Time machine backups in bin / trash. slow to delete

[bernard smith]

I have in error put a load of Time Machine back up folders in the trash. Firstly the "put back" option is missing so I can't use that.

When I select a folder and select "delete" immediately it takes forever.

Is there a solution to this self created issue.


I have looked it up ( too late ) and found that the way that I attempted to delete the folders from Time Machine manually into the trash / bin is not the approved method but I am stuck with them right now in the bin.

Worth noting also that when I turn on my system the time machine icon is missing from the screen for about 15 seconds and then it appears and at the same time the bin shows as having items in it.

I have also seen that you can use Terminal for it.


Cheers


Bernard

 

[ferrarr]

The best/fastest way is to wipe your Time Machine backup drive. Since you already have the issue, there is no use continuing to use TM, until you have a fresh drive to start from.

 

[bernard smith]

Thanks for your suggestion..

So if I wipe the external SSD ( time machine) that the backups were on then this will permit me to clear the trash? Is there some kind of connection between the external SSD drive ( time machine ) and the folders that are sat in the trash. I thought that I could just delete the folders in the trash and continue using the time machine as it is still being written to from my iMac. If there is a link still between the drive and the trash is that why it takes a little time to load it on my desktop when I start up the computer?



Cheers

Bernard

 

[ferrarr]

If you eject the Time Machine backup drive, then the files should no longer be in the Trash. Once you format/wipe/erase the external drive, they files/data will be gone.

TM starts with a full backup, then adds like to those files that remain unchanged, while copying any changed/new data to the current backup. So, if you have files that haven't been changed, since the initial backup, there will be links to those files, go back throughout every instance of a Time Machine backup.

 

[bernard smith]

Please pardon my ignorance but just how do I format / wipe / erase the current Time Machine SSD so that I can begin again? I wouldn't want to stuff it up.



Again many thanks for all your help

Cherrs

Bernard

 

[Slydude]

Give this a quick read. it will walk you through the process.

If you will be using the drive for Time Machine backups make sure you heed this warning.

• Are you preparing a Time Machine backup disk or bootable installer?
  Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for any disk that you plan to use with Time Machine or for a bootable installer.

 

[IWT]

We are all ignorant of something, Bernard, so don't worry.

This article takes you through the stages with description and diagrams: How to Format External SSD for Mac Time Machine | MashTips

Anything not clear - just ask.

Ian

 

[IWT]

Hi Sly

Once again we were in synchrony with our posts. And you're up late?? Hope all well with you.

BTW, clicking on your link brought up a page error.

Ian

 

[bernard smith]

It's an SSD external drive that I already use as Time Machine. However I have some back up folders that were on the Time Machine drive that are now "stuck" in the trash that can't be deleted . So I am wanting to delete all the current back ups on the SSD external drive ( which will kill the files stuck in the trash ) so that I can begin using it again as a Time Machine dedicated drive.

 

[IWT]

This will do it. Bob explain this in post #4.

Formatting the Drive involves total erasure of everything on it. The Trash stuff will disappear.

Ian

 

[bernard smith]

Ian, I was just concerned that it would delete or break a link to my Macintosh internal drive which has my Lightroom Catalog on it.. I see now that if I select the external ( Time Machine ) drive and tell it to erase that and use Mac OS extended (journalled) along with GUID partition map then it won't affect the internal drive at all. Then I will have a blank Time Machine drive to begin again with and the "stuck" folders in the trash will disappear as well.

Thanks


Bernard

 

[IWT]

Absolutely correct. Your Mac's Internal Drive will not be affected.

Then I will have a blank Time Machine drive to begin again with and the "stuck" folders in the trash will disappear as well.

Also spot on.

Please, please never tire of asking questions or feel embarrassed when doing so. Fear is a constant companion when one is in unfamiliar territory.

Good luck, Bernard.

Ian

 

[Slydude]

@Ian Just a bout with insomnia the last few days resulting in some weird sleep patterns.

Thanks for letting me know about the bad link. I must have omitted a few characters when I pasted in the url.

 

[bernard smith]

Hi Ian


All done and the new Time Machine is doing its initial snapshot , which will take approx. 4 hours. QUESTION.. Can the computer still be used for Lightroom work whilst it is doing this initial back up or is it best leaving it until it has finished it?


Cheers


Bernard

 

[IWT]

Bravo, Bernard!

Yes:

You can use your Mac to do anything you like during a Time Machine backup; but if what you want to do is "heavy duty", you might want to let the very first TM backup complete first.

That said, I've never restricted the work I was doing on the Mac. I've just let TM get on with things.

I don't recall your preference in this matter; but I never switch off (ie shutdown) my iMacs, but do allow them to go into standby/sleep mode. That way, TM backups can continue over night. Everyone has their own way of doing things.

Bottom line: don't let TM dictate what you do on your iMac.

Ian

 

[bernard smith]

The "initial" TM back up has been running for nearly 3 hours and has done 36Gb of 405Gb.. ( not even 10% ) The last time I looked at it it said that the estimated time was "about a day" Is this normal? When I look in TM and scroll up the red lines on the right hand edge of the screen it says that it has got as far back as yesterday. How far back should it go? I thought that it would just do a snap shot of how it is now and then continue to do the snapshots hourly, weekly etc from now on.

Cheers

Bernard

 

[MacInWin]

Time Machine runs with very low priority so that the impact is minimal. If you use the machine while it is backing up, that low priority means that it will try to "sneak in" a quick file transfer while you are not actively doing something and stop as soon as you do anything. That low priority is nice when it does the hourly backup, but it also means the first backup is dead slow. If you want to see what is going on, open Activity Monitor and look at the "Disk" tab for reads/writes. You should see activity there as TM is doing the backup for you. To speed up the first backup, just leave the machine running but don't do anything while the backup is going on.

As for the sidebar, the reason it shows yesterday is that was when you started the backup. It cannot create history from before you first used it, but you started yesterday so the backup is as of yesterday. Once the first backup is done, it will then go into the hourly cycle and you will see those on the sidebar.

Once the first one is done, the hourly incremental should finish in minutes, depending on how much you change in an hour.

If you don't need hourly backups, look at TimeMachineEditor for a way to control TM to backup on the schedule you want. It lets you set the interval between backups to what you want/need.