Sierra and Time Machine

Sorry, yeah meant my Ethernet cable connecting my macbook to my router. The fact that TM started the moment I disconnected the cable could of course just be a coincidence, but you never know, it's worth a try at least 😉

I'm on a mid 2012 macbook pro running 10.12.1 Sierra, doing TM-backups up to an external 500GB HDD.

So, to do a backup you have to disconnect from the Internet now?

OK, I'm new here, but I have this problem, as well, and hope to find a real solution.

My Late 2013 Model iMac (Sierra, latest update) runs seemingly fine until I trigger (or let TM automatically trigger) a Time Machine backup. I use an external USB drive (which tests fine, and works fine for everything except TM, and is formatted for the Mac (Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled)), not Windows.

Worked like a champ until a couple of days after I updated to Sierra. On 11/6, it just stopped backing up. No error messages, or anything. Just no backups after that. I rebooted, of course, did a First Aid check on the drive (and on all my other connected USB and internal Fusion drives) and all come up just fine.

But as soon as I start a TM backup, it "Prepares" for from 20 minutes to over 3 hours, and then SOMETIMES begins backing up. But VERY slowly. After a while, it stalls, and when it has stalled, the machine is unusable for anything else until I reboot it. I can't start any other programs, even Finder, Chrome, or Safari, etc.

I can't even get the Apple menu to open. Eventually, after leaving it "stuck" that way for over a day, I hard booted it from the power switch.

I read the entire thread here, and tried several of the recommended sequences of steps, with no help.

Everything is fine after rebooting, until I hit TM, then it all comes tumbling down. Activity Monitor shows no unusual CPU usage,

I have installed nothing new software-wise, within the last couple of weeks, except afterward, in trying to deal with this problem. Everything that's on there and running was running two weeks before, when everything worked fine. But I've tried shutting off other programs that are auto-starting at boot, with no help. I completely removed Sophos, and there is no trace of it on the system now.

I have already done the following:

1. Removed Sophos from my machine completely. - No change.

2. Tried using Amphetamine to keep the drive (and Mac) from sleeping. - No change.

3. Erased, reformatted, and restarted TM to start anew with a new backup. - No change

(I finally got one backup to run, but it took 2 days, and no subsequent backups would run without stalling at a fraction of the needed data transfer.)

4. Ran First Aid (for probably the third time) on all drives. - No change.

5. Tried a SuperDuper! backup (to a different USB drive, and one to the same drive TM was using after Erasing and reformatting). That worked fine. But if I start TM at any point, it all comes to a near-halt and stalls at some random point in the TM backup, whether full or update.

6. Even tried reinstalling Sierra. (Not a "clean install", but I'm not that desperate yet.) - No change.

7. This happens whether or not I use, or have since boot, Parallels, (which I have used when I have to get some real work done. That Parallels installation hasn't changed in almost a year, either, and works fine as long as I don't try to use TM first.)

In all, everything pretty much runs just fine, until I trigger TM, and then I'm screwed.

I can't even access the internal Fusion drive over my network from another PC (which I can usually do just fine) when it's all tied up. Everything times out, and if I try starting anything else on the iMac, I get the dreaded Beachball, that will just sit there and spin all night. (I tried leaving it that way last night to see if it would eventually resolve, but woke to see it still spinning here this morning.

Anyone have any suggestions not yet mentioned in this thread? Because I believe I've tried all of those, except a couple that were panned by the crowd in this or another thread here.

I appreciate the suggestions offered by the gurus here. I am a Mac novice, but I'm no dummy, and I know when/where to ask for help. Hence my question here, now.

Hoping someone has a workaround, because though I do clone my drives regularly with SuperDuper!, about the only thing Apple offers that wasn't there in Windows before I switched, was Time Machine. The system certainly doesn't run any better... At least not now!

I can't be the only one who's tried all this and gotten nowhere.

Thanks

Ron

Post an Etrecheck report here.

EtreCheck version: 3.1.2 (334)

Report generated 2016-11-12 15:26:47

Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.com

Runtime 2:18

Performance: Excellent

Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products.

Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.

