Resolved Time machine experiencing multiple issues on Monterey (my personal issue resolved)

[ItWasNotMe]

Of course, the error may not be in Time Machine itself, could be how Disk Utility sets the drive up, or even in APFS.

When I look in Finder, what's shown for the disk I am now using looks nothing like what I remember the same volume that was previously created in Big Sur. (I had to erase that after power failure)

Now all I see is Kind:Volume and with that items that are Kind:Time Machine Backup. Previously I'm sure I saw a Volume, named after the back up, and within that a container with an identical name and the backups within that

Also, given it's now working after a fashion, when I use Finder to look at the individual backups, Finder tells me I have "Unknown Access" - how can that be? Surely either I do or I don't.

 

[tatarin]

I can't delete the time machine data. I have other stuff on it. All I know is that since 2013 thru 2021 it worked. It worked using my 2013 MBP for 8 years, my 2019 16" MBP thru 2021 with all OS versions except Big Sur. Latest was with Monterey on my intel MBP, and no problems. This new M1 Pro and this version of Monterey doesn't work right like it should, just like others have found out.

What does Find My have to do with it you think?

When my TM stopped making new backups, I was still able to restore old files from it. So I decided to start over but to save the old TM backups by archiving them using the archive function in AirPort Utility. I connected a 2 TB WD USB drive to the USB port in the Airport Time Capsule. Creating the archive took over 24 hours. After verifying that I could restore files from the archive, I reformatted the Time Capsule as APFS and started a new TM backup. So far, the new TM is working fine.

 

[randomgeeza]

When my TM stopped making new backups, I was still able to restore old files from it. So I decided to start over but to save the old TM backups by archiving them using the archive function in AirPort Utility. I connected a 2 TB WD USB drive to the USB port in the Airport Time Capsule. Creating the archive took over 24 hours. After verifying that I could restore files from the archive, I reformatted the Time Capsule as APFS and started a new TM backup. So far, the new TM is working fine.

I wasn't aware that the Time Capsule could be formatted to APFS. However, further reading suggests that if you completely erase it, it can... Although, support is limited and it might not be that stable... YMMV.

 

[MacinMan]

Just came here to report I've successfully updated to 12.1. Time Machine is doing the initial backup after the update and is going at a decent pace. Seems OK, will report the final result when it's finished. The system is running without issue though.

EDIT: TM finished the backup just as I posted this. Everything seems good to go. No errors, and no slow downs.

 

[gregpod9]

Time Machine is still broken with macOS 12.1.

 

[400]

Time Machine is still broken with macOS 12.1.

Was this working with a previous version or new run?

 

[gregpod9]

Was this working with a previous version or new run?

It started on macOS 12.0.

 

[likegadgets]

Time Machine is still broken with macOS 12.1.

Yes - I had inquired from Apple on my open case. Radio Silence..... Must be difficult for them to fix

 

[tchek]

Issue solved for me on MacBook Air M1 with the 12.1 (21C52) update.
Time Machine does again properly his job.

 

[400]

It started on macOS 12.0.

Yeah, but wondering if you started a new as in erased and started again today or tried to use existing. I am expecting to lose mine and start afresh.

edit. Doh, repurposed my tm a few days ago. Gonna have to do new anyway.

 

[Mac Hammer Fan]

I can confirm I had no issues with Time Machine under Monterey 12.1 on my MacBook Pro from 2015. But the battery consumed much energy the last 1,5 hours. Perhaps during the update and spotlight indexing.

 

[ItWasNotMe]

Mine was running (eventually), still runs under 12.1

Still the case then when I use Finder to 'get info' for a particular backup it, then under Sharing and Permissions it shows 'You have Unknown Access' ?????

 

[MacinMan]

I can confirm I had no issues with Time Machine under Monterey 12.1 on my MacBook Pro from 2015. But the battery consumed much energy the last 1,5 hours. Perhaps during the update and spotlight indexing.

Probably safe to say for older Intel Macs that don't have a security chip, that can run Monterey, that Time Machine is a fairly safe bet to use. Seems like the majority with issues are Apple Silicon, and (occasional newer Intel Macs with a security chip such as the T2.) I have a late 2015, 27" iMac and my initial issue, which started this whole thread as been resolved for a while now, and TM works as it did under Big Sur. Also @Mac Hammer Fan has a 2015 era Mac and has just reported a normal functioning TM backup. In all 20 pages o this thread very few reports are Intel Mac users in comparison, so that's why I'm saying Intel users are probably safe. However, if you want to keep a third party solution handy such as Carbon Copy Cloner, or SuperDuper! that would be a good idea, just "in case" of problems that could crop up. The backup after the upgrade from 12.0.1 to 12.1 for me, was quite fast actually.

 

[likegadgets]

Yeah, but wondering if you started a new as in erased and started again today or tried to use existing. I am expecting to lose mine and start afresh.

edit. Doh, repurposed my tm a few days ago. Gonna have to do new anyway.

