Time Capsule reports insufficient space for MacBook Pro

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Time Capsule reports insufficient space for MacBook Pro

I have a new Macbook Pro which I'm trying to connect to a Time Capsule as a backup disk. The Macbook Pro presently has 435GB being used.

My Time Capsule has 2TB of space. When I try to backup the new MacbookPro to the Time Capsule for the first time, after 12 hours of backing up, it aborts with an error and tells me there is not enough space on the Time Capsule.

Since my Macbook Pro has only 435GB being used, and the Time Capsule is 2TB, there is of course enough space on the Time Capsule. The issue then appears to be that the Time Capsule is not deleting older backups to make space as it is supposed to do.

I would prefer to not reset the Time Capsule as it's a backup for other computers and would like to maintain those backups.

How do I force Time Capsule to do what it's supposed to do, and actually delete older backups to make space?
Is it possible to see which devices I have backups for on Time Capsule and delete all backups related to a specific device? While I wish to maintain my backups for one of my other laptops, there are likely backups for other devices on there as well which I am happy to delete.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Nov 11, 2025 1:06 PM

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Answer 1

AZsport115 Author

Level 1

70 points

Nov 18, 2025 3:18 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

You are correct Grant.

I spent several hours with Apple Support attempting to fix this problem, including reformatting the Time Capsule, using various Terminal commands, creating a sparsebundle to try to trick the Time Capsule into thinking it already had an existing backup for the new device, etc., but no luck.

It turns out, all the messages people have been receiving about the "next major macOS update won't support Time Capsule" apparently actually refers to macOS Tahoe as it pertains to new backups. So if you have a new device running macOS Tahoe, you can't set up Time Capsule to receive backups for that device. Already existing connections between a computer that was running a previous macOS and successfully backing up to Time Capsule, and then upgraded to macOS Tahoe might continue to have their backups saved, or they might not--but in the case of the latter Apple will provide no support. But new devices cannot back up to newly formatted Time Capsules.

A clearer warning from Apple about this would been nice but it is what it is. Hopefully somebody running into this same problem will save time by finding this thread and realize there is no solution.

I appreciate everybody's help who tried to assist in this thread!

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Answer 2

Nov 11, 2025 4:40 PM in response to AZsport115

<< Since my Macbook Pro has only 435GB being used, and the Time Capsule is 2TB, there is of course enough space on the Time Capsule. >>

¿did you ask to 'Inherit previous backup', to add on the the backup for your old Mac?

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Answer 3

AZsport115 Author

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70 points

Nov 11, 2025 4:45 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I have not selected that option. If I do, are the only implications that 1) my new computer will have access to the backed up files from the old computer and 2) the old computer won't be able access Time Capsule? If those are the only implications I would probably be ok with that.

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Answer 4

AZsport115 Author

Level 1

70 points

Nov 12, 2025 11:54 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Got it. The new Macbook was not restored from a backup, so it's going to take up a ton of space on that Time Capsule. Hopefully if I inherit the old backups it will know to then clear off the oldest to make space.

Any idea if I can delete all backups on a Time Capsule just for devices I no longer care about which no longer sync with it?

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Answer 5

Nov 12, 2025 2:57 PM in response to AZsport115

The usual mechanism for removing unwanted backups is to ERASE the drive.

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NB>> You DID get the memo that the Mac-to-TimeCapsule protocol will NOT be available in the next version of MacOS, right? The backups will be fine, but the drive will become unreachable.

You will eventually need to move that drive to a different enclosure for local connection, or to a different Mac. Or start a new backup on a drive connected to a compatible different Router, or add a third-party Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device.

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Answer 6

AZsport115 Author

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70 points

Nov 12, 2025 6:05 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I did see that memo but I appreciate you mentioning it just in case! This is a new computer I finally got customized how I like, so I just wanted to get a working backup somewhere until I update to a backup system which the next OS can use. Appreciate the help!

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Answer 7

Nov 12, 2025 7:03 PM in response to AZsport115

Remember that Time Machine is perfectly happy to add an Additional backup drive (or more) of any appropriate type, at any time. Then, every-other backup will be written to every other drive. Each drive is a stand-alone backup set, varying only by how long its history is.

You could have a backup direct to a local drive, another to your time capsule, another to another always-on Mac on your network, another to a Network Attached Storage device. You get the idea.

Because each stands alone, Any drive can be removed at any time.

The only thing you can't do is move a locally-atteched drive into a time capsule or NAS and have it keep working without some changes.

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Answer 8

AZsport115 Author

Level 1

70 points

Nov 13, 2025 6:54 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Got it! Unfortunately I had to wipe the Time Capsule as it did not give me the option to inherit existing backups. As I'm attempting to connect the new MacBook Pro to backup onto the Time Capsule, I'm getting this error message: "“AirPort Disk” can only be used if it contains existing Time Machine backups for this Mac."

I have no idea how to get past this error! Of course there is no existing backup for this Mac on the Time Capsule as I'm attempting to connect this device for the first time!

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Answer 9

Nov 13, 2025 8:05 PM in response to AZsport115

I think as part of deprecating the protocol to send data to the Time Capsule, it sounds like they may have "pulled up the ladder" on NEW use of the Time capsule drive.

You may have to move that drive to a USB enclosure and connect directly, or another of the methods mentioned to proceed.

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Answer 10

Nov 11, 2025 6:15 PM in response to AZsport115

That is correct.

You simply take over the old backup, and the incremental changes from the new computer are added to that existing backup.

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