MacBook Pro system wipe: External drive backup questions

A system wipe for MacOS after MacOS 11 Bur Sur is a short cut when you don't want to do any work to find out what the real problems are.

Readers here prefer to work with information you can provide easily, by using a free utility.

Consider downloading and running this little "discovery" utility, Etrecheck. It changes NOTHING. Etrecheck was developed by a senior contributor here, and uses mostly system calls and simple tests to collect often-needed information.

it contains little tests for speeds of devices, CPU utilization, memory usage, energy usage and a digest of recent problems, in one easy to use package. it does not even need to be Installed. Because less can be learned when your Mac is running great, best time to run is when your problems are actually occurring, if possible.

if you follow the directions faithfully, its report (pre-laundered of all personally-identifiable information) can be "Shared" to the System ClipBoard, then Pasted into an ‘Additional Text’ window in a reply on the forums.

Use Etrecheck Pro for free:

http://Etrecheck.com

The amount of data you get can be daunting. If you POST your report, some Readers here are willing to look over those reports, and can provide valuable insights.

then start a reply on the forums, click the "additional text" icon and PASTE.

This is likely to be the major issue:

2026-03-23 21:15:00 Kernel Panic (14 times)

First occurrence: 2026-03-19 19:45:44

Details:

panic(cpu 0 caller 0xfffffff01c37488c): macOS panic detected

Panicked task 0xffffffde7e9edc38: 0 pages, 235 threads: pid 0: kernel_

task

but Etrecheck could not determine the actual cause automatically.

Kernel Panic Reports are stored in the Folder at:

/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports

If you copy and paste that string into:

Finder > Go menu > Go to Folder

it will take you to the Folder where those reports are stored.

Kernel panic reports are named with Date&Time and start or end in ‘panic’

If you find one, please post as much as you can here, by using the “additional text” Icon in the reply footer (looks like a paper with writing). (Once the report devolves into incessant software-names or incessant Base-64 dumps with lots of AAAAAA lines, you are done.)

Please don’t post more about 20 lines of any other types of reports — they are interminable, and any information useful for this purpose is on the first screenful.

If you post your kernel panic here in its entirety, using the additional text icon in the reply footer, we do have some Readers (typically with developer background) who can attempt to interpret those panic reports. Even if no clear symptom emerges, this can still save a step if you DO need to contact Apple support later, because Apple Support specialists can read the panic reports you posted here, if you tell them what discussion or what Avatar.

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"MacBook Pro system wipe: External drive backup questions"

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Restoring from Time Machine Backups:

Proving things to Apple Over-the-Phone:

Q1. "The most recent recommendation from support is to perform a system wipe. For various reasons, I've attempted to do that with the guidance of phone support and at the Genius Bar in the Apple Store but ran into roadblocks."

A1. Next Time you give Apple Support a call, see about screensharing the iSight Camera of an iPhone. If you have and iPhone, then use yours. If not, then ask someone else wf you may use theirs. In doing so, the Apple Rep will see this firsthand from YOUR perspective. My 2017 MBP's screen failed, and I had to send it in 11 times (during the days of COVID). Finally, Apple caved, and gave me a $3K USD equivalent upgrade for no more than the price of AppleCare+. So, here is my User Tip on how to troubleshoot this over-the-phone: Screenshare your iPhone with the Camera App Enabled to Easily Converse Over-the-Phone with Apple Support - Apple Support

Migration Assistant:

Q2. "I'm ready to do it within the next few days but need clarification on preparation so that I have the necessary data, files, folders, backed up. I have two remote drives attached to the Mac (Lacie and ArmorLock). Both do Time Machine Backups. I recorded my most recent visit to the Genius Bar in voice memos, and the tech said that I couldn't use the same remote drive both for TM backups and storing other files and folders (documents folder, photos, music, etc.)"

A2. You can use multiple drives for creating TMBs for one Mac. But, to recover the macOS and system file from within, you'd use just one of the TMBs. As for obtaining all of these other files not on the TMB you restored form, you'd use to restore this info off of your other TMBsI Restore Items Backed Up with Time Machine on Mac - Apple Support

Debugging and connecting to Apple to solve problems. Please read everything before you DO anything:

General debugging tips:

Make certain you have applied all available software updates, because no one wants to debug a problem that might have been seen and solved already.

Then you need to go through the “regular" steps to eliminate added software as the cause of the problem:

• Run In Safe Mode, where no third-party add-ons are loaded

• create a new "clean" User account, and run with that to eliminate contamination in your regular User account

• run the diagnostic to check for GROSS issues. "no fault found" is not the same as "all is well".