Problem: Beachballing

Hardware Information:ⓘ

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)

[Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty & Service]

iMac - model: iMac14,1

1 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5 (i5-4570R) CPU: 4-core

16 GB RAM Upgradeable - [Instructions]

BANK 0/DIMM0

8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM0

8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported

Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Video Information:ⓘ

Intel Iris Pro

Acer S202HL 1600 x 900 @ 60 Hz

iMac 1920 x 1080

System Software:ⓘ

macOS Sierra 10.12.1 (16B2657) - Time since boot: about one hour

Disk Information:ⓘ

APPLE SSD SD0128F disk0 : (121.33 GB) (Solid State - TRIM: Yes)

[Show SMART report]

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Boot OS X (disk0s3) <not mounted> : 134 MB

Macintosh HD (disk2) / [Startup]: 1.11 TB (465.34 GB free)

Core Storage: disk0s2 120.99 GB Online

Core Storage: disk1s2 999.35 GB Online

APPLE HDD HTS541010A9E662 disk1 : (1 TB) (Rotational)

[Show SMART report]

EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Recovery HD (disk1s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB

Macintosh HD (disk2) / [Startup]: 1.11 TB (465.34 GB free)

Core Storage: disk0s2 120.99 GB Online

Core Storage: disk1s2 999.35 GB Online

USB Information:ⓘ

VIA Labs, Inc. USB3.0 Hub

Seagate Backup+ Desk

VIA Labs, Inc. USB3.0 Hub

Seagate Expansion Desk

Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

Seagate Expansion Desk

Logitech USB Receiver

VIA Labs, Inc. USB2.0 Hub

VIA Labs, Inc. USB2.0 Hub

Fitbit Inc. Fitbit Base Station

APC Back-UPS ES 550MC FW:885.K1 .D USB FW:K1

Thunderbolt Information:ⓘ

Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

Gatekeeper:ⓘ

Mac App Store and identified developers

Kernel Extensions:ⓘ

/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.Logitech.Control Center.HID Driver (3.9.1 - SDK 10.8 - 2016-11-11) [Support]

/System/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.Logitech.Unifying.HID Driver (1.3.0 - SDK 10.6 - 2016-11-11) [Support]

Startup Items:ⓘ

comapcpcpestart: Path: /Library/StartupItems/comapcpcpestart

Startup items no longer function in OS X Yosemite or later

System Launch Agents:ⓘ

[failed] com.apple.systemprofiler.plist (2016-08-19)

[not loaded] 7 Apple tasks

[loaded] 177 Apple tasks

[running] 94 Apple tasks

System Launch Daemons:ⓘ

[not loaded] 39 Apple tasks

[loaded] 170 Apple tasks

[running] 102 Apple tasks

Launch Agents:ⓘ

[running] com.Logitech.Control Center.Daemon.plist (2015-02-16) [Support]

[not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist (2016-11-10) [Support]

[failed] com.adobe.ARMDCHelper.cc24aef4a1b90ed56a725c38014c95072f92651fb65e1bf9c8e43c37a2 3d420d.plist (2016-10-12) [Support]

[running] com.bjango.istatmenusagent.plist (2016-11-04) [Support]

[running] com.bjango.istatmenusnotifications.plist (2016-11-04) [Support]

[running] com.bjango.istatmenusstatus.plist (2016-11-04) [Support]

[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist (2016-08-24) [Support]

[running] com.jeppesen.jsum.agent.plist (2014-12-02) [Support]

[loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist (2016-07-23) [Support]

[loaded] com.paragon.updater.plist (2014-12-21) [Support]

[running] com.teamviewer.teamviewer.plist (2016-09-24) [Support]

[running] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_desktop.plist (2016-09-24) [Support]

Launch Daemons:ⓘ

[loaded] com.adobe.ARMDC.Communicator.plist (2016-10-12) [Support]

[loaded] com.adobe.ARMDC.SMJobBlessHelper.plist (2016-10-12) [Support]

[running] com.adobe.agsservice.plist (2016-10-05) [Support]

[loaded] com.apple.installer.osmessagetracing.plist (2016-10-21)

[running] com.bjango.istatmenusdaemon.plist (2016-11-04) [Support]

[running] com.fitbit.galileod.plist (2015-11-09) [Support]

[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist (2016-09-01) [Support]

[loaded] com.jeppesen.JDMPrivHelper.plist (2014-12-02) [Support]

[loaded] com.lexar.IRInstaller.plist (2016-06-08) [Support]

[loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist (2016-06-22) [Support]

[failed] com.parallels.mobile.dispatcher.launchdaemon.plist (2015-03-21) [Support] - /Applications/Parallels Access.app/Contents/MacOS/Parallels Access Dispatcher Service.app/Contents/MacOS/prl_pm_service: Executable not found!

