Sonoma and Time Machine issue

[Terry_C]

Since updating to Sonoma my Time Machine backups have become very slow stalling around 70% at 700-800MB it will eventually finish but if I re-run it immediately again, it will do the same thing and eventually back up around 1GB of data each time even though I have not made any changes between backups, i.e added new large files etc. When preparing the backup the number of changes logged is often 6000+ within minutes of the previous backup.

To a layman like me it seems as if it's continually backing up some old data as well as anything new. I have created new documents and checked that they do get included but they are only a few Kb. Usually (previous to Sonoma) my backups (according to Time Machine in the menu bar were usually of the order of a few MB and completed quickly).

I have used Onyx Maintenance to delete old snapshots
Checked the backup drive with Disk Utility and WD drive utilities.
I can access random backups back to 2020 ok.

I have 1TB WD drive with 194 GB free. Used space on my 1TB HD is only 268GB

I note that others have had similar problems on the Apple Support Community since Sonoma but with no single resolution.

Does anyone have any ideas please?

Thank you
Terry

 

[MacInWin]

Do you have "Store in iCloud" and "Optimize storage" turned on or off? Sonoma fixed a bug in Optimize that caught a lot of people by surprise, as they were "living" in that bug. That could well be the problem. Have a read of this article:

Sonoma’s changes to iCloud may stop Time Machine backups completing

Sonoma’s changes to iCloud can result in very large and protracted syncs, that can block Time Machine backups from completing. Here’s what you can try, and what you shouldn’t do.

eclecticlight.co

 

[Terry_C]

Do you have "Store in iCloud" and "Optimize storage" turned on or off? Sonoma fixed a bug in Optimize that caught a lot of people by surprise, as they were "living" in that bug. That could well be the problem. Have a read of this article:

Sonoma’s changes to iCloud may stop Time Machine backups completing

Sonoma’s changes to iCloud can result in very large and protracted syncs, that can block Time Machine backups from completing. Here’s what you can try, and what you shouldn’t do.

eclecticlight.co

@MacInWin

Thanks Jake,

I'll take a look at that - weekend before I get some time though.

Terry

 

[Terry_C]

@MacInWin

I have it set as optimize but I only have a few files using iCloud drive - just under 200mb worth and none showing waiting to download. So I don't think it's that. It's odd that each backup is now logging a huge number of changes, the last one 12,045 and over a GB of data yet this is after powering down, restarting and doing a new backup with no acivity in between so no new files. There's no growing reduction in HD space so it's a bit of mystery.

I use Superduper as well so I'll look and see if that does something similar.

Thanks

 

[MacInWin]

@MacInWin

I have it set as optimize but I only have a few files using iCloud drive - just under 200mb worth and none showing waiting to download. So I don't think it's that. It's odd that each backup is now logging a huge number of changes, the last one 12,045 and over a GB of data yet this is after powering down, restarting and doing a new backup with no acivity in between so no new files. There's no growing reduction in HD space so it's a bit of mystery.

I use Superduper as well so I'll look and see if that does something similar.

Thanks

Not unusual. I have a Mini that is always on but rarely used. (It manages my home automation center.) Each night the backup is big. Last night it was 2.19 GB and 3100 files. And that was with zero interaction during the day.

There is a LOT of background action going on even when a Mac is "idle."