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New MBP 2016 Crashing During Time Machine Backup

T

TreadEverSoLightly

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 22, 2016
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Hi everyone,

I'm already on my 2nd MBP. Picked up last Wednesday and swapped it for another model 2 days later after experiencing crashing while my laptop backs up via Time Machine to an external HD. Computer freezes up during data transfer and refuses to acknowledge my inputs. Then crashes and restarts itself.

This is now my 2nd laptop and I'm experiencing the exact same issue. Weird thing is, I was able to do my initial Time Machine backup with no problems.

Anyone else experiencing this?
 
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This is a known issue discussed in a few other threads. There is something wrong with MacBook Pro's w/ touch bar and extended I/O activity with external hdd.

Hopefully a software fix. PS. what drives are you using?
 
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TreadEverSoLightly said:
Hi everyone,

I'm already on my 2nd MBP. Picked up last Wednesday and swapped it for another model 2 days later after experiencing crashing while my laptop backs up via Time Machine to an external HD. Computer freezes up during data transfer and refuses to acknowledge my inputs. Then crashes and restarts itself.

This is now my 2nd laptop and I'm experiencing the exact same issue. Weird thing is, I was able to do my initial Time Machine backup with no problems.

Anyone else experiencing this?
Click to expand...

Crap, I kept blaming my 3rd party USB-C adapter. Ugh, this is a pretty huge issue. I'm lucky enough to have a NAS mounted solution for TimeMachine at home (I use the USB drive at work). Is everyone else just expected to live without backups, on a machine with a soldered on drive!?

BTW, using a WD My Passport for Mac drive (portable, USB powered)
 
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LS417 said:
This is a known issue discussed in a few other threads. There is something wrong with MacBook Pro's w/ touch bar and extended I/O activity with external hdd.

Hopefully a software fix. PS. what drives are you using?
Click to expand...


Using a LaCie STFD2000402 Porsche Design USB-C 2TB Mobile HD.
 
I am using a WD MyPassport For Mac connected to my Airport Extreme for Time Machine backups. Haven't experienced any crashing yet. Will monitor it now, given that a few others have experienced crashing.
 
BasicGreatGuy said:
I am using a WD MyPassport For Mac connected to my Airport Extreme for Time Machine backups. Haven't experienced any crashing yet. Will monitor it now, given that a few others have experienced crashing.
Click to expand...

I bet it's tied through high I/O via USB-C port. I've also backed up successfully to my Synology NAS. With nothing but the USB drive plugged in via the Apple USB-C to USB-A adapter, and after a clean boot with no apps running, the system still hangs after a few minutes of backing up.
 
shareef777 said:
I bet it's tied through high I/O via USB-C port. I've also backed up successfully to my Synology NAS. With nothing but the USB drive plugged in via the Apple USB-C to USB-A adapter, and after a clean boot with no apps running, the system still hangs after a few minutes of backing up.
Click to expand...

Yep. I've reproduced the issue on my original MBP w/ touchbar as well as on the replacement with a bunch of different external hdds, bus powered and externally powered. Happens every time after 15-20 min of backing up.

Funny enough no issues on the 2016 non touchbar I have been testing.
 
shareef777 said:
I bet it's tied through high I/O via USB-C port. I've also backed up successfully to my Synology NAS. With nothing but the USB drive plugged in via the Apple USB-C to USB-A adapter, and after a clean boot with no apps running, the system still hangs after a few minutes of backing up.
Click to expand...
Since you mentioned "hanging," I remembered my backup did hang on the first attempt (about 90% done) and I had to reboot and start over. Since then, no problems. I also use CCC as a backup to Time Machine. It has worked fast and without any problems.
 
I am having a similar problem and am currently working with Apple Support and Engineering on troubleshooting the issue. I wonder if we are experiencing the same thing.

I assumed I was alone in this issue because I am trying to back up a single 750GB file and the crash occurs at roughly the 702GB mark every time. Multiple drives, multiple USB-C to USB-A adapters, same results. I am not using Time Machine however, just Finder copy operations. The file copies fine over Wifi however via that same drive mounted via SMB on another mac on my network...

Can you check and see if any of the following rings a bell:

1) You have kernel panic logs referencing
"*** MCA Error Report ***
CPU Machine Check Architecture Error Dump (CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6660U CPU @ 2.40GHz, CPUID: 0x406E3)
CATERR detected! No MCA data found."

