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Can't back up my iMac-Catalina

I'm trying to backup my late 2013 iMac running Catalina 10.15.7 with time machine . It just gives a preparing backup indication . I let it go over night and nothing has happened with the same Preparing backup indication. I've tried various back drives as well and nothing happens. I have done numerous restarts and erased the in progress files before trying again

I understand that I can't upgrade to Monterey with my machine.

Posted on Sep 9, 2024 12:42 PM

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3 replies

Sep 9, 2024 1:18 PM in response to nutaaq

In Disk Utility>View, select Show all Devices, highlight the top left entry.


Run Disk First Aid on all items in the left panel, from top down.


Have you run Disk Utility's Disk First Aid on all connected drives?


In Disk Utility>View, select Show all Devices, highlight the top left entry.


Run Disk First Aid on all items in the left panel, from top down.


Are you running any VPN, Anti-Virus, or Cleaning apps?


We need to see what all is running, a report from this will not display any personal info...

Using EtreCheck - Apple Community


EtreCheck is a FREE simple little diagnostic tool to display the important details of your system configuration and allow you to copy that information to the Clipboard. It is meant to be used with Apple Support Communities to help people help you with your Mac. It will not display any personal info. Give it Full Disk Access.

https://www.etrecheck.com/


Give etrecheck Full Disk Access before running.


Thanks for Old Toad’s etrecheck instructions…

Slow iMac 2017 - Apple Community


Sep 10, 2024 8:38 AM in response to nutaaq

You could have used a faster connection and an SSD, but that is overkill and not really necessary for Time Machine.


18 hours for the initial 600GB Time Machine backup to a USB Hard Drive is pretty much normal. After that, the hourly incremental backups should only take a minute or so to update.


Personally I use and advise you to stick with that slower USB Hard Drive for Time Machine.

Then for redundant backups I use CarbonCopyCloner to make clone backups on a faster external SSD.

Can't back up my iMac-Catalina

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