Time Machine is driving me friggin crazy!

Okay, TM is definitely screwed up. I just tried to retrieve a file from June and the whole month of June is missing, along with bits and pieces of other months. Since I have no idea of what is wrong, perhaps I'm better of just wiping the whole TM backup file and starting anew. I do have media on this drive in a separate directory, but I don't want to erase that.

So, how do I go about doing this?

Thanks!

Okay, I discovered the problem. The Cat 5e Ethernet cable leading to the time machine was damaged, which is why TM wasn't able to backup to the NV+. I still have no idea how the cable was damaged.

Cables can and do fail. It's a very easy thing to check. Often a direct-connection (http://sphardy.com/web/direct-connect) with a known working cable can be a good troubleshooting step.

That's nice to know. My home is wired with Cat 5e. Does that mean that at some point my wiring will fail? How often is Cate 5e suppose to last?

At some point some of your wiring may fail, but I think eventually you'll want to replace the lot anyway. Laying more cables than you need can be a good idea so that if one cable fails you don't have to redo wiring. Cords that are exposed are more likely to be damaged (e.g. squashed, trodden on) than cords hidden inside walls, I think, but hopefully a networking expert can comment on that.

If you had a working Cat5e link behind the wall fail on you, it likely failed for one of the following reasons:

1) Rodents chewing on cable
2) Cable was damaged/kinked when installed and it was just a matter of time before it failed. (or its possible cable had an internal defect from factory)
3) Someone was in your attic or working behind the wall and damaged the cable after install.
4) Water leaking/moisture has damaged jack in wallplate. Sometimes corrosion can occur especially if you live coastal or moisture is getting to jacks.
5) Jack in wallplate was never wired properly to begin with.
6) Cable was run along a serious electromagnetic/radio transmitting device that is interfering (usually unlikely in a home).

Normally Cat5e should last a "lifetime". Meaning a long time!

Or, maybe the Cat6 police got to you early to try to force early upgrade... :lol: