Time Machine auto backups fail on my new M2 Pro 16 MacBook?

[steve123]

I'm partial to Ardbeg.

Hmmm, I am partial to Ardbeg as well. You might want to try this one, it recently won the title "World's Best Pot Still Whisky" from the World Whiskies Awards:

Kildara - Macaloney's Island Distillery & Twa Dogs Brewery

*Due to high demand and limited inventory, customers are limited to one bottle per order This island whisky is from our triple distilled single potstill range – triple distilled using only the best unmalted and malted barley available. The patient, yet purposeful, triple distillation...

macaloneydistillers.com

 

[rjjacobson]

@rjjacobson FYI, this thread may be of interest to you.

External USB Hard Drive spins up/down all the time

macOS Monterey 12.1 on a new M1 MacBook Air with a WD Elements EasyStore 8TB USB 3 hard drive. I specifically turned off "Put Hard Disks to sleep when possible" in the Battery preference pane (on both battery and power adapter modes just to be sure). This worked fine on my previous iMac (running...

forums.macrumors.com

There is an issue with Apple Silicon macs with externally attached disks where the disks spin down and spin up again. This may be relevant because when the disk spins down a Time Machine backup may be interrupted, causing the spurious message about the disk not being available.

People have been working around the issue by preventing the computer from ever sleeping which sounds like what you are doing.

This does sound like it’s related thanks read the thread. It did seem to just start with my new silicon mac. It’s at home in my office there so the security is not needed most of time for screen lock to be on. But I always used to have that on and one day would like to do so again if this ever gets fixed?

 

[steve123]

It did seem to just start with my new silicon mac.

If this is the underlying cause of your Time Machine issues then it is not only a serious bug but also requires an urgent fix. I have a a couple AS Mac's and would like to see this fixed. You might want to consider filing a bug report using the Feedback Assistant.

 

[rjjacobson]

If this is the underlying cause of your Time Machine issues then it is not only a serious bug but also requires an urgent fix. I have a a couple AS Mac's and would like to see this fixed. You might want to consider filing a bug report using the Feedback Assistant.

I am only testing 16.5 iPadOS at moment not sure I have feedback assistant on my M2 Pro mac. It just has release 13.3 Ventura on it at moment? Is there one installed anyway? Have not looked to be honest as I never beta test my macbook with important files and data.

 

[rjjacobson]

If this is the underlying cause of your Time Machine issues then it is not only a serious bug but also requires an urgent fix. I have a a couple AS Mac's and would like to see this fixed. You might want to consider filing a bug report using the Feedback Assistant.

Ok found feedback in my utilities folder filing report on this issue and what works

 

[rjjacobson]

If this is the underlying cause of your Time Machine issues then it is not only a serious bug but also requires an urgent fix. I have a a couple AS Mac's and would like to see this fixed. You might want to consider filing a bug report using the Feedback Assistant.

report filed we will see what happens

 

[svenmany]

OK then. It's now official that I've reached closure. My disk got corrupted again. I'm going to assume I got a bad SSD. I've initiated a return with Amazon.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Sorry, I really wan't clear. I'm partial to Ardbeg. (I have to remember to insert smiley faces when I crack a joke.)

No way... another Ardbeg lover?! I have yet to meet anyone else that I know that loves Ardbeg.

 

[BigMcGuire]

My wife's 4TB WD (used for Time Machine) recently got corrupted after 6 months of being connected to her M1 Pro MBP 14.

I chalked it up to a horrible disk (at least I thought it was) but it annoyed the heck out of me because if she left her laptop home and kept her laptop sleeping (with the drive connected) - it would constantly spin up and down throughout the day, all day long.

I eventually got her to use an SSD because I couldn't stand the sound anymore and the disk corruption was the last straw.

Interesting.

 

[rjjacobson]

OK then. It's now official that I've reached closure. My disk got corrupted again. I'm going to assume I got a bad SSD. I've initiated a return with Amazon.

