inode with missing Resource Fork xattr cannot be fixed.

Disk utility generates identical errors in snapshots and in fsroot tree:


...
Checking snapshot 13 of 13 (com.apple.TimeMachine.2025-06-25-090302.local, transaction ID 26439450)
warning: inode (id 178094390): Resource Fork xattr is missing or empty for compressed file
Checking the document ID tree.
Checking the fsroot tree.
warning: inode (id 178094390): Resource Fork xattr is missing or empty for compressed file
Checking the extent ref tree.
Checking the file key rolling tree.
Verifying volume object map space.
The volume /dev/rdisk3s5 with UUID A9714661-08A1-4873-A356-B166B578D47B was found to be corrupt and needs to be repaired.
Verifying allocated space.
Performing deferred repairs.
The volume /dev/rdisk3s5 with UUID A9714661-08A1-4873-A356-B166B578D47B appears to be OK.
File system check exit code is 0.


Disk utility (both in normal and Recovery mode) suggests the problem is fixed.

But rerunning Disk utility still gives the same error messages.


Any suggestions on how to fix this?


Thanks in advance,

IanH

iMac (M3, 2023)

Posted on Jun 25, 2025 10:56 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 27, 2025 6:43 AM

I chatted with Apple technical support.

The problem is now fixed.

I did the following:

  1. Backed up to an external SSD using Time Machine.
  2. Deleted the internal SSD using Disk Utility in Recovery Mode.
  3. Reinstalled the operating system in Recovery Mode.
  4. Migrated data back to the internal SSD from the Time Machine backup.

The Disk Utility warnings have all gone and my Mac is working fine.

Thanks to all for their comments.

10 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 27, 2025 6:43 AM in response to Gentleman_H

I chatted with Apple technical support.

The problem is now fixed.

I did the following:

  1. Backed up to an external SSD using Time Machine.
  2. Deleted the internal SSD using Disk Utility in Recovery Mode.
  3. Reinstalled the operating system in Recovery Mode.
  4. Migrated data back to the internal SSD from the Time Machine backup.

The Disk Utility warnings have all gone and my Mac is working fine.

Thanks to all for their comments.

Jun 25, 2025 9:17 PM in response to Gentleman_H

The section you posted with those errors (or rather warnings) is for an APFS TM backup snapshot #13. Once that snapshot is deleted, then those particular errors/warnings will be gone as well. Usually macOS TM automatically deletes APFS TM backup snapshots in 24-48 hours.


If you encountered those errors or warnings on your "Data" volume, then that would be a problem.

Jun 25, 2025 2:56 PM in response to Gentleman_H

what are the specifics of the “crash“?

Was it a kernel panic?

those warnings are just warnings. They’re not errors and not the cause of whatever crash you experienced. From other posts here the only way to get them to stop appearing is to completely erase the drive and reinstall macOS. Seems like a complete waste of time for something that’s not important.

Jun 25, 2025 9:20 PM in response to Barney-15E

Barney-15E wrote:

those warnings are just warnings. They’re not errors and not the cause of whatever crash you experienced.

Warnings can cause severe problems as well. I experienced this personally with one of my organization's Macs. It was so severe the volume would not mount and would cause Kernel Panics when trying to mount the volume.


However, with these warnings shown by the OP...if they are only part of the TM APFS snapshot, then they can probably be ignored since that snapshot should automatically deleted within two days assuming the TM backup drive is connected.

Jun 27, 2025 11:27 AM in response to HWTech

HWTech wrote:


Barney-15E wrote:

those warnings are just warnings. They’re not errors and not the cause of whatever crash you experienced.
Warnings can cause severe problems as well. I experienced this personally with one of my organization's Macs. It was so severe the volume would not mount and would cause Kernel Panics when trying to mount the volume.

However, with these warnings shown by the OP...if they are only part of the TM APFS snapshot, then they can probably be ignored since that snapshot should automatically deleted within two days assuming the TM backup drive is connected.

Well that might explain why erasing got rid of them as that would remove the affected snapshots.

If that’s the case, erasing and reinstalling is still a complete waste of time.

Jun 25, 2025 12:41 PM in response to Gentleman_H


Checking snapshot...
 
The volume /dev/rdisk3s5 with UUID A9714661-08A1-4873-A356-B166B578D47B appears to be OK.
File system check exit code is 0.



I would not be concerned about these warnings "missing Resource Fork xattr "



if you are having some bigger issue(?)

then explain what and why you need to run DiskUtility>First AID to begin with for some clarification.

Jun 27, 2025 12:30 PM in response to Gentleman_H

Gentleman_H wrote:

Thanks for your help, everyone.

Doesn't this part of the log indicate that the problem is not only occurring in all snapshots, but also on the volume itself?
The volume /dev/rdisk3s5 with UUID A9714661-08A1-4873-A356-B166B578D47B was found to be corrupt and needs to be repaired.

Snapshots are part of the volume, but are inaccessible until they are manually mounted. Since you did not provide the full First Aid report I cannot say since Apple's logs can be difficult to interpret sometimes.

Jun 27, 2025 12:37 PM in response to Barney-15E

Barney-15E wrote:

Well that might explain why erasing got rid of them as that would remove the affected snapshots.
If that’s the case, erasing and reinstalling is still a complete waste of time.

Most likely, but we never had the complete report or details.


My guess is since the OP was attempting to restore a file from TM, they may have been accessing a local snapshot instead of the external TM backup drive....very hard to say. Would have been easier to delete the APFS snapshot if that was the case. It is one of the downsides of providing assistance on a forum...the longer wait times to resolve an issue with all of the back & forth.

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inode with missing Resource Fork xattr cannot be fixed.

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