Time Machine extremely slow after upgrade to El Cap

Question

Level 1

26 points

Time Machine extremely slow after upgrade to El Cap

Time Machine problem with upgrade from Yosemite to El Cap on a MBPr 15" mid-2012 laptop.

Time Machine backup scheme: by wifi or wired LAN to two different hard drives attached to a Mac Mini that's on the LAN. The two drives USB'd to the Mini serve as backup disks for a total of 4 Macs in the house.

Time Machine behavior under Yosemite: dead normal. Backups were fast (10MB/sec over wifi, 80MB/sec when I plugged the MBPr into my LAN using a Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter. Backups restored (I test them occasionally) fine.

I upgraded yesterday to El Capitan. Time Machine behavior now: Excruciatingly slow. Every step (preparing, backing up, cleaning up) takes hours. My laptop has been connected to the wired LAN for 9 hours now and is only 1.26GB through a 3.82GB backup. Speed (from MenuMeters) is under 10KB/sec - yes, that's *kilo*bytes/sec.

File transfer speed between the two machines via drag & drop is fine, ~80MB/sec both ways on LAN, about 12MB/sec over wifi. The laptop interacts with the web at normal speeds. It seems to be only Time Machine that's hosed, and only on my newly-El Capitaned laptop. My other household machines (all on Yosemite still) back up normally.

I've tried:

- power down/restart both machines;

- power down/restart the entire LAN;

- cycle Time Machine on/off in System Prefs;

- remove the two disks as laptop TM backup targets, then re-specify using TM preferences;

- other things I've found through searching this problem.

This is a common problem to judge from the many ElCap upgraders who have encountered it. I have searched quite a lot and found nothing that has helped me.

I can't work without a viable backup. For now, I am using Carbon Copy Cloner to duplicate my MBPr SSD to an external hard drive. Not exactly satisfactory.

Has anyone solved this problem? Can anyone point me to, or suggest, a solution? Thanks very much!

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10), 2x mini i7 quad core, rMBP, iPad,

Posted on Feb 26, 2016 4:47 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,667 points

Feb 26, 2016 6:22 PM in response to ridgecritter

Please do a test copy in the Finder from the source to the backup volume. Is that slow too? Delete the copied files from the backup volume after the test.

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Answer 2

ridgecritter Author

Level 1

26 points

Feb 26, 2016 8:06 PM in response to Linc Davis

Copied a folder containing a little over 850MB content from the source MBPr (in Finder) to one of the two backup drives that are attached to the Mini. MBPr was connected to the wired LAN for transfer. Transfer time ~28 seconds, MenuMeters peak reported speed ~ 40MB/sec. Deleted copied folder from target backup disk.

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Answer 3

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,667 points

Feb 26, 2016 9:49 PM in response to ridgecritter

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem.

Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.

The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

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Answer 4

ridgecritter Author

Level 1

26 points

Feb 27, 2016 6:30 AM in response to Linc Davis

Did the test. Booted MPBr in Safe mode connected to wired LAN. Only attachments were power charger and Thunderbolt-Ethernet adapter. Logged into my normal user account (which is not an Admin account). Told TM to back up now, stopped after "preparing backup" had been running for 35 minutes. Tested file copy/transfer with same folder as before to first backup target disk, files transferred in ~26 seconds.

Just for fun, I booted the Mini (backup disk host) into Safe mode as well and repeated the above - same results, TM on the MBPr very slow, file transfer normal.

Rebooted both machines, re-tested TM and file copy/transfer from MBPr. Terminated TM "preparing backup" at 20 minutes. File copy/transfer happened at normal speed.

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Answer 5

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,667 points

Feb 27, 2016 7:40 AM in response to ridgecritter

Please launch the Console application in any one of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.

The title of the Console window should be All Messages. If it isn't, select

SYSTEM LOG QUERIES ▹ All Messages

from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select

View ▹ Show Log List

from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Click the Clear Display icon in the toolbar. Then take an action that isn't working the way you expect. Select any lines that appear in the Console window. Copy them to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message by pressing command-V.

The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of which is irrelevant to solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. A few dozen lines are almost always more than enough.

Please don't indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.

Please don't post screenshots of log messages—post the text.