Tried a new one on reformatted disk. Same issues - waiting to complete 1st backup after backing everything. M1 MAX, 4TB, 64 RAM, 4TB, 32 Graphics. Not fixed

 

[Bengaldad]

I am pleased to say that Monterey 12.1 has resolved the Time Machine issues that my M1 Max MacBook Pro has exhibited since I received it on October 26. I had disabled automatic backups and was relying on CCC for my backups. This afternoon I downloaded and installed the 12.1 update. I then turned on TM automatic backups and selected backup now. The TM backup ran to 97.6% and then said "Finishing Backup" followed by a very long "Cleaning Up". I just left the M1 max running, and came back an hour later and TM stated that it had finished the backup. Shortly after I began using the M1 Max it ran another brief TM backup and completed this successfully. I now note that in Finder I am correctly seeing two TM backups. Thus the TM issues that I have had since October 26th on this 16 in. M1 Max MacBook Pro appear to have been resolved by Apple in the 12.1 update.

 

[activetacos]

Just another report of what finally worked -- I'm on a new M1 Macbook Air Monterey (12.0) trying to make an initial Time Machine backup that always failed right at the end, finally found this thread, tried Safe Mode (didn't fix it), but finally checked the logs using:

log show --style syslog --last 30m --predicate 'senderImagePath contains[cd] "TimeMachine"' --info --debug

Which showed lots of "FindMyWidget..." errors at the end, and so added all 4 directories starting with ~/Library/Containers/FindMyWidget... to the exclusion list, and now Time Machine works like a charm.

Immensely frustrating, and I can't help but wonder what could possibly be so special/corrupted about those directories that Time Machine chokes on them. Aren't files just files?

 

[golfnut1982]

Just another report of what finally worked -- I'm on a new M1 Macbook Air Monterey (12.0) trying to make an initial Time Machine backup that always failed right at the end, finally found this thread, tried Safe Mode (didn't fix it), but finally checked the logs using:

log show --style syslog --last 30m --predicate 'senderImagePath contains[cd] "TimeMachine"' --info --debug

Which showed lots of "FindMyWidget..." errors at the end, and so added all 4 directories starting with ~/Library/Containers/FindMyWidget... to the exclusion list, and now Time Machine works like a charm.

Immensely frustrating, and I can't help but wonder what could possibly be so special/corrupted about those directories that Time Machine chokes on them. Aren't files just files?

I will try this too and report back. Thanks! Now, I already have a backup in place, I'm just missing the dates. If I have the dates and it seems to work, I will try and see if I can recover a time machine backup. The last time I tried, one could not be found, even though I can see the various dates in time machine.

No change in the oldest and latest dates. The time machine plist file is still missing under preferences.

 

[dk831]

I've been having this issue as well. MBP14 M1 Max. Upgraded to 12.1 and the problem persists.

Glad to hear it's working better for some, but I don't think the root of the problem has been fixed yet.

backupd[707]: (TimeMachine) [com.apple.TimeMachine:General] Backup failed (104: BACKUP_DELAYED_UNFINISHED_PROTECTED_FILES)

EDIT: I erased the previous Time Machine backup and tried again as new.

 

[golfnut1982]

Ok, what is the procedure to actually restart time machine as if it the first time making one from scratch? I mean the first full backup all over again. Should I use appcleaner and delete all files except the app? How about deleting the sparsebundle? thanks! This issue is such BS. Something so basic to Apple's ecosystem that is not working for some. Something I never had a problem with since 2013 with every OS except Big Sur with all my Macs.

 

[MacinMan]

Ok, what is the procedure to actually restart time machine as if it the first time making one from scratch? I mean the first full backup all over again. Should I use appcleaner and delete all files except the app? How about deleting the sparsebundle? thanks! This issue is such BS. Something so basic to Apple's ecosystem that is not working for some. Something I never had a problem with since 2013 with every OS except Big Sur with all my Macs.

When I restarted my TM backup, all I did was to turn off "automatically backup" in the time machine prefPane and then removed the disk as well from the settings. Then reformatted the drive about 2 to 3 times, and added it back manually so I could bypass using encryption e.g. the default setup set of options when clicking in the notification time Machine pops up when a new drive is detected that can be used. I don't recall if I bothered to delete the time machine settings plist, or not. I don't think I did.

 

[sguser]

Excluding FindMy folders has fixed the issue for me.

 

[400]

Sucker for punishment. Just gave it a go. Erased disk. Re set it up and it bombed.

Not expecting to see a fix now but will lob another feedback at Apple and dump TM as an option.

 

[randomgeeza]

The FindMy fix worked for me twice.... Which I mentioned in this thread a few pages back...

 

[likegadgets]

Sucker for punishment. Just gave it a go. Erased disk. Re set it up and it bombed.

Not expecting to see a fix now but will lob another feedback at Apple and dump TM as an option.

In my case, none of the solutions (safe mode, find my exclusions, and other mentioned) worked with 12.1. - I am glad that the workarounds work for some, though it makes me wonder as to the reliability of a backup than needs workarounds. Clearly something continues to be broken.

 

[400]

The FindMy fix worked for me twice.... Which I mentioned in this thread a few pages back...

Yeah, but I don’t see why I need to drill into a library to exclude, if this is required by time machine then exclude automatically. It should just work. Not fudge it to work. I am reasonably OK to drill into the menus but how many just buy it to use out the box. I went for years with it running ok.

quite a few other issues with Monterey as well for me, doesnt Feel like the user is at the centre of this one.