Cannot make Time Machine backups due to bogus FileVault interference

Question

Level 1

124 points

Cannot make Time Machine backups due to bogus FileVault interference

System (10.14.4) shut down for 15 days for vacation. Cold restart. TM disk was off while I did some work. Turned on TM disk but would not make backups because of message:

Time Machine couldn’t complete the backup to “Time Machine”.

Time Machine did not back up because FileVault was encrypting or decrypting a disk. Backups will resume once FileVault finishes.

Latest successful backup: May 20, 2019

Cold restart did nothing.

Never used FileVault. Confirmed using diskutil apfs list. 'No' for FileVault. No processes running that I could identify as related.

I see a process 'com.apple.prefs.backup.remoteservice (System Preferences)' that might be the signal for the message. Some time does accumulate for it. Its parent is launchd. Not quite a 'zombie' but no parent to kill.

The TM disk is OK per Disk Utility.

I would like to resolve this before updating to 10.14.5. I will also make SuperDuper! backups.

Posted on Jun 6, 2019 4:48 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

sterling r

Community Specialist

Jun 7, 2019 3:24 PM in response to Bruce Michel

Hello again Bruce Michel,

Thanks for reaching back out. If you're still having the same issue, reach out to Apple Support for additional assistance. You can reach them here: Contact Support

Have a wonderful day.

Reply

Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

210,425 points

Jun 7, 2019 3:28 PM in response to Bruce Michel

Boot into Safe Mode and try making a backup from there. If it succeeds reboot normally and try again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing.

Reply

Answer 3

CarlAVII

Community Specialist

Jun 6, 2019 5:06 PM in response to Bruce Michel

Hello Bruce Michel,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities! I understand can't complete a backup because it says FileVault is encrypting or decrypting a disk. I'm happy to help you with this.

First let's make sure FileVault doesn't show any activity by following this article:

Use FileVault to encrypt the startup disk on your Mac

If you have any other devices connected to your Mac, disconnect them.

Also, make sure you run first aide while in recovery mode:

Repair a disk using Disk Utility on Mac

After performing these steps, try running Time Machine again.

Best Regards.

Reply

Answer 4

Bruce Michel Author

Level 1

124 points

Jun 8, 2019 4:50 AM in response to Old Toad

Safe mode did not help. If I try to 'backup now', preparation is done but then the indicator for the blocking (a small red 'i') reappears after disappearing during preparation. .

Tried the obvious thing of reselecting the same disk again in preferences. Then doing the above again. Same result.

Reply

Answer 5

rcosta887

Level 4

3,604 points

Jun 8, 2019 6:21 AM in response to Bruce Michel

Try going to System Preferences, Security & Privacy icon, and to the FileVault tab.

If there's any activity in terms of encrypting or decrypting it should say so there with some type of progress/ETA indicator.

Does it have anything like that, or does it simply say that FileVault is turned off for the disk "Macintosh HD"?

Reply

Answer 6

Bruce Michel Author

Level 1

124 points

Jun 8, 2019 11:44 AM in response to sterling r

Resolved with the help of a senior Apple support person. Great support.

The issue was something on Macintosh HD that was cleaned up by running First Aid in recovery mode. What it was is unknown, but was obviously some sort of indicator that the disk was undergoing FileVault. What is strange is that all was well before shutting down for vacation and the other day I only used one regularly-used app for an hour before I tried to make the backup.

Reply