Some private information, such as your name or email address, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

When you post the log extract, you might see an error message on the web page: "You have included content in your post that is not permitted," or "The message contains invalid characters." That's a bug in the forum software. Please post the text on Pastebin, then post a link here to the page you created.

If you have an account on Pastebin, please don't select Private from the Paste Exposure menu on the page, because then no one but you will be able to see it.

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Answer 6

ridgecritter Author

Level 1

26 points

Feb 27, 2016 7:40 AM in response to Linc Davis

One more piece of info. I attached a spare 500GB drive directly to the MBPr, went to TM prefs to remove the two normal backup drives attached to the networked Mini and added the direct connect hard drive as a new TN target drive. Told TM to "back up now". It's doing a backup at its normal (pre-El Capitan) speed.

So it seems that TM under ElCap is ok if the target drive is directly connected. Unfortunately, this isn't a workaround for me. I need the functionality I had under Yosemite, that is, TM backed my laptop up to my two backup drives without my having to remember to do it or connect something. Any suggestions for troubleshooting TM's slow performance over the LAN? Thanks!

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Answer 7

ridgecritter Author

Level 1

26 points

Feb 28, 2016 6:49 AM in response to Linc Davis

Still working on this test. Laptop is connected over wifi to Mini, which hosts backup disks.

A. Found so far, using Console on the laptop (El Cap):

1. Calling TM backup from normal standard user account generates no log messages at all.

2. Calling TM backup from admin account generates log messages.

3. Giving standard user account admin privileges, rebooting, then calling TM backup generates log messages.

4. Looking closely at the log messages suggested directory problems with the target TM backup disks attached to the Mini.

B. On the Mini (Yosemite):

1. Repaired both backup disks using Disk Utility - one passed, one indicated damage that DU could not repair.

2. Repaired damaged disk using Disk Warrior, which found directory damage in the form of # of items indicated vs. actual.

3. Re-ran DW-repaired disk through DU repair utility, passed.

4. Tests were very lengthy, given the large file count on both disks.

C. Back to the laptop:

1. Starting TM backup from normal user account with admin privileges and collecting console output

D. Will also call TM backup from the normal user account without admin privileges (its normal state) and from the usual admin account. Will post logs from all three conditions.

Reply

Answer 8

ridgecritter Author

Level 1

26 points

Feb 28, 2016 7:12 AM in response to Linc Davis

Console log when calling TM backup manually. TM called using normal user account upgraded to have admin privileges. TM indicated "preparing backup" until I manually skipped backup. Some ID data replaced with + strings.

I'll next try the same thing but with user account set back to standard privileges. Will post that log if it generates anything. Then will call TM backup from my admin account and post that log. Thanks very much for your help.

2/28/16 6:50:11.847 AM com.apple.backupd[1919]: Starting manual backup

2/28/16 6:50:12.363 AM com.apple.backupd[1919]: Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/BU1-1

2/28/16 6:50:22.827 AM com.apple.backupd[1919]: Disk image already attached: /Volumes/BU1-1/Surfboard’s MacBook Pro.sparsebundle, DIHLDiskImageAttach returned: 35 (Resource temporarily unavailable)

2/28/16 6:50:24.504 AM com.apple.backupd[1919]: Disk image /Volumes/BU1-1/Surfboard’s MacBook Pro.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups

2/28/16 6:50:24.716 AM com.apple.backupd[1919]: Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/BU1-1

2/28/16 6:50:25.275 AM mDNSResponder[105]: AnswerNewQuestion: NoAnswer_Fail Living-Room-Express.++++++++++.members.btmm.icloud.com. (AAAA)

2/28/16 6:51:01.495 AM WindowServer[234]: CGXSetDisplayColorProfile: Display 0x042803c2: Unit 2; ColorProfile { 1661135964 }

2/28/16 6:51:28.566 AM com.apple.backupd[1919]: Disk image already attached: /Volumes/BU1-1/Surfboard’s MacBook Pro.sparsebundle, DIHLDiskImageAttach returned: 35 (Resource temporarily unavailable)

2/28/16 6:51:36.429 AM com.apple.backupd[1919]: Disk image /Volumes/BU1-1/Surfboard’s MacBook Pro.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups

2/28/16 6:51:37.924 AM com.apple.backupd[1919]: Backing up to /dev/disk6s2: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb

