iMac back up to 1TB SSD drive doesn't work

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Hysteresis

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I have bought a 1TB SSD and tried to back up my ageing PC (12 years old but still working well) using Apple Time Machine. The first back up will take a few hours apparently so left it overnight. No Back up was made. Inspecting the SSD I see that Time Machine has successfully registered my iMac folder but has not entered any back up to it. So my iMac is 'seeing' the SSD but doesn't back up to it.
I managed to manually download a file to a new folder established in the SSD and was successful but very very slow. So encouraged by this I took the whole of my Documents folder and tried to manually down load it to the New folder in my SSD. It is presently downloading the whole folder but is ridiculously slow (4 MB of 320MB in 10 minutes. so clearly not operatinf as it should.
Don't know where to go from here.
Can any one make any Any suggestions.
 
do an actual disk clone. Apple is not meant to play with others. If its just the data, you can use a google drive account. I know because I had to do this same thing last week
 
old duffer said:
do an actual disk clone. Apple is not meant to play with others. If its just the data, you can use a google drive account. I know because I had to do this same thing last week
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. I can use USB Sticks for the important stuff like Documents and have done that for years. Thought a good idea would be to use a 1TB drive and auto back up with Time Machine. It was a good idea at the time.
How do I do a Disc Clone
 
Hysteresis said:
Thanks for the advice. I can use USB Sticks for the important stuff like Documents and have done that for years. Thought a good idea would be to use a 1TB drive and auto back up with Time Machine. It was a good idea at the time.
How do I do a Disc Clone
Click to expand...
Linux has the answer and will perform whatever you need at zero cost and maximum efficiency.
 
old duffer said:
Linux has the answer and will perform whatever you need at zero cost and maximum efficiency.
Click to expand...
I am always very wary of changing an operating system, even an upgrade from Apple. I am using Yosomite and can't upgrade to later Apple OS's as my Machine is 12 years old and Apple make upgrading impossible so you have to by a new Machine (B'astards).
So changing to Linux scares the lifeout of me, allsorts will change and probably all sorts will no longer work, so I am not at all confident about changing to Linux OS.
 
Time Machine still supports backups on Mac OS Extended format(Journalled), Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journalled), and Xsan formatted disks.

If the disk uses the Master Boot Record (MBR) partition type, some partitions may not be available for use with Time Machine.
How was it formatted?
 
foxhole said:
Time Machine still supports backups on Mac OS Extended format(Journalled), Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journalled), and Xsan formatted disks.

If the disk uses the Master Boot Record (MBR) partition type, some partitions may not be available for use with Time Machine.
How was it formatted?
Click to expand...
Thanks foxhole, bit of gobbledegook there for a pc nugget I am afraid. The SSD I have was bought on the Internet,some information on the box may give you a clue as to its suitability. It is titled 'Portable SSD M.2 SSD (type-C). It also states, system support Win7, Win10, IOS. and Supports Hard Disc: M.2/NGFF (2230/2242/2260/2280), all of which means absolutely nothing to me apart from Win 7 IOS bit.
So I am no further forward I am afraid. I can manually down load my Documents file, albeit very slowly, to the SSD but of course that process does not use Time Machine. When I download My Documents file to a 2Gb memory stick it all functions as one would expect.
I have spoken to those incredibly knowledgeable(!!!!!!!!!) Curry's Support People who seem to have difficulty in understanding what an SSD is, so needless to say I am stuck with what is the problem/solution.
Thanks for your time foxhole.
 
Hysteresis said:
Thanks foxhole, bit of gobbledegook there for a pc nugget I am afraid. The SSD I have was bought on the Internet,some information on the box may give you a clue as to its suitability. It is titled 'Portable SSD M.2 SSD (type-C). It also states, system support Win7, Win10, IOS. and Supports Hard Disc: M.2/NGFF (2230/2242/2260/2280), all of which means absolutely nothing to me apart from Win 7 IOS bit.
So I am no further forward I am afraid. I can manually down load my Documents file, albeit very slowly, to the SSD but of course that process does not use Time Machine. When I download My Documents file to a 2Gb memory stick it all functions as one would expect.
I have spoken to those incredibly knowledgeable(!!!!!!!!!) Curry's Support People who seem to have difficulty in understanding what an SSD is, so needless to say I am stuck with what is the problem/solution.
Thanks for your time foxhole.
Click to expand...
You needed to format the Ssd for use on Time Machine or it just sees the Ssd as a big usb hard drive as it will be sold formatted for pc.
 

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I think Foxhole is absolutely correct. That is what I had to do in the same situation and time machine works fine.
 
foxhole said:
You needed to format the Ssd for use on Time Machine or it just sees the Ssd as a big usb hard drive as it will be sold formatted for pc.
Click to expand...
I Formatted my SSD with Format Mac OS Extended(Journaled) and retried a back up with Time Machine without success. So reformatted SSD with Format Mac OS Extended (Case-Sensitive, Journaled) and retried a Time Machine Back Up. All looked to be progressing well, albeit very slowly (9GB of 78GB in 5 Hours) It then appeared to stop at that back up volume and no 'Back up time remaining' calculated of 9.24GB of 77.92GB
I am leaving the Time Machine backing up for the moment to see if it kicks into life, but not holding my breath. If nothing happens I will erase the SSD once again and try once more to make a Time Machine Back Up.
After that, I am clueless as what to do next.
 
