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@alanfleming@mastodon.me.ukHas any #MacOS user have #TimeMachine start making effectively full backups every time? Using BackupLoupe it looks as if every file it backs up (including all of say /Applications) is being picked because the Attributes Modified / Last Accessed timestamps are changing. For stuff I know I've never touched.
Could this be #Spotlight off on a frolic?
OK, this was a weird one. A failing SSD didn't help things at all, but the real reason appears to unneeded extended attributes on a specific directory, as detailed here: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/283518/time-machine-always-makes-a-full-backup . Thanks to @gsymon who threw in some good suggestions. #MacOS #TimeMachine #Spotlight
A few things.
TM backs up anything that's changed. Some apps will have thousands of cache files that change every time it's opened.
Is it across a network? This can trigger unexpected changes too.
Is there plenty of space on the TM drive? If not, it takes a long time for TM to decide what to delete to make space for the next backup.
Worth re-indexing Spotlight. It doesn't take all that long and you can see how it's doing by opening Spotlight and searching for something.
@gsymon Dug further. It's doing a Full First Backup each time, not incrementally. (found using TheTimeMachineMechanic from Howard Oakley). Local disk, 1Tb for 256Gb actual HD, Spotlight re-indexed.
Ahh..
I had something similar a while back, using a Time Capsule. As I recall, there were problems with the switch from HFS+ to APFS. I started from scratch, using an old MBPro in a safe, as the server and found a way of doing a 'safe shutdown' every night. Oakley thought I was nuts. However, it's been working perfectly for >2yrs and ironically, I've just re-done it, as I discovered the disk was full.
What vs macOS are you on?
@gsymon 15.4, but this started a few weeks ago so 15.3. Disk format could be a clue (tho shouldn't be if obfuscated by SMB/AFP e.g. Time Capsule in your case?)
No Time Capsule problem was with HFS+ and APFS transition.
SMB was difficult to set up for my new backups, but I got there.. just. There was a setting which had to be un-checked/re-checked. Such a shame Apple switched from AFP which was flawless.
How is your TM disk formatted?
@gsymon Got to go do actual work now, I'll come back later. Thanks! Got some ideas to go with there.
@gsymon Got it. TMM2 got me file system errors “Failed to refresh menu extra items” - and searching on that got me to - switch the firewall off.
And it worked.
I mean, WTAF?
Ha! Well done!
It's a bit of what I was saying about AFP vs SMB. I'm no expert about these things, but I wonder if Permissions might be playing a role in it? It was the single hardest thing for me to get working for running my old MBPro as a TM server (for more than one Mac).