Sounds like it hope you get a working one. So how long did you have the SSD before it failed? Hopefully this is bad drive and not a flaw in external backup drives with M chips.

 

[svenmany]

No way... another Ardbeg lover?! I have yet to meet anyone else that I know that loves Ardbeg.

View attachment 2185586

Ah, a kindred spirit!!

Don't forget Uigeadail. That one is liking drinking liquid caramel.

 

[svenmany]

Sounds like it hope you get a working one. So how long did you have the SSD before it failed? Hopefully this is bad drive and not a flaw in external backup drives with M chips.

I think it started failing on the second day I had it. I noticed a backup was taking forever, but I had to take my computer out of the house, so I shut it down to go. After that was the first failure. Then I rebuilt it, got that unavailable file error, and joined this conversation. Shortly after that, I got a random disk ejection and then an error saying the disk was full. I rebuilt it again. Then, after two days or so, another error and subsequent disk full. So, a week of struggle and the only thing to show for it is this fun thread.

I've already ordered a replacement disk. I have my fingers crossed.

 

[rjjacobson]

I think it started failing on the second day I had it. I noticed a backup was taking forever, but I had to take my computer out of the house, so I shut it down to go. After that was the first failure. Then I rebuilt it, got that unavailable file error, and joined this conversation. Shortly after that, I got a random disk ejection and then an error saying the disk was full. I rebuilt it again. Then, after two days or so, another error and subsequent disk full. So, a week of struggle and the only thing to show for it is this fun thread.

Ah yeah that did imply major issues. My drive working well without those problems. Just the conflict with the screen lock doing something at least I filed a bug report on this as other person suggested maybe apple can provide clue or fix issue? Would be nice to have my screen lock on again. I am not software developer like you though so this can wait for apple to fix or figure out….

I've already ordered a replacement disk. I have my fingers crossed.

Good luck hope second one works keep us posted

 

[xraydoc]

No way... another Ardbeg lover?! I have yet to meet anyone else that I know that loves Ardbeg.

View attachment 2185586

I do!
Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Talisker and Lagavulin!

 

[rjjacobson]

I do!
Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Talisker and Lagavulin!

Lagavulin is one of my favorites also

 

[BigMcGuire]

I do!
Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Talisker and Lagavulin!

Lagavulin is one of my favorites also

I guess I should have included the entire picture, LOL

 

[xraydoc]

Lagavulin is one of my favorites also

Lagavulin 16 is my daily drinker (sorry, didn't mean to hijack your thread)

 

[rjjacobson]

I guess I should have included the entire picture, LOL

View attachment 2185826

Yeah that’s a selection. Have a whole bottle currently. I tend to drink more wine and craft beers with scotch more sparingly to stretch it out.

 

[svenmany]

I only cracked the 10 just after I took this picture. I had been working on the other. I'll have an updated photo tomorrow! I'll be having lunch with my friend and he's my dealer.

 

[svenmany]

Well, I'm feeling a bit guilty that my whiskey joke hijacked the thread. To make amends, I'm posting a pic of my new disk with its friends. The first backup is running now. If I continue to have problems then I'll raise it with Apple. If anything interesting comes up that seems relevant, I'll certainly post it here.




-- proud owner of brand new Uigeadail

 

[rjjacobson]

Well, I'm feeling a bit guilty that my whiskey joke hijacked the thread. To make amends, I'm posting a pic of my new disk with its friends. The first backup is running now. If I continue to have problems then I'll raise it with Apple. If anything interesting comes up that seems relevant, I'll certainly post it here.

View attachment 2186360


-- proud owner of brand new Uigeadail

Yes do keep us posted if anything comes up hope it works better. Maybe this has driven us to drink? LOL cheers

 

[svenmany]

Oh well...When I woke my computer this morning, I saw the notification that the new disk was ejected.

