Time Machine messages

[AndrewRM]

My Time machine has been giving me messages recently that I'm unsure about handling. Here is one: Time Machine detected that your backups on “andrewwilson's AirPort Time Capsule.local” can not be reliably restored. And then: Time Machine must erase your existing backup history and start a new backup to correct this.

Is this real? What's going on? I do not erase my backup history unless I am sure that doing so will not cause grief. Is it safe to do this?

 

[Lufbrarunner]

A quick google shows that this is a real problem, and has affected a fair number of people.

 

[AndrewRM]

Seeing your comments I contacted Apple. they aid the only way to save my old database to acquire an external drive, and transfer data to it from the Time Capsule (using Time Machine software). I got a 2TB device by LaCie and with help from apple transferred the contents of the aIrport to the extenal drive. One has to be careful to transfer all the data (first time round only current data was transferred). I write this even as I continue to try to complete the process of restoring data to the Time Capsule.

 

[Lufbrarunner]

Happy to hear you have found a solution. Let us know if it all goes to plan.

 

[AndrewRM]

Yes, it went according to plan but I had a surprise. The Time Capsule (the correct name I was told; Time Machine is the name for the software) is intended only for backup , not for archiving. I have for years treated it as an archiving backup. After years of use it may develop a glitch like mine did and to remedy matters you must put everything on an external drive, start using the TC as a backup and next time it coughs, place what's there on an external drive.

 

[Lufbrarunner]

Thanks for the update.