macOS Monterey: Backing up with Time Machine no longer works on some Mac M1s

macOS Monterey caused a series of bugs on Macs. On computers powered by an M1 processor, the update prevents backup with Time Machine from working properly. While waiting for a fix, Apple offers a workaround.

Some Mac users experience big problems with macOS Monterey, the latest OS update. Shortly after the deployment, users complained about the update on social media. In some cases, Monterey causes computers to crash completely. In other cases, the update causes abnormal consumption of RAM for some applications. To prevent Macs from crashing after installation, Apple quickly rolled out a patch to affected Macs.

Unfortunately, the worries caused by macOS Monterey do not end there. From recent testimony, it appears that the update also messes up Time Machine, the backup software developed by Apple. Integrated by default on the brand’s computers, the software allows you to perform a complete backup of a Mac in a few clicks to transfer them to a connected device, such as a hard drive.

Also read: Apple Self Service Repair – manuals to repair your iPhone and Mac will be available online

How to get around the Time Machine bug on macOS Monterey?

According to several testimonials that appeared on Apple’s support forums, backup via Time Machine suffers from serious dysfunctions. “Since I migrated to Monterey, my Time Machine has stopped working. It did not change the date of the last backup, and made backups in a vacuum. So I tried to delete the backup, and make a new one, but since then it says to me waiting for the end of the first backup ”, explains a user on the Apple forum.

There is no shortage of testimonies of this ilk. “I back up alternately to an external USB drive in APFS and to a WD NAS. Safeguards keep rolling but in the end there is no trace ”, advances a user. In fact, it is impossible for them to save the content from their computer with Time Machine. Obviously, the problem only affects Macs with an M1 processor.

One of the affected users has contacted Apple customer support. The brand’s customer service team advised running a Disk Utility SOS to locate and repair disk errors. Here is the detail of the procedure as explained by Apple:

• Launch the Mac in Safe Mode
• Launch theDisk Utility
• See you in Presentation > Show all devices (if available) in the menu bar or in the toolbar of Disk Utility
• Go to Apple SSD and click on the SOS button
• Press on Disk container and launch SOS
• Then go to Macintoch HD volume and launch SOS
• Finally restart the Time Machine backup on the Data disk

It seems that the method has solved the problem of some users. However, the process has not been successful with all users. Apple, probably aware of Time Machine malfunctions, is expected to roll out a fix in a future update.