Time Machine Error

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I switched on my Mac this morning and found I needed to restore a file I mistakenly overwrote yesterday.
I tried Timemachine but received the message "Unexpected Error code -6584". I checked my LG NAS which showed no errors.
I opened both my NAS Volumes in Finder and can find all my files, so was able to retrieve my file.

But Timemachine still refuses to function. I have checked in Preferences, and my backup disk is shown, but although it shows I have 184GB of 974GB available space it shows both Oldest and Latest Backup as none.

Any help in restoring my Timemachine would be much appreciated.

For Info..
I use a iMac i7 with Mountain Lion.
LG NAS using volumes. Vol1 is 1TB for Timemachine. Vol2 is 2TB for shared network files.
 

bobtomay

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Try option clicking on the Time Machine icon and select Verify Backups.
 
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Hello bobtomay,
Thanks for the reply.
I do not seem to have the option to verify anything.
Could it be because Timemachine dosn't connect to anything with its unexpected error?
 

bobtomay

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Just to make sure - you did hold down the option key and then click on the TM icon on the Menu bar at the top of the screen?
 
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Ok, so I know nothing about my computer !!, Windows man before April.
I found the Option Key (it says "alt".. long story!!!, basically, I bought an old style Mac keyboard, because I dislike the prissie little bluetooth keyboard and pad)

Thanks to your help I now have my Timemachine working. I wonder what else I don't know?
One thing! My Timemachine still tells me that my backup volume has 184GB of 974GB available, and that both my oldest and latest backups are none.
Question…. If I now backup my iMac will it overwrite my existing backup or try (unsucessfully) to store my 300GB+ backup in the remaining space?
 

bobtomay

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Heh :) we all started somewhere.

Hadn't had any TM issues to troubleshoot myself until a few days ago when my wife's Mac refused to back up. It continued to say none until after it had completed a backup again.

If you truly have 300GB of new data (not previously backed up) then it is going to start deleting the oldest backups to make room for the new.

If you're just talking about having 300GB used internally, it should only back up what you have not backed up previously to the same TM file.

Personally, I blow away and start my TM back ups over again every once in awhile. I have 3 Macs backing up to the same 1 TB drive. When it gets down to 100-200GB free I start the biggest ones over again &/or when 1 of the backups starts hitting 4-5 times the size of the space being used.

I also keep bootable backups over and above TM for 2 of the 3 that have data I don't want to lose.
Along with another 8 TB of additional storage.
 
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Thanks for that!
The thought of maybe loosing my only means of restoring my files has dented my trust in Timemachine a bit, but thankfully its prompted me to learn more.

After reading up on producing bootable backups, its defiantly for me! Spare HDD for Christmas Santa!!
 

bobtomay

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Bootable backups for anyone that relies on a particular computer are a must.

Your internal drive dies, instead of having to run out right then, buy a new drive at the nearest retailer, getting the OS installed, restoring your backup from TM - while losing a minimum of 3-4 hrs during the work day - you just plug in the backup, boot up to it and keep chugging along.

I like SuperDuper! for anyone running 10.6 or earlier. While I am still using it with 10.7 and 10.8, you really need to go with CarbonCopyCloner at this point in time because it also creates the hidden restore/reinstall partition you need with those two.
 

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