time machine error - never stops to prepare or stopping back-up

I have the 500 gb time capsule. Since Ive tried to backup iweb from time machine, I cannot enter time machine again, nor can I backup or restore from backup.

When I start my computer, time machine "prepares backup" and never stops preparing. When I stop it manually, it says "stopping backup", but never ends with this.

When I try to enter time machine, it says "connecting to backup volume", and just never ends doing this.

Ive tried to reformat by erasing all data from the disk using disk utility. This operation fails with the error message "resource busy".

The interesting part is: When I open time machine preferences, and go to "change disk", it sometimes shows me 2 different disks. One with the size of my current backup and the other one with the overall size of the disk!

Also when I open disk utility, it sometimes shows 2 time capsule volumes.

Can anyone help with this?

Hi,

A common reason for the never ending "preparing backup" is that Time Machine is reindexing.

From the Console you can have a look at what Time Machine is doing and if you find something like "deep traversal" it means that it needs to reindex and this can take a while.

When you're in the Console, select the All Messages section on the left menu and with the search filter type "backupd" to display what's relevant to Time Machine.

Hope that helps

Hi Fidou,

thanks. I looked it up what you said and all I can find is:
12/25/08 10:15:01 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[165] Waiting 60 seconds and trying again.
12/25/08 10:16:16 PM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[165] Network volume mounted at:
12/26/08 12:14:33 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[165] Backup requested due to disk attach
12/26/08 12:37:47 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[165] Backup requested due to disk attach

I read about the indexing in another thread. So I started to backup last night and didnt touch it 12 hours. After 12 hours of preparing, it was still preparing. I looked up the messages from console, maybe this tells you anything.

Thanks for your help. I really have no clue what this means:

12/26/08 12:24:43 AM configd[33] rtmsg: error writing to routing socket
12/26/08 12:24:48 AM kernel AppleYukon2: 00000000,00000000 sk98osx_dnet - recovering from missed interrupt
12/26/08 12:25:40 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: doing reconnect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule
12/26/08 12:25:40 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule
12/26/08 12:25:40 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule failed 49.


(This came about 50 times!)

