Backup error - automatic backups unable to run (nor manual backkups)

Configuration
1

I am getting an error on running automatic backups since 4 days ago and would appreciate any tips on how to deal with it as manually running backups is not working and I am not understanding what the error is meaning I should do and have so far not found the same issue.

error:

Logger: homeassistant.components.backup
Source: components/backup/manager.py:1230
Integration: Backup (documentation, issues)
First occurred: 18:17:29 (1 occurrence)
Last logged: 18:17:29

Error creating backup: Backup failed: [{'type': 'HomeAssistantBackupError', 'message': "Can't backup Home Assistant Core config folder: Error adding /data/homeassistant/home-assistant_v2.db to tarfile: [Errno 5] I/O error (OSError)", 'stage': 'home_assistant', 'error_key': None, 'extra_fields': None}]
2

Disk full?
Backup file bigger than the disk?

3

thought about that, it seems to have more than enough space 29% used 74Gb free.

says in the backup that a backup is estimated to 5.2Gb (although the ones I have currently, including the one done last week, are all like 1.5Gb) not sure how accurate the estimate is.

I have tried

  1. i was using the google backup from hacs - i thought maybe this was the issue so I disabled this and went back to the system backup - same issue in logs.
  2. checking space, based on current sizes and estimates it should not be a problem both locally and google.
  3. as I have been also having backups via google, I thought that was maybe a certificate issue so I turned that off and tried and same result.
  4. restarting - tried in the beginning and it did not help and has not helped since.
  5. thinking about any updates done or anything else, and nothing I can come up seems it should be related to backups BUT .. i did have a strange restart between these periods where automations just did not load.. like at all(!?).. once I realized I restarted and they came back.

worth maybe knowing (?) - HA is on a raspberry pi4 and is updated fully now 2026.6.0 (from 2025.5.1 where this behavior first occured) (chanced it without the backup, hoping it would help with backups.. it did not) and is connected directly to the router via lan.

4

thought about that, it seems to have more than enough space 29% used 74Gb free.

says in the backup that a backup is estimated to 5.2Gb (although the ones I have currently, including the one done last week, are all like 1.5Gb) not sure how accurate the estimate is.

I have tried

  1. i was using the google backup from hacs - i thought maybe this was the issue so I disabled this and went back to the system backup - same issue in logs.
  2. checking space, based on current sizes and estimates it should not be a problem both locally and google.
  3. as I have been also having backups via google, I thought that was maybe a certificate issue so I turned that off and tried and same result.
  4. restarting - tried in the beginning and it did not help and has not helped since.
  5. thinking about any updates done or anything else, and nothing I can come up seems it should be related to backups BUT .. i did have a strange restart between these periods where automations just did not load.. like at all(!?).. once I realized I restarted and they came back.

worth maybe knowing (?) - HA is on a raspberry pi4 and is updated fully now 2026.6.0 (chanced it without the backup, hoping it would help with backups.. it did not) and is connected directly to the router via lan.

edit:
I just went via ssh and checked out the file and it seems to be there and updating .. time is current:
image
*.fault was empty (it says 0 but I double checked) .. a little strange I think is the log file seems to be not filling, but I think I turned it off at some point after I debugged a different issue I had in november.

5

I just restarted and again automations disappeared, it was empty in http:.../config/automation/dashboard - I restarted again and they reappeared. I add this as I am guessing this behavior is somehow related as I think it first occurred around the time the backup was to run and failed the first time.

6

This might be signs of a pending disk failure. SD card?

7

not SD, it is on an external usb drive. appreciate that you are trying to help.