[failed] com.parallels.mobile.kextloader.launchdaemon.plist (2016-10-21)

[running] com.siber.gs-server.plist (2015-05-22) [Support]

[loaded] com.teamviewer.Helper.plist (2016-09-19) [Support]

[running] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_service.plist (2016-09-24) [Support]

User Launch Agents:ⓘ

[loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist (2016-11-10) [Support]

[running] com.amazon.music.plist (2015-11-24) [Support]

[loaded] com.citrixonline.GoToMeeting.G2MUpdate.plist (2015-09-02) [Support]

[failed] com.lastpass.LastPassHelper.plist (2014-11-28) [Support]

[failed] com.parallels.mobile.startgui.launchagent.plist (2015-03-21) [Support] - /Applications/Parallels Access.app/Contents/MacOS/prl_deskctl_wizard: Executable not found!

[loaded] com.shirtpocket.backupbytime.plist (2016-11-12)

User Login Items:ⓘ

Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)

Android File Transfer Agent Application (~/Library/Application Support/Google/Android File Transfer/Android File Transfer Agent.app)

Solar Service Application (~/Library/Application Support/Logitech/SolarService/Solar Service.app)

AdobeResourceSynchronizer Application Hidden (/Applications/Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.app/Contents/Helpers/AdobeResourceSynchronizer.app)

Fitbit Connect Menubar Helper Application (~/.Trash/Fitbit Connect.app/Contents/MacOS/Fitbit Connect Menubar Helper.app)

BOINCManager Application Hidden (/Applications/BOINCManager.app)

Amphetamine Application (/Applications/Amphetamine.app)

DISHAnywherePlayer Application (/Applications/DISHAnywherePlayer.app)

mybackupmac Application (/Applications/mybackupmac.app)

Internet Plug-ins:ⓘ

QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (2016-10-21)

AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: 15.016.20045 - SDK 10.11 (2016-06-09) [Support]

AdobePDFViewer: 15.016.20045 - SDK 10.11 (2016-06-09) [Support]

Google Earth Web Plug-in: 7.1 (2016-07-19) [Support]

GarminGpsControl: 4.2.0.0 - SDK 10.8 (2014-03-31) [Support]

nplastpass: 3.1.61 (2014-11-28) [Support]

Silverlight: 5.1.40416.0 - SDK 10.6 (2015-06-11) [Support]

JavaAppletPlugin: Java 8 Update 101 build 13 (2016-09-01) Check version

User internet Plug-ins:ⓘ

CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: 1.0.105 (2013-04-25) [Support]

Google Earth Web Plug-in: 7.1 (2013-10-07) [Support]

DISH Anywhere Player: ECHO.2.29.3 (2016-03-15) [Support]

Safari Extensions:ⓘ

LastPass - LastPass - https://lastpass.com (2015-09-12)

Open in Internet Explorer - Parallels - http://www.parallels.com (2016-07-25)

3rd Party Preference Panes:ⓘ

APC PowerChute Personal Edition (2014-12-17) [Support]

Java (2016-07-23) [Support]

Logitech Control Center (2015-02-16) [Support]

Paragon NTFS for Mac ® OS X (2015-02-09) [Support]

Time Machine:ⓘ

Skip System Files: NO

Mobile backups: OFF

Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off

Volumes being backed up:

Macintosh HD: Disk size: 1.11 TB Disk used: 646.48 GB

Destinations:

Time Machine Backup [Local]

Total size: 5.00 TB

Total number of backups: 2

Oldest backup: 11/10/16, 10:51 PM

Last backup: 11/10/16, 11:29 PM

Size of backup disk: Excellent

Backup size 5.00 TB > (Disk size 1.11 TB X 3)