12/26/08 12:35:35 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 10 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:35:44 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule
12/26/08 12:35:44 AM KernelEventAgent[23] tid 00000000 received VQ_DEAD event (32)
12/26/08 12:35:44 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule failed 49.
12/26/08 12:35:44 AM KernelEventAgent[23] tid 00000000 type 'afpfs', mounted on '/Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule', from 'afp_0V1fqC1wD4Hm00nKdP0Pyetl-1.2d000007', dead
12/26/08 12:35:44 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: max reconnect time reached 605 > 600 /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule
12/26/08 12:35:44 AM KernelEventAgent[23] tid 00000000 found 1 filesystem(s) with problem(s)
12/26/08 12:35:44 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: posting to KEA to unmount /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule
12/26/08 12:35:44 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_unmount: /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule, flags 524288, pid 23
12/26/08 12:35:44 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_unmount: Open Fork, Byte Range Lock, or Close Fork still in progress 2 on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule
12/26/08 12:35:45 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: doing reconnect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:35:45 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:35:45 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:35:45 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 1 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:35:46 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:35:46 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:35:46 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 2 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:35:48 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:35:48 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:35:48 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 4 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:35:50 AM kernel disk1s2: 0x5 (UNDEFINED).
12/26/08 12:35:50 AM kernel disk1s2: 0x14 (UNDEFINED).
12/26/08 12:35:50 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_Reconnect: posting to KEA EINPROGRESS for /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:35:50 AM KernelEventAgent[23] tid 00000000 received VQ_NOTRESP event (1)
12/26/08 12:35:50 AM KernelEventAgent[23] tid 00000000 type 'afpfs', mounted on '/Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1', from 'afp_0V1fqC1wD4Hm00nKdP0Pyetl-1.2d000008', not responding
12/26/08 12:35:50 AM loginwindow[22] 1 server now unresponsive
12/26/08 12:35:50 AM KernelEventAgent[23] tid 00000000 found 1 filesystem(s) with problem(s)
12/26/08 12:35:52 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:35:52 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:35:52 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 8 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:36:00 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:36:00 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:36:00 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 10 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:36:10 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:36:10 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:36:10 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 10 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:36:20 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:36:20 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:36:20 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 10 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:36:20 AM loginwindow[22] 1 server now unresponsive
12/26/08 12:36:30 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:36:30 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:36:30 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 10 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:36:40 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:36:40 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:36:40 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 10 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:36:50 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect to the server /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1
12/26/08 12:36:50 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: connect on /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1 failed 49.
12/26/08 12:36:50 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_DoReconnect: sleep for 10 seconds and then try again
12/26/08 12:37:15 AM KernelEventAgent[23] tid 00000000 unmounting 1 filesystems
12/26/08 12:37:15 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_unmount: /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule-1, flags 524288, pid 23
12/26/08 12:37:16 AM loginwindow[22] No servers unresponsive
12/26/08 12:37:39 AM kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/XXX's Time Capsule, pid 415
12/26/08 12:37:47 AM /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[165] Backup requested due to disk attach
12/26/08 12:45:05 AM SyncServer[429] SyncServer: Truth vacuumed. Next vacuum date 2009-01-09 00:45:05 +0100
12/26/08 12:45:06 AM /usr/sbin/ocspd[430] starting
12/26/08 1:04:15 AM kernel AirPort: Link Down on en1
12/26/08 1:04:15 AM kernel System SafeSleep
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel hibernate_page_list_setall start
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel hibernate_page_list_setall time: 222 ms
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel pages 266701, wire 104542, act 102785, inact 10, zf 0, throt 1643, could discard act 36637 inact 19086 purgeable 1998
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel hibernate_page_list_setall found pageCount 208980
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel IOHibernatePollerOpen, ml_get_interrupts_enabled 0
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel IOHibernatePollerOpen(0)
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel writing 207928 pages
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel image1Size 300451328
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel all time: 7964 ms, comp time: 4200 ms, deco time: 0 ms,
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel image 526325760, uncompressed 851673088 (207928), compressed 521223364 (61%), sum1 45742654, sum2 11e86785
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel hibernate_write_image done(0)
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel sleep
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel System Wake
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel Previous Sleep Cause: 5
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel en1: 802.11d country code set to 'X0'.
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel en1: Supported channels 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 100 104 108 112 116 120 124 128 132 136 140 149 153 157 161 165 40 48 56 64 104 112 120 128 136 153 161 36 44 52 60
12/26/08 12:22:30 PM kernel EIR is supported.
12/26/08 12:22:32 PM kernel en1: 802.11d country code set to 'US'.
12/26/08 12:22:32 PM kernel en1: Supported channels 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 100 104 108 112 116 120 124 128 132 136 140 149 153 157 161 165 40 48 56 64 104 112 120 128 136 153 161 36 44 52 60
12/26/08 12:22:33 PM kernel AFPSleepWakeHandler: waking up
12/26/08 12:22:33 PM configd[33] rtmsg: error writing to routing socket
12/26/08 12:22:34 PM kernel MAC AUTH succeeded
12/26/08 12:22:34 PM kernel AirPort: Link Up on en1
12/26/08 12:22:38 PM kernel AppleYukon2: 00000000,00000000 sk98osx_dnet - recovering from missed interrupt
12/26/08 12:22:43 PM SyncServer[520] SyncServer: Truth vacuumed. Next vacuum date 2009-01-09 12:22:42 +0100
12/26/08 12:22:43 PM /usr/sbin/ocspd[521] starting
12/26/08 12:23:08 PM rcd[320] *** _NSAutoreleaseNoPool(): Object 0x176f60 of class NSConcreteMapTableValueEnumerator autoreleased with no pool in place - just leaking
Stack: (0x902e2adf 0x901ef1f2 0x9029186c 0x910a0277 0x917896f0 0x93f047fb 0x93f048ee 0x93eff635 0x93f23908 0x93f23d54 0x3b01)

The only thing I understand is that Time Machine is trying to connect/reconnect to the Time Capsule without any success.

How are you connected to the time capsule? wire or wireless?
Have you tried to reset the time capsule and redo the set up?

For how long have you got/used your time capsule? If you just got it and it never worked properly, I'd recommend to go to an Apple store if you can. If the device is faulty they will change it for you