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Scott F. Author

Level 2

199 points

Time Machine very slow encrypting after backup

I'm using Time Machine with an external USB 3 HD. I'm doing an incremental backup right now with very small changes since the last backup. I'm new to using Time Machine, but pretty sure that the encryption process is taking WAY too long. I've been eyeballing it and just to go from Encrypting Backup Disk ... 8% complete to 10% complete has taken more than 5 minutes. Perhaps even 10.

Is the encryption process supposed to be a very slow process with Time Machine? The backup is only around 48GB.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch,Early 2015), macOS Sierra (10.12.2)

Posted on Jan 3, 2017 9:42 AM

Top-ranking reply

John Galt

Level 10

146,714 points

Posted on Jan 3, 2017 10:34 AM

What you describe is completely normal. It will take the better part of a day to finish encrypting 48 GB with a rotating hard disk drive.

Once it finishes incremental TM backups will take only a moment or two, as usual.

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17 replies

MelaKin

Level 1

4 points

Dec 8, 2017 7:25 PM in response to Scott F.

I'm having the same exact problem. Actually my first backup completed in an hour or so but the 2nd back up will probably take 24 hours if I let this encryption go on. I've called apple tech support and been to the genius bar, all who have attempted to solve the problem, but every time I go to do the 2nd back up, I'm home alone and their solutions didn't work.

My back up is formatted as Mac OS Extended (JOunaled, encrypted).

Have you found any solutions yet? People are complaining about this in a lot of forums and I'm surprised Apple has not come up with a good answer yet.

jspiro

Level 1

4 points

Dec 10, 2017 2:00 PM in response to Scott F.

I always erase and encrypt the disk before starting my backup, but I've noticed that TM somehow avoids and undoes my effort each time -- it seems to unencrypt or erase the disk, then backs up, then re-encrypts.

This is maddening.

I'm assuming Apple wanted initial backup to be fast, but this is so much worse. And I have a partially encrypted drive in the meantime which is a liability.

Time Machine very slow encrypting after backup