Mac 911

What to do when Time Machine says a verification failed

I’ve been a Time Machine skeptic for many years, even though I’ve used it at times (though not lately), and have been writing about how to use it better and control it for that same length of time. That’s because Time Machine lacks much in the way of solving problems when things go wrong. Apple chose that approach for simplicity, but it leaves users in the lurch.

Take the case of Macworld reader Talon, who wrote in after they received a message (and not for the first time) noting:

Time Machine completed a verification of your backups on “Hobson’s Choice AirPort”. To improve reliability, Time Machine must create a new backup for you.

This dialog presents two options: Start New Backup, which removes the entire existing backup history, and Back Up Later, which