Has Ventura brought any relief from Disk Utility’s inability to run First Aid on Time Machine’s backups, and what about changes in Time Machine itself?
Disk Utility
A simple worked example showing the effect of snapshots and changes in hidden system files in consuming free space on APFS.
They have more options than most new cars. What are they, how do you use them, how to pick the most appropriate, and which tools to use.
Apple could have chosen to make APFS open source or to document it fully, to help third parties develop maintenance tools. It chose not to, but Disk Utility still doesn’t work as it should.
APFS backup disks offer different possibilities for adding volumes for your own use, alongside the backup volume. How do you decide what’s best?
In macOS 12.4, it’s impossible to run First Aid on any container or APFS volume on a disk with a Time Machine APFS backup volume, except in Recovery.
Apple wants us to run our Macs at Full Security and not use third-party kernel extensions, but refuses to build S.M.A.R.T. access into USB in macOS.
It’s a simple and popular request: how is my Mac’s SSD ageing? How long is it likely to last? But macOS has no tool to offer, and 3rd party tools aren’t really ideal for M1 Macs still.
One likely cause of vanishing free space are large snapshots. So how can you tell why a snapshot is large, and how can you avoid it?
Snapshots are of great value, but can grow large if you don’t keep an eye on them. If you find Time Machine or another backup utility is storing large snapshots, here’s what to do.
The Eclectic Light Company 