Hysteresis said:
I am always very wary of changing an operating system, even an upgrade from Apple. I am using Yosomite and can't upgrade to later Apple OS's as my Machine is 12 years old and Apple make upgrading impossible so you have to by a new Machine (B'astards).
So changing to Linux scares the lifeout of me, allsorts will change and probably all sorts will no longer work, so I am not at all confident about changing to Linux OS.
Click to expand...

Hysteresis said:
I am always very wary of changing an operating system, even an upgrade from Apple. I am using Yosomite and can't upgrade to later Apple OS's as my Machine is 12 years old and Apple make upgrading impossible so you have to by a new Machine (B'astards).
So changing to Linux scares the lifeout of me, allsorts will change and probably all sorts will no longer work, so I am not at all confident about changing to Linux OS.
Click to expand...
whatever software you BUY will be linux...I'll take any bet with you on that. But as you point out, if all you have ever been is a simple user of a simplified system (windows) then you will have zero comprehension of how computers actually work. Its not your fault mind, it was made this way so as to keep people in the dark about real operating systems (that have been around longer that Bill's) becuase the more you educate the more people question...and that leads to enlightenment and that leads to very awkward questions of our masters
 
old duffer said:
whatever software you BUY will be linux...I'll take any bet with you on that. But as you point out, if all you have ever been is a simple user of a simplified system (windows) then you will have zero comprehension of how computers actually work. Its not your fault mind, it was made this way so as to keep people in the dark about real operating systems (that have been around longer that Bill's) becuase the more you educate the more people question...and that leads to enlightenment and that leads to very awkward questions of our masters
Click to expand...
Thanks old duffer, You are spot on with regards to my comprehension of how PC's work or are structured, I have 'used' Windows and iOS for word processing etc and internet access, my experience with computer is not at the PC level and how they function, but in Process Control and Distributed Control systems where the Concept is totally different and when I was designing and commissioning Process Control Systems, Windows/iOS operating systems were not part of the structure, I believe WIndows has crept in there these days but not when I was Configuring Integrated System Control in the Oil Process Industry. I am therefore limited to using PC's for simple domestic requirements. The trouble with WIndows and iOS systems is that people who purport to be experts in those fields are generally as ignorant as I am on PC functionality. Trying to find someone who understands even at a basic level is almost impossible as most of 'us' are users not designers of PC based systems. Hence when you get to using an ageing 'Steam Driven' iMac with operating software that can not be upgraded to any higher that iOS 10.10.5 and trying to use SSD's with them, the problem arises. Clearly Apple and Microsoft are B'stards in that they design systems such that we users are effectively forced into buying evermore expensive PC's in order to swell their already bulging wallets. They haven't the decency to produce software to upgrade older PC's to enable the latest operating system software to be installed such that the new hardware can be used with them.
They have us by the 'Short & Curly's' forcing us to buy new hardware.
I think I am destined to save my Document files, Music and Photographs manually to either the SSD I have or Memory sticks as Yosemite OS cannot communicate with a modern SSD. As you will have read I have reformatted the SSD several times in various formats and still Apple Time Machine does not communicate with the SSD. Or maybe the SSD is to blame, I certainly have not the Knowledge or Experience to determine the which is the problem.
 
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Decided to just manually transfer my Pictures folder to this SSD. It is downloading (I think) but at a ridiculously slow rate, 2.5GB taking about 20 minutes. I can download to a USB memory stick in a fraction of this time.
So, as 'old duffer' has identified my accepted ignorance of PC functionality and structure, I would suggest the Back Up I have been trying to do is not a Time Machine problem, it seems to be that my Steam Driven iMac seems to have difficulty communicating with SSD hardware, no problem with USB Memory stick though.
It now leads to the question, If save all of my Documents and Pictures to a USB and an SSD, would these files readily transfer to a New iMac or Microsoft machine, or have these B'stards knackered that little requirement as they advance the technology and the volume of their wallets????
 
Hysteresis said:
I have bought a 1TB SSD and tried to back up my ageing PC (12 years old but still working well) using Apple Time Machine. The first back up will take a few hours apparently so left it overnight. No Back up was made. Inspecting the SSD I see that Time Machine has successfully registered my iMac folder but has not entered any back up to it. So my iMac is 'seeing' the SSD but doesn't back up to it.
I managed to manually download a file to a new folder established in the SSD and was successful but very very slow. So encouraged by this I took the whole of my Documents folder and tried to manually down load it to the New folder in my SSD. It is presently downloading the whole folder but is ridiculously slow (4 MB of 320MB in 10 minutes. so clearly not operatinf as it should.
Don't know where to go from here.
Can any one make any Any suggestions.
Click to expand...
Question - did you format the SSD before you tried to use it?

Are you confused between a PC and a Mac? Different forms of computing. Are you using a Mac? If you are then connect up the external SSD, Mouse over the Apple symbol in top left corner and click on "About this Mac", Click on Storage (maybe 'More Info' first. You should then see all storage devices and what format they are configured to. It does seem from your description that the external drive is formatted to 'FAT" which a large capacity drive will only work slowly, very slowly. You may be able to format the external drive to the most suitable format from there as well.
Otherwise it's somewhere under the Cog Wheel (System Settings) Unfortunately my Mac's are either side of you HW generation for me to supply information.

Also ask the questions on Apple support communities e.g.

Search - Apple Community

Start your search above. Be sure to include device and other relevant details to get the best search results.
discussions.apple.com discussions.apple.com
 
Have two Macs one a 2006 model which still runs fine (even runs Windows 10)and works fine with SSD drive . Doubt it’s a hardware problem.
 
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