Time Machine-instead of backing up, why does it spend so much time encrypting?

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Time Machine-instead of backing up, why does it spend so much time encrypting?

Time machine-instead of backing up, why does it spend so much time encrypting? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of backing up information quickly? I don't have long gaps in my schedule to let time machine languor reiterating over and over each and every file again and again. Why can't there be an option for a simple backup password to open the time machine disc and leave the files alone? This security stuff is unbelievable and out of hand.

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Feb 20, 2021 7:38 AM

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Answer 1

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VikingOSX

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112,325 points

Feb 20, 2021 8:12 AM in response to rgbnite

Time Machine consolidates daily backups into weekly backups and the latter into monthly backups, freeing up appropriately consolidated content. In order to do this, it must decrypt the appropriate weekly and monthly content before performing the respective consolidation. It must also decrypt anything it needs to remove beforehand, and all of that is going on while your current hourly backup is being encrypted and written to the Time Machine drive.

Quickly and encrypting are contrary terms with Time Machine for the preceding reason.

I have never encrypted my Time Machine backups because I don't want another birthday occur waiting on the process.

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Answer 2

rgbnite Author

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Feb 23, 2021 10:58 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thank you for your very clear and logical explanation of time machine's process of backing up an encrypted disc. I guess I hopelessly wish there was an option to create a password to open the time machine folder or partition and leave the files alone. The files I create change permissions anyway, leaving me to restore "read and write" when transferring to my other computers. In fact, the MOS security system is so bizarre that one of my 555GB backup partitions (not encrypted or on time machine) locked up and allows only reading– but you can copy its contents and paste it in another drive-?

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Time Machine-instead of backing up, why does it spend so much time encrypting?

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