want to exclude). My system folder is greyed out, but I don't remember if I did that way back, or it was automatically like that. Since you are well on your way to being completed don't mess with it now.

 

[TuckerdogAVL]

It sounds like you have things going smoothly. Once that 87% moves to 100%, you'll be fine. That first backup then can be erased using Disk Utility. It could be the issue was having two disks set up for TM.

I double checked TM panel and you can select what you want backed up in the Options button. (Options> then select the plus to select what you want to exclude). My system folder is greyed out, but I don't remember if I did that way back, or it was automatically like that. Since you are well on your way to being completed don't mess with it now.

Thanks for that follow up. I think THINK it did a full back up. Took awhile to get to the end, says I've used almost 1TB of the 2 so that's about correct for a full. I find the "enter TM" a little disconcerting since what I see isn't everything... but I just did a test where I deleted a file on the desktop, went backwards to yesterday and there it was to "restore." I sort of liked it back in the olden days when you saw the full backup though.

I tried that test earlier, but apparently, according to the backup after I entered, that the file I had just deleted from my desktop was still in the iCloud, so there was no restoring involved. It was there.

So, I think the backup is all sorted and I need to baby-sit the 200gb on the iCloud. I'm feeling better about moving to the 512GB MM2. Any suggestions on how to figure out what to migrate over to the smaller Mini? And should I use the migration tool and try and figure out what to move over? I assume applications... of course ... but I'm still trying to figure out what is going on with my iMovie.Librar(ies). 300+GB on the one that is on the hard drive. I'm going to do a test later, moving that onto an External, then clicking on it from the external and seeing if all my events and projects are there. Somehow I have project and event folders that are saved outside of the iMovie.Library and I don't know if that was something I did... or what. (For example, in this attachment.... all the Events in that folder are the Events that show up in the library; is this a duplicate or are they supposed to be outside the library?) And, if they aren't, how did I copy them? I really don't recall...

 

[Satcomer]

Hey Tucker in the future make sure iCloud is up along all Apple service at Apple web site Apple Support -System Status !

 

[TuckerdogAVL]

Yeah, iCloud is fun, too. "You have run out of space." Ah, okay ... now what? Well, buy more .... What's the answer other than buy more .... cricket cricket cricket ... well, you can try and figure out what is or what isn't actually in the iCloud. The icons sort of will help you. Just buy more.