Use Apple Diagnostics to test your Mac - Apple Support

Use Apple Diagnostics to test your Mac - Apple Support

If you are seeing kernel panics, post a panic report. Some panic-reasons suggest a Hardware issue. There is a procedure that can allow you to find those reports to post one. Ask for assistance if you need it.

Genius Bar:

if you take it to an Apple service provider first, they CAN run their diagnostics, which are a bit more comprehensive than the User diagnostics. In the very small amount of time they are run, “No faults detected” still does not mean “All is Well” but at least there are no detected GROSS problems. Unless they can find a fault, they will return your computer unchanged. Genius Bar technicians are NOT trained to read panic reports and computer logs.

When you present your computer at the Genius Bar with the expectation of a quote to repair it, you must generally meet these criteria:

• your Mac won't do anything

• your Mac fails diagnostics

• your Mac has a problem you can repeatably demonstrate on demand

one other oddball case:

• Apple online support has DIRECTED a Service Provider to replace specific components inside your Mac, such as the mainboard or display. Bring proof, such as case number.

Telephone Support:

The telephone support people are more likely to work with you. They will insist that you go through the motions to eliminate software issues. But when they get to the end of their list, Do NOT allow them to tell your it’s fine or there is nothing more they can do for you!

You should insist on having your problem escalated to a specialist. Specialists are more likely to actually read your panic or other reports. If still no resolution, ask them to start a formal, tracked Bug Report on your behalf. If they think this might be a Hardware problem they can DIRECT an Apple service provider to swap things (likely mainboard) for a new one.

Apple support does appreciate what we do as Volunteers here on the forums. They can and should read what has already been posted. Be sure to tell them where they can read it. But they do NOT take our conclusions at face value -- they have their own more rigorous procedures they follow.

You MUST have a Trusted backup before submitting your Mac for service. if the mainboard is swapped out, the boot drive will be swapped out as well, and you will not get your files back.

you have not enabled TRIM on your external drive. that will slow your system overall.

https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/31619-how-to-execute-trimforce-command-with-your-owc-ssd/

MalwareBytes is the best respected malware scanner for Mac. you can run it when you feel like it. But NO ONE should be launching it at startup and running it at all times -- it will slow your Mac.

you are running armor lock utility and sands Utility. Fat lot of good that did you, it did not alert you to no TRIM. In general, you should set aside drive maker's Utilities and re-initialize EVERY new or repurposed drive with Disk Utility. If not, some drives are left in Windows New Technology File System (NTFS), which is only accessible on a Mac when the Driver is loaded, i.e., NOT after a disaster running in Recovery or Safe Mode.

Flip4Mac and SilverLight are obsolete, and should have been removed long ago. you have other Internet Plug-ins that are very old, and should be reviewed.

I will continue later

these were installed so long ago, they are all suspect:

3rd Party Preference panels:

APC PowerChute Personal Edition (? - installed 2003-04-17)

EasyBloom (? - installed 2009-06-30)

Flip4Mac WMV (? - installed 2011-06-30)

MMKbd (? - installed 2009-01-19)

drive problems:

Performance:

System Load: 4.59 (1 min ago) 5.90 (5 min ago) 6.12 (15 min ago)

Nominal I/O usage: 67.17 MB/s

File system: 148.54 seconds (timed out)

Write speed: 1262 MB/s

Read speed: 1914 MB/s

that might be related to not having TRIM enabled.

Reports we are reading from recent MacBook Pro models are showing disk Write and Read over 3,000 MB/s

this is problematic and puzzling:

CPU Usage Snapshot:

Type Overall

System: 29 %. -- should be more like 6 percent

User: 9 %

Idle: 61 %

Top Processes Snapshot by CPU:

Process (count) CPU (Source - Location)

corespotlightd 95.62 % (Apple) -- could indicate Disk Directory corruption. Have you done a RepairDisk ?

kernel_task 95.20 % (Apple)

EtreCheckPro 46.58 % (Etresoft, Inc.)

WindowServer 10.88 % (Apple)

com.apple.AppleUserHIDDrivers 1.54 % (Apple)

continued

Check in the 'Retired' folder inside the diagnostic reports folder for older ones.

Many of those other adjustments like finding runaway user process may be like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. You need to know what is causing those Panics.

you will want to discuss that with telephone support, BUT you need to be expedited to a specialist who is trained to read those report.

Genuis bar technicians are NOT trained to read those reports.

I will post my take on getting help below.

Next time it happens, when you get the panic screen (at the event or immediately after a Restart, try saving the report.