2/28/16 6:52:36.437 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 0

2/28/16 6:52:36.437 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 1

2/28/16 6:52:36.437 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 2

2/28/16 6:52:36.438 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 3

2/28/16 6:52:36.438 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 4

2/28/16 6:52:36.438 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 5

2/28/16 6:52:36.439 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 6

2/28/16 6:52:36.439 AM cloudd[408]: PCSError: 25 : PCS object didn't contain any of the identities [AedPx0k9ZBLWpjisHKlOi0W2wZgM3KN8nhAop4Xfluw=, BLDRweM1wXNqvieJwMQ7HHORubz3ohWDr/n5b/q6VPbvocEC9oR+5ST9OuvajHv8241b2BCUcT0m3tn spG74OzI=, W/czrqGANpiZZ/m+P8hVQ6qG23uvisdPYzYwIltfCMc=, o/IOSBnmPCCPndWrOXqAfyFMMlLZ66gEKt6893GcRpw=, s10FCkUei2SZTAG5YSIaEhVO7BwDIHNhiL7lracqotA=, BPjzfu3A9CK80RxWjq5UHjlMOVG55ysRA2RKmgHms4y7zdPh5J43WYEvlQvk97MIvFGIBYonMoQ5qvw pUeSOU1I=, mX09iAAbaGHK3LQOf7sVSzVegnJ8C/CR/HVaFJf3ZO0=], it contained [w5HlZ1Z79IVCTecpgOUvBjnK+QFxpYoyh7EXKVAFL6A=]

2/28/16 6:52:36.439 AM cloudd[408]: Error creating zone PCS: <CKError 0x7fbaeae309e0: "Internal Error" (5004/25); "Couldn't decode zone PCS data">.

