Trouble backing-up SSD for APFS conversion.

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Level 1

12 points

Trouble backing-up SSD for APFS conversion.

M1 iMac (2021, 16GB RAM)
macOS 12.6.9

Hi all,

I currently own 2x Samsung T5 SSDs (1x 500GB, 1x 1TB). The 1TB SSD is my primary external drive which includes basically all my files and media. The 500GB SSD was originally used with my previous iMac (Intel) before it became redundant after upgrading to the M1 iMac, which in that scenario I primarily used the 1TB SSD as a macOS system boot drive, and the 500GB drive as the storage drive. The 500GB SSD is now my work SSD when I'm not at home. Both SSDs are currently formatted as macOS Extended (Journaled).

I would like to convert the 1TB SSD to APFS for compatibility with certain audio applications and software, so the 500GB SSD will be used as the back-up drive, so I can convert the 1TB SSD to APFS, then dump the files back in. This sounds easy enough right, but I have had nothing but issues trying to backup files from one drive to the other.

Both drives are set to read & write under sharing and permissions which includes the option 'apply to enclosed items', and no folders or files are locked are far as I can tell, but seriously, am I really expected to check 200GB worth of files to see.

One of the most common error messages are:

"The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “..." can’t be read or written.

(Error code -36)

"The operation can’t be completed because some items had to be skipped. For each item, choose File > Get Info, make sure ‘Locked’ is unselected, and then check the Sharing & Permissions section. When you are sure the items are unlocked and not designated as Read Only or No Access, try again."

After these error messages the transfer process is essentially in limbo, and I have to completely abandon the operation, re-format the SSD and try again. It is worth mentioning that I have tried the backup drive formatted to both APFS and Extended, as my main concern is transferring files back and forth (backup to primary) between these two formats.

What am I missing here?

iMac 24″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Nov 29, 2023 11:30 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

HWTech

Community+ 2026

Level 9

70,406 points

Nov 30, 2023 9:52 AM in response to iz_thewiz149

Theoretically you should be able to convert an HFS+ volume to APFS by using Disk Utility which has a "Convert to APFS" option on one of the Disk Utility menus. This conversion process should be able to work on the volume without destroying any data as long as enough Free space exists on the volume. It most likely requires the file system to be free of errors, so running First Aid before initiating the conversion would be best.

If the drive was used as a boot drive, then maybe the permissions issues are due to restrictions placed on certain areas of a macOS boot drive. An external data only drive should have "Ignore Ownership" checked in the "Get Info" window.

The best way to copy large amount of files is to use a third party app such as Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC). CCC will elevate the app to use admin/root permissions if any of the source items requires it. Plus CCC will note any problems in a log file so you can ignore errors and copy the majority of files (hopefully). Then you can review the CCC log to see which items were not copied.

However, if there are hardware issues, then you will need to determine if they are caused by the USB port on the computer, the USB cable, or the SSD itself, or possibly a file system error (use First Aid for the latter and click "Show Details" to manually review the report since the First Aid summary screen is known to lie about the real results).

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Answer 2

iz_thewiz149 Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 1, 2023 7:03 PM in response to HWTech

Thanks for the advice here.

For context, I've been running both SSD units seamlessly for the last 5 years or thereabouts prior to upgrading to Apple Silicon hardware (iMac + MacBook Air). Both drives are formatted to macOS Extended (Journaled). Oddly, I have no issue dumping files between drives (1TB source, 500GB destination) on my MacBook Air M1. In other words, I have successfully cloned the backup drive from the destination drive using the MacBook Air M1.

So after a quick Google search for Samsung T5 + Apple Silicon compatibility, the most commonly reported conflict is the proprietary Samsung software which essentially can run diagnostic scans, and access firmware updates. I have no success running the application on my iMac M1 even with macOS security dropped and enabled for 3rd party developers, which was already configured this way to run other applications that rely on this config.

I'm planning on performing a clean install of macOS Montery on the iMac M1 after confirming the backup storage drive is 100% solid, as it's possible that there may be a macOS fault that has caused all this drama. Plus there is probably a lot of bloat that can be wiped.

I will pursue the Samsung software compatibility in the meantime, as this may be the overall issue. However, I do not have this Samsung software installed on the MacBook Air M1 and both external SSD units are performing perfectly.

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Answer 3

Nov 30, 2023 9:54 AM in response to MartinR

MartinR wrote:

I have seen quite a few reports about problems with Samsung T5's, especially when used with Apple Silicon Macs. I have long suspected that it has something to do with the onboard encryption firmware. I suggest contacting Samsung to see what they may be able to help with.

I know there are two versions of the T5 SSDs. When the Apple Silicon Macs were first released, the older versions were not compatible, but it seemed the later versions of the T5 worked fine. I haven't seen too many people reporting issues since the launch of the Apple Silicon Macs, so I'm not sure whether Apple may have changed something in macOS or the system firmware of Apple Silicon Macs.

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Answer 4

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Nov 30, 2023 8:06 AM in response to iz_thewiz149

Well, in pure Apple File System talk... -36 ioErr I/O error (bummers)

Not very helpful, but generally means a Drive quit being Readable or Writable since starting the operation...

http://fuzzy.wordpress.com/2006/12/10/ioerror-36/

Are these Bus driven drives?

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Answer 5

MartinR

Level 7

25,026 points

Nov 30, 2023 9:45 AM in response to iz_thewiz149

I have seen quite a few reports about problems with Samsung T5's, especially when used with Apple Silicon Macs. I have long suspected that it has something to do with the onboard encryption firmware. I suggest contacting Samsung to see what they may be able to help with.

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Trouble backing-up SSD for APFS conversion.

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