Top Processes by CPU:ⓘ

4% Google Chrome Helper(13)

2% WindowServer

2% fontd

2% kernel_task

0% Google Chrome

Top Processes by Memory:ⓘ

1.86 GB Google Chrome Helper(13)

1.17 GB kernel_task

655 MB mds_stores

360 MB Google Chrome

262 MB JavaAppLauncher

Virtual Memory Information:ⓘ

9.34 GB Available RAM

4.11 GB Free RAM

6.66 GB Used RAM

5.23 GB Cached files

0 B Swap Used

Diagnostics Information:ⓘ

Nov 12, 2016, 02:24:06 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-12-142406_[redacted].cr ash

com.lastpass.LastPassHelper - /Users/[redacted]/Library/Application Support/LastPass/LastPassHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/LastPassHelper

Nov 12, 2016, 02:22:49 PM Self test - passed

Nov 12, 2016, 02:21:06 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DISHAnywherePlayer_2016-11-12-142106_[redacted ].crash

sling.dishanywhereplayer - /Applications/DISHAnywherePlayer.app/Contents/MacOS/DISHAnywherePlayer

Nov 12, 2016, 11:02:34 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-12-110234_[redacted].cr ash

Nov 11, 2016, 08:25:20 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/backupd_2016-11-11-202520_[redacted].cpu_resour ce.diag [Details]

/System/Library/CoreServices/backupd.bundle/Contents/Resources/backupd

Nov 11, 2016, 06:09:50 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Logitech Updater_2016-11-11-180950_[redacted].crash

/Library/Application Support/Logitech.localized/*/Logitech Updater.app/Contents/MacOS/Logitech Updater

Nov 11, 2016, 05:57:31 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DISHAnywherePlayer_2016-11-11-175731_[redacted] .cpu_resource.diag [Details]

Nov 11, 2016, 05:16:54 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-11-171654_[redacted].cr ash

Nov 11, 2016, 05:03:25 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DaisyDisk_2016-11-11-170325_[redacted].hang

/Applications/DaisyDisk.app/Contents/MacOS/DaisyDisk

Nov 11, 2016, 04:41:39 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/System Preferences_2016-11-11-164139_[redacted].hang

/Applications/System Preferences.app/Contents/MacOS/System Preferences

Nov 11, 2016, 04:39:23 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Google Chrome_2016-11-11-163923_[redacted].hang

/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome

Nov 11, 2016, 04:38:32 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Google Chrome_2016-11-11-163832_[redacted].hang

Nov 11, 2016, 04:12:40 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/System Preferences_2016-11-11-161240_[redacted].hang

Nov 11, 2016, 03:45:42 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Android File Transfer_2016-11-11-154542_[redacted].hang

/Applications/Android File Transfer.app/Contents/MacOS/Android File Transfer

Nov 11, 2016, 03:20:43 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/backupd_2016-11-11-152043_[redacted].cpu_resour ce.diag [Details]

Nov 11, 2016, 02:39:59 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-11-143959_[redacted].cr ash

Nov 11, 2016, 02:27:17 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Kernel_2016-11-11-142717_[redacted].panic [Details]

Nov 11, 2016, 12:22:21 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/GsExplorer_2016-11-11-122221_[redacted].crash

com.sibersystems.GsExplorer - /Applications/GoodSync.app/Contents/Resources/GsExplorer.app/Contents/MacOS/GsE xplorer

Nov 11, 2016, 12:21:26 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-11-122126_[redacted].cr ash

Nov 11, 2016, 12:00:24 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-11-120024_[redacted].cr ash

Nov 11, 2016, 11:39:20 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-11-113920_[redacted].cr ash

Nov 11, 2016, 12:27:22 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Creative Cloud_2016-11-11-002722_[redacted].crash

com.adobe.acc.AdobeCreativeCloud - /Applications/Utilities/Adobe Creative Cloud/*/Creative Cloud.app/Contents/MacOS/Creative Cloud

Nov 11, 2016, 12:23:52 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-11-002352_[redacted].cr ash

Nov 10, 2016, 01:35:31 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DISHAnywherePlayer_2016-11-10-133531_[redacted ].crash

Nov 9, 2016, 07:23:45 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-09-192345_[redacted].cr ash

Nov 9, 2016, 07:20:26 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DISHAnywherePlayer_2016-11-09-192026_[redacted ].crash

Nov 9, 2016, 06:49:16 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-09-184916_[redacted].cr ash

Nov 9, 2016, 03:26:45 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LastPassHelper_2016-11-09-152645_[redacted].cr ash

Can you start in Safe Mode and run another report please.

