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Inverting target volume APFS inverter failed to invert the volume resource busy osstatus error 16

Trying to clone late 2013 iMac 14,2 internal Apple 500GB SSD to single drive of External USB attached 1TB SSD partitioned into two 500GB drives.


Getting following message:

Inverting target volume APFS inverter failed to invert the volume resource busy osstatus error 16

when drive (of external SSD) is setup either as GUID / OS Extended Journaled or as APFS.


Never before had a problem cloning internal Apple drive to external drive using Apple's Disk Utility, until upgraded iMac to High Sierra. Which resulted in internal SSD being converted to APFS.


Posted on Dec 19, 2018 11:07 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Dec 20, 2018 12:25 AM

Have since, tried to clone Mid 2015 MacBook Pro 11,4 internal Apple 500GB SSD to single drive of External USB attached 1TB SSD partitioned into two 500GB drives.


Getting following message:

Inverting target volume

APFS inverter failed to invert the volume

Invalid argument

The operation couldn't be completed

Osstatus error 22

when drive (of external SSD) is setup as GUID / APFS.


Never before had a problem cloning internal Apple drive to external drive using Apple's Disk Utility, until upgraded MacBook Pro to High Sierra. Which resulted in internal SSD being converted to APFS.


Makes no sense that Drive is Restored, then above error happens during Verifying.

With failed Verifying leaving one single large file on external drive called "ContainerToInvert"


Seen similar problem with MacBook Air, but was told that inverter fail was unique to MacBook Air because it was 2010 model and it's Firmware did not support APFS with Apple's Disk Utility.


Others have reported this inverter failure: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8340855

Web searches also turn up APFS inverter problem


What is going on?



6 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Dec 20, 2018 12:25 AM in response to astirusty

Have since, tried to clone Mid 2015 MacBook Pro 11,4 internal Apple 500GB SSD to single drive of External USB attached 1TB SSD partitioned into two 500GB drives.


Getting following message:

Inverting target volume

APFS inverter failed to invert the volume

Invalid argument

The operation couldn't be completed

Osstatus error 22

when drive (of external SSD) is setup as GUID / APFS.


Never before had a problem cloning internal Apple drive to external drive using Apple's Disk Utility, until upgraded MacBook Pro to High Sierra. Which resulted in internal SSD being converted to APFS.


Makes no sense that Drive is Restored, then above error happens during Verifying.

With failed Verifying leaving one single large file on external drive called "ContainerToInvert"


Seen similar problem with MacBook Air, but was told that inverter fail was unique to MacBook Air because it was 2010 model and it's Firmware did not support APFS with Apple's Disk Utility.


Others have reported this inverter failure: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8340855

Web searches also turn up APFS inverter problem


What is going on?



Dec 28, 2018 10:36 AM in response to leroydouglas

It's not a compatibility issue. It is a case of Apple's Disk Utility NOT working with Apple's new APFS.


Apple Support has told me that Apple's software engineers are saying Apple does not support cloning or backup (Restore feature of Disk Utility) by their own software utility.


Meaning Apple's Disk Utility, which is available under Emergency Boot, can no longer be used to Restore system disk from a backup drive. Of course, you can no longer make a backup drive because Apple's Disk Utility won't work when system disk has been converted to APFS.


Dec 28, 2018 10:28 AM in response to astirusty

From what I got from Apple Support.

Apple NO longer supports Apple's Disk Utility for use of restoring (aka cloning or backup) of a APFS drive from another drive.

Apple ONLY supports using Time Machine from a disk or Target disk mode from another Apple computer.


Like I want to carry around another Apple Computer to use as source for Target disk. Wasting an entire Apple Computer as a "backup" drive.


Previously, Apple Support told me reason Disk Utility was not working with APFS drive was because my MacBook Air was to old and it's firmware did not properly support Disk Utility with APFS.

Same problem with Disk Utility and APFS not working happened on MacBook Pro and iMac, both of which were not old enough to have firmware be cause.


Inverting target volume APFS inverter failed to invert the volume resource busy osstatus error 16

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