I have still more exploration ahead of me before calling Apple. I see in the logs, just as the computer woke up,

"kernel: (apfs) nx_mount:1555: disk10s1 reloading after unclean unmount,"

Somewhat later

diskarbitrationd: [com.apple.DiskArbitration.diskarbitrationd:default] IOReg volume name changed for /dev/disk11s2 to name TMSan5.

and the volumes, when I remounted them, appeared in new locations on the Desktop (since Finder didn't think they were the same disks for which it had saved information).

I also see that overnight backups ran to my other two disks, but not the new one. It seems reasonable that the disk was unmounted when the computer went to sleep.

Right now I have the new disk plugged directly into the computer and the other two into a CalDigit hub. I'm going to switch things up when I retire for the day and have all three disks connected directly to the computer, just to rule out any interference from the hub.

Prior to getting this third disk, I just had the two, both connected to the hub. Maybe the hub continued to provide power to the disks when the computer slept and that prevented the disks from ejecting.

So, maybe it is a sleep issue after all. I'm going to have to increase my whiskey dosage.

 

[rjjacobson]

Oh well...When I woke my computer this morning, I saw the notification that the new disk was ejected.

I have still more exploration ahead of me before calling Apple. I see in the logs, just as the computer woke up,



Somewhat later



and the volumes, when I remounted them, appeared in new locations on the Desktop (since Finder didn't think they were the same disks for which it had saved information).

I also see that overnight backups ran to my other two disks, but not the new one. It seems reasonable that the disk was unmounted when the computer went to sleep.

Right now I have the new disk plugged directly into the computer and the other two into a CalDigit hub. I'm going to switch things up when I retire for the day and have all three disks connected directly to the computer, just to rule out any interference from the hub.

Prior to getting this third disk, I just had the two, both connected to the hub. Maybe the hub continued to provide power to the disks when the computer slept and that prevented the disks from ejecting.

So, maybe it is a sleep issue after all. I'm going to have to increase my whiskey dosage.

Hmm thats strange. My M2 Pro 16 inch up has been happily backing up hourly for several days the key for me is for now the screen lock feature is off. Not great security if you worked in office/public space. I am at home so I can live with this ”bug”

Hmm will be interesting to see if your hub is problem, I am of course just using the sandisk externally on one of the thunderbolt 4 ports via the included USB-c cable (says it is USB - 3 on the system information I note). I wonder if I choose to turn screen lock back on what will happen again now that i have been going mostly for 3 days. Perhaps it puts my machine and power on those ports to sleep? I do not have tons of space to put a powered hub on mine so probably would not do that workaround (If thats the reason). My fossils fill in alll around my new 16 incher.

already full area just space on left for my Apple Watch magna quick charger whose cable coils over the trilobte on left side. Not much space for a hub methinks but then I am not a programmer needing lots of backup and external things either so needs for space are simpler.

After adding the sandisk SSD this is how it looks even more crowded my fossils are taking over LOL

 

[svenmany]

What an amazing couple of pictures. I feel so inadequate; I don't have a single fossil.

 

[rjjacobson]

What an amazing couple of pictures. I feel so inadequate; I don't have a single fossil.

Thanks!

I am a retired geologist and paleontologist. I used to collect various fossils (crinoids, trilobites, some dinosaur material from digs I led a few years back until 2007 when I also retired from my regular work at the Illinois Geological Survey)

Yeah my priority a bit different than yours with apple devices ;-)

One interesting thing on the subject of thread is that although hourly backups work fine vis a vis no screen lock, when I tried daily for a bit over 24 hours it worked once but next time not I guess it deemed nothing worthy of a 24 hour back up. I went back to hourly again to see the action. I looked at my old 15 i inch backups it was hourly even though it had reached equilibrium because I was not on it often and sometimes did hourly, other times daily but more ofte weekly to monthly as it deemed necessary in auto mod. There is a lot going on with Time Machine especially in Ventura it seems to me?