Can I delete the contents of the ProactiveHarvesting.Mail Folder in Sequoia?

The `ProactiveHarvesting.Mail` folder appears to be linked to a process or service storing local data, potentially related to backups or file synchronization. Deleting its contents without knowing the full impact could disrupt any dependent software or system services. To resolve the Time Machine error, you can try temporarily excluding this folder from backups by going to *System Preferences* > *Time Machine* > *Options*, then adding the folder to the exclusion list and checking if the backup completes successfully. Additionally, resetting Time Machine by stopping backups, deleting the `.inProgress` file in the backup directory, and then restarting both the system and Time Machine might help. The error in your logs, which mentions a failure to acquire a device lock assertion, suggests a potential file lock issue, so rebooting the system to clear any locked processes could also resolve it. If you decide to delete the folder, ensure you manually back up its contents first to avoid data loss. Testing with exclusion before attempting deletion is a safer approach, but if the issue persists, deeper investigation or support might be necessary.

Sure, if the ProactiveHarvesting.Mail folder is causing problems with Time Machine backups, you can remove its contents. Just remember to first backup any crucial data.

This is how you do it:

• Locate the folder at ~/Library/Biome/streams/restricted/ProactiveHarvesting.Mail/ by opening Finder.
• Drag the files you wish to remove to the Trash after selecting them.
• For a lasting removal, empty the trash.

Try starting Time Machine once more after erasing the contents to check if the problem has been fixed. Try restarting your Mac or looking for software upgrades if the issues continue.

That path is in a Snapshot.

You could try deleting the original (no idea what might happen), but it may not be the source.

Maybe just delete the local snapshots instead.

The published Apple way is here: About Time Machine local snapshots - Apple Support

There are other ways. Search the web.

Perhaps ProactiveHarvesting.Mail is part of Apple Intelligence, and that was merged so late with the rest of the OS that they hadn't much tested it with other subsystems like Time Machine.

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