Identity <PCSIdentitySet:0x7fbaea99c360>

PEM data was -----BEGIN PCS SHARE PROTECTION-----

YYICMzCCAi8wgYMCAQAxfjB8MCUCAQAEIMOR5WdWe/SFQk3nKYDlLwY5yvkBcaWK

MoexFylQBS+gBFMBAKN6in1aGXZzZ7eoVp1TLNw9e93ZNlvGs9WF3ReGsWLeMIrx

EY2GuFOykst/bdqeFvXU9TkBSZytYY4DYDe+774Km7/UQ2OSV36vhuP34Y0TyKCB

pgSBowMaFQD9G1rUxWqjeeRGNkLmqd66pJCjALI2c8yLK9mdSxlxj4HFnSvfXatd

8sPSsJSX9nwqTD/gKKUWO8l0/fLmznp8hIPZ2dL1106EaoBLNYvsgxSyoMrorgCK

kobESm2VQewi3ePEyXwCQxnpE/4ZdPkVcH9G/99G9G3FLANCraizJzLPZGt6b6fl

VWk6+ayTf2ggdncufOcF0FNEzGFhLIWhgdUwgdICAQUEgcwwgckCAQECAQAwRgIB

AQRBBLs+n90xiVmKtoJotFt2zdk8XRNt9OOws7jh6UdBP6dRgrx1j2u45ipvE3LD

k7BtqM6xNoCCum4Pu3svgBNrPHIwTgQAAgEBBEcwRQIgbv3dQDlO3g4hw84AaDHM

aeobRYT82hJMJJ3iKi3LPxsCIQCjkOy8HY0XsorqZjnoR4b42JnbPLvs+dxSFvhs

mI7sv6IpMCcwJQIBAwQgNdMrvCvCM+iy2ZhM8fcBwMIA/cpq05dPpRzR/LLhtnAE

ICkEGIRucgG5ilZ3pkEDmvTk6lWczl0oTz4GktNQ3c0KogQEAhoV

-----END PCS SHARE PROTECTION-----

Zone PCS data <61820233 3082022f 30818302 0100317e 307c3025 02010004 20c391e5 67567bf4 85424de7 2980e52f 0639caf9 0171a58a 3287b117 2950052f a0045301 00a37a8a 7d5a1976 7367b7a8 569d532c dc3d7bdd d9365bc6 b3d585dd 1786b162 de308af1 118d86b8 53b292cb 7f6dda9e 16f5d4f5 3901499c ad618e03 6037beef be0a9bbf d4436392 577eaf86 e3f7e18d 13c8a081 a60481a3 031a1500 fd1b5ad4 c56aa379 e4463642 e6a9deba a490a300 b23673cc 8b2bd99d 4b19718f 81c59d2b df5dab5d f2c3d2b0 9497f67c 2a4c3fe0 28a5163b c974fdf2 e6ce7a7c 8483d9d9 d2f5d74e 846a804b 358bec83 14b2a0ca e8ae008a 9286c44a 6d9541ec 22dde3c4 c97c0243 19e913fe 1974f915 707f46ff df46f46d c52c0342 ada8b327 32cf646b 7a6fa7e5 55693af9 ac937f68 2076772e 7ce705d0 5344cc61 612c85a1 81d53081 d2020105 0481cc30 81c90201 01020100 30460201 01044104 bb3e9fdd 3189598a b68268b4 5b76cdd9 3c5d136d f4e3b0b3 b8e1e947 413fa751 82bc758f 6bb8e62a 6f1372c3 93b06da8 ceb13680 82ba6e0f bb7b2f80 136b3c72 304e0400 02010104 47304502 206efddd 40394ede 0e21c3ce 006831cc 69ea1b45 84fcda12 4c249de2 2a2dcb3f 1b022100 a390ecbc 1d8d17b2 8aea6639 e84786f8 d899db3c bbecf9dc 5216f86c 988eecbf a2293027 30250201 03042035 d32bbc2b c233e8b2 d9984cf1 f701c0c2 00fdca6a d3974fa5 1cd1fcb2 e1b67004 20290418 846e7201 b98a5677 a641039a f4e4ea55 9cce5d28 4f3e0692 d350ddcd 0aa20404 021a15>.

2/28/16 6:52:36.439 AM cloudd[408]: Error creating zone PCS for zone <CKRecordZoneID: 0x7fbae8e14580; Notes:__defaultOwner__>: <CKError 0x7fbaeae309e0: "Internal Error" (5004/25); "Couldn't decode zone PCS data">

2/28/16 6:52:36.440 AM Notes[611]: Failed to push record zones: <CKError 0x7f8e7aca3420: "Partial Failure" (2/1011); "Failed to modify some record zones"; partial errors: {

Notes:__defaultOwner__ = <CKError 0x7f8e7aca7920: "Internal Error" (1/5004); "Couldn't decode zone PCS data">

}>

2/28/16 6:52:36.706 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 0

2/28/16 6:52:36.706 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 1

2/28/16 6:52:36.706 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 2

2/28/16 6:52:36.706 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 3

2/28/16 6:52:36.706 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 4

2/28/16 6:52:36.706 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 5

2/28/16 6:52:36.707 AM cloudd[408]: validating key: 6

2/28/16 6:52:36.707 AM cloudd[408]: PCSError: 25 : PCS object didn't contain any of the identities [AedPx0k9ZBLWpjisHKlOi0W2wZgM3KN8nhAop4Xfluw=, BLDRweM1wXNqvieJwMQ7HHORubz3ohWDr/n5b/q6VPbvocEC9oR+5ST9OuvajHv8241b2BCUcT0m3tn spG74OzI=, W/czrqGANpiZZ/m+P8hVQ6qG23uvisdPYzYwIltfCMc=, o/IOSBnmPCCPndWrOXqAfyFMMlLZ66gEKt6893GcRpw=, s10FCkUei2SZTAG5YSIaEhVO7BwDIHNhiL7lracqotA=, BPjzfu3A9CK80RxWjq5UHjlMOVG55ysRA2RKmgHms4y7zdPh5J43WYEvlQvk97MIvFGIBYonMoQ5qvw pUeSOU1I=, mX09iAAbaGHK3LQOf7sVSzVegnJ8C/CR/HVaFJf3ZO0=], it contained [w5HlZ1Z79IVCTecpgOUvBjnK+QFxpYoyh7EXKVAFL6A=]

2/28/16 6:52:36.707 AM cloudd[408]: Error creating zone PCS: <CKError 0x7fbae8d56b80: "Internal Error" (5004/25); "Couldn't decode zone PCS data">.

Identity <PCSIdentitySet:0x7fbae8dc9300>