Filed under: Bugs/Recalls, Software Update
Time Capsule disk corruption issues? Base station firmware may fix it
If you've been having issues with corrupted Time Machine images either inside the Time Capsule or connected externally to your base station, the 7.4.1 firmware update (for all base stations from 2007 to today) plus the 10.5.6 update might help, according to TidBITS. Apple says this update will fix problems that lead up to corruption issues, but TidBITS recommends you essentially start fresh just to make sure -- after using the Archive feature in Disk Utility to copy your previous Time Machine disk to an external drive. Don't have enough drives to do the data shuffle? You can always take your chances that you either don't have a corrupt Time Machine backup (which is pretty likely, honestly) or do a little soul/data-searching for anything you might want to preserve for posterity.
I don't use Time Machine as a sort of universal undo, but I understand some might. In either case: update your system and firmware as recommended by the manufacturer.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SubGenius said 1:33PM on 3-20-2009
I wish Apple would better educate customers about the difference between "backing up" and "archiving".
Time Machine and Time Capsule are a good backup solution.
But it is far from permanent and reliable.
iDisk is also good but still not fool-proof.
Important files should be burned on DVDs and kept in multiple secure locations.
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SubGenius said 1:46PM on 3-20-2009
I just got an idea. It is not the kind of product Apple would make, but it would be cool to have a Time Capsule like device that also had an optical drive.
Once every week or two, it would ask you to insert 2 disks.
One for a local archival copy and the other for a remote archival copy.
If the unit had LightScribe, it could even label the disks with a series #, date and location.
Should your TimeCapsule ever get full it could safely jettison old data.
If you want to go back further than your TimeCapsule has stored internally, it could ask you to insert the appropriate backup optical disk.
Should your TimeCapsule hard drive ever die, you could rebuild your backup from your optical disk.
While DVDs are cheap, you would need more than 100 to backup a 500GB TimeCapsule. This would be a good reason to go BlueRay.
SubGenius said 2:02PM on 3-20-2009
While I'm commenting on my own comment, Apple's pricing for the Time Capsule has become quite dated.
AirPort Extreme Base Station = $180
Time Capsule - 500 GB = $300 (+120)
Time Capsule - 1 TB = $500(+320)
Since TB drives go for under a $100...
Here is what Apple should do...
AirPort Extreme Base Station = $150
Time Capsule - 1x1TB = $300 (+150)
Time Capsule2 - 2x1TB = $400(+250)
Dave said 3:51PM on 3-20-2009
I don't disagree with your advice for multiple backups at multiple locations, but I would like to mention that the Airport Utility already has an archive option. You can plug a drive (of equal or greater size) into the USB port of Time Capsule and from the Airport Utility click Archive. It will duplicate the contents of the Time Capsule to the external drive, which could then be moved off-site.
I also agree that the Time Capsule and like products are over-priced. I waited until the 1TB TC showed up in Apple's refurb store before buying one.
marian said 2:36PM on 3-20-2009
It was my impression that my backups corrupted *after* I upgraded the firmware...
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Tassia said 2:43PM on 3-20-2009
Made things worse for me. My TC wouldn't back up, updated, still wouldn't back up - and then TM wouldn't back up to the usb hard drive I'd been using, telling me I didn't have write privileges. Gave up. Now my TC is a nice, but expensive, Airport.
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michael said 3:50PM on 3-20-2009
Happens without using Time Capsule. I have a USB Docking Station for multiple drives and my Time Machine Drive is having this issue.
jespes said 4:03PM on 3-20-2009
A number of people (myself included) are having trouble with the 7.4.1 firmware update and have downgraded to previous firmware. In my case, applying the 7.4.1 firmware made my home network invisible to some of my devices.
FYI for the curious, one of several Apple discussion threads on this:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1931959
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rami said 4:16PM on 3-20-2009
For what its worth...
My time capsule was working fine until I did the 10.5.6 upgrade (but before the firmware upgrade). then it went south on me. i did a bunch of online research... tried "remounting" the drive, but to do that you need to fix errors (in apple disk utility). that didn't work. apple genius guys looked at it for a while but couldn't figure out what was going on so they gave me a new one. and it works fine now (both before and after the firmware upgrade).
one good thing that came out of all this is what was mentioned earlier that you can move time capsule images to external hard drives via the USB port.
otherwise, i love the time capsule and use it regularly for both backup and the occassional universal undo (used that functionality twice). Also kudos to apple genius customer support at the palo alto apple store. they are super friendly and helpful.
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Michael said 5:03PM on 3-20-2009
My wife has been getting Kernel Panics (Backupd) with Time Capsule with her MBA (10.5.6), however, I've not had a problem. Hopefully, this update addresses that.
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balls said 5:05PM on 3-20-2009
I've got the Dualband AEBS, and with 7.4.1 I have all kinds of problems. Range is severely limited compared to my older Netgear N Wireless router, 802.11g clients have a hard time connecting.
The network degrades after a day or so, network extension with AX doesn't work, time machine backups are painfully slow, and occasionally wiredclients can no longer acquire IP's from DHCP.
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Luis said 2:50AM on 3-23-2009
This is actually an all round poor product, pricing and feature wise.
http://www.notascoolasitseems.com/component/search/Time+Capsule+.html
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