What is Last Pass (it is crashing regularly) as is DishAnywhere Player and several other processes, none of which will be started in Safe Mode.

And there is at least one incompatible startup item

comapcpcpestart: Path: /Library/StartupItems/comapcpcpestart

I'll try that, and repost it here tomorrow.

LastPass is an add-on to browsers to allow access and form fill from a Master Password system.

DishAnywhere Player is a Dish Network program to access the whole house DVR and TV system. (They've both been on the machine since I have had it.)

I don't know what that last incompatible item is. It was apparently required under an earlier OS version, but now incompatible. Do you know how I can remove it?

Thanks,

Ron

I have no idea how to remove the things you installed, consult whatever documentation you had, I would suggest (for completeness) erasing the whole machine and starting over, try not to install as much junk again.

Thanks, I just couldn't tell what that might be. Thought you might.

In most cases I have only installed add-ons to fill gaps in what I couldn't do with stock software.

I guess one man's junk is another man's utility software.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I'll take all this into consideration.

Sounds like a very Windows-like solution. I was hoping to avoid the days of work that would entail.

Again, thanks.

Days? hardly. But if you continue to install things without knowing what they are or how to remove them it will become a common pastime for you.

Wow. I'm sorry, I seem to have set you off somehow. 😕

I was very appreciative that you took the time to respond to my post. I didn't expect asking a question would set off a tirade on how we non-expert users would have the temerity to ask a question on a help forum.

I obviously misunderstood the nature and purpose of this particular venue. (You did volunteer your assistance, after all, I did not demand that you respond. Nor would I.)

I just had no idea how to interpret a line in the report like this :

comapcpcpestart: Path: /Library/StartupItems/comapcpcpestart

from a report generated by a program you suggested I install.

I thought it was possible that meant more to you than it does to me. Obviously, I was wrong, and I have now somehow offended your sensibilities as to the perfection of my Mac before installing any user-installed software. Please forgive me. Obviously, apparently, making any alteration to my already perfect Mac must have offended you, the ghost of Steve Jobs, and/or another piler-on who would really rather see this remain a priesthood exclusive to those of your own vaunted stature.

Sorry you feel I have been wasting your time. But in any case, please feel free to ignore my request from this point. I don't wish to trouble you any further.

BTW, I really appreciate your response on the other thread (on another subject) mischaracterizing my statements here, too, by the way. I had not expected such a response on a help forum, but have no fear, I will now.

Not set off, just being realistic, you seem to have some very bad computing habits, not knowing what you are installing or how to remove it is asking for problems. If you absolutely don't know just Google the filename. What your Mac does depends on what you do.

Undoubtedly so. But doesn't the very existence of this forum imply that not everyone

I had already tried Google, with no results, except an older post in this community by another user with a similar question, who was also chastised for not knowing the answer before asking (by you, once again) for that.

If I knew what it was referring to, I do know how to remove it. The message tells me nothing I can use to do that.

Yes, I could have just removed all the user software I've installed in the last two years, since the search for that name turned up nothing recognizable to guide me, or I could ask for assistance from someone else who was more knowledgeable and save a lot of wasted time. Unfortunately I chose the latter course.

As I said, I will not trouble you further. You are obviously a very busy (though very realistic) person.

Good luck.

PS: I just searched with Google for you, it belongs to Powerchute Personal editionn, I just saved you 1.22239..seconds

I have just reinstalled El Capitan and all of my problems have gone! Time Machine works, as does my USB Fax modem, and I did not have a problem with the printer either!

Moral of the story, Apple has released Sierra without carrying out full compatibility tests. Or, they want us all to waste a lot of time problem solving that is likely to end up costing us money replacing hardware and software that worked fine in El Capitan!!