Time Machine on Time Capsule backup verification never seems to complete

Question

I have a MacPro running Mac OS X 10.7.4 with a Time Capsule connected by Ethernet. When Time Machine runs a verify of the backups it seems to stall at 72%, and if I let it run a LONG time I think I have seen it jump up to something like 92% done. But I am not at all sure I have seen it actually complete the verify (I typically end up doing Skip Verification.) Right now I have a verify running that has been stuck at 72% for maybe an hour, and I have waited 12 hours and a good bit more without getting to completion.

Granted there a pretty good number of files and folders, and the backups go back over a year and half - Time Machine prefs shows 193 GB out of 998 GB available on the Time Capsule

My question is if I just don't have sufficient patience, or if there is a problem. If there is a problem how do I attack it?

Answer 1

Since the verification process is akin to running fsck the filesystem check utility, this is the thing that will repair the backup or pronounce it dead.

If it fails too many times, you will then be left with a read-only Time Machine directory that you could clone somewhere else, restore the files you care, or wipe and start over.

Sadly, you are seeing all the progress that is normally available without running the tmdiagnose tool to collect detailed status and log when you ask Apple or a technician to help with time machine problems.

In most cases, I would say pick a time you can afford to be without backups (a day, a long weekend, a week) and set the Mac to not sleep and let it chug and see if it finishes. At the end of the period, you can decide to clone off the data to an attached USB drive just in case you need to retrieve something or just wipe the disk and start over.

Have you rebooted your Mac and run a filesystem check (or safe boot) to make sure your Mac doesn't have any directory damage?