2) Right before the computer reboots itself you have Console log entries similar to:
"AppleUSBXHCIPCI::hardwareException: Controller unpluged (regRead32)"
"ICDiskBrowser.m Removing mass storage device (null)"
**Note: I only noticed these Console entries after reviewing a movie I filmed of the crash -- the logs appear to be cleared out upon the automatic reboot of the machine post-crash"
 
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deutsched said:
I am having a similar problem and am currently working with Apple Support and Engineering on troubleshooting the issue. I wonder if we are experiencing the same thing.

I assumed I was alone in this issue because I am trying to back up a single 750GB file and the crash occurs at roughly the 702GB mark every time. Multiple drives, multiple USB-C to USB-A adapters, same results. I am not using Time Machine however, just Finder copy operations. The file copies fine over Wifi however via that same drive mounted via SMB on another mac on my network...

Can you check and see if any of the following rings a bell:

1) You have kernel panic logs referencing
"*** MCA Error Report ***
CPU Machine Check Architecture Error Dump (CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6660U CPU @ 2.40GHz, CPUID: 0x406E3)
CATERR detected! No MCA data found."

2) Right before the computer reboots itself you have Console log entries similar to:
"AppleUSBXHCIPCI::hardwareException: Controller unpluged (regRead32)"
"ICDiskBrowser.m Removing mass storage device (null)"
**Note: I only noticed these Console entries after reviewing a movie I filmed of the crash -- the logs appear to be cleared out upon the automatic reboot of the machine post-crash"
Click to expand...

Yep, lets hope this isn't a hardware issue.
 
JackDaniels3 said:
A little advice - don't use dongles/adapters to connect external HDD and transfer files!
Too many things can go wrong in the chain.
Just buy a cable to replace the old one.
Click to expand...

Really? Even just a USB-C to USB-A adapter from Apple? I thought that the only thing that's a stateless cable converter.
 
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JackDaniels3 said:
I'm speaking in general. The risk of a loose connection will increase with third connector link.
Click to expand...

I agree, but the issue we're experiencing is an OS problem. Likely a buffer over-run of some sort as it only happens when transferring large amounts of data over a fast connection. I can backup my iPhone (~50GB) over the same link just fine.
 
I was using my 2016 MBP (2.9ghz/1TB/R460) to transcode and analyze footage from an external hard drive for the first time in Final Cut Pro today. In the first few minutes my computer simultaneously ejected my hard drive, froze and restarted on its own. I had a Belkin USB-C to Micro-B cable that I purchased from the Apple store directly plugged into this hard drive. Thought that the cable may be the issue so I put the normal USB cable back in and tried the Apple USB-C to USB Adapter which changed nothing. So then I transferred my footage to my more reliable Lacie thunderbolt hard drive thinking something was incompatible with the original hard drive I was trying to use, but the exact same thing happened.

After the restart the error report said the same thing:
*** MCA Error Report ***

CPU Machine Check Architecture Error Dump (CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6920HQ CPU @ 2.90GHz, CPUID: 0x506E3)

CATERR detected! No MCA data found.

I'm annoyed that I wasted so much time trying to figure out what was wrong and haven't begun editing yet. I went back to my 2013 Macbook Pro to transcode the footage. I guess that I should be glad I haven't sold it yet. May end up just returning the 2016 and keeping my 2013 if there isn't a fix for this hard drive issue in the next few weeks. I was hoping the new Macbook Pro could help my productivity and time spent editing, but I don't really have time to play guinea pig for Apple when I have deadlines.
 
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Having the same issue. Disconnects drives, hangs and eventually reboots when doing Time machine backup. I have temporarily disconnected the backup drive and hope this issue gets some attention from Apple ASAP. There does not seem to be much out there on the internet or on Apple's support forums on this issue. We need to make more noise.
 
When I was trying to move 600gb of files over from one external hard drive to another it also hung up and rebooted. Strangely enough I left my MBP to do it's first time machine backup which took about 6 hours and was completely successful. Not sure why my Time Machine works fine, but transcoding on FCP / transferring files is such a big issue.
 
Jason Bourne said:
Having the same issue. Disconnects drives, hangs and eventually reboots when doing Time machine backup. I have temporarily disconnected the backup drive and hope this issue gets some attention from Apple ASAP. There does not seem to be much out there on the internet or on Apple's support forums on this issue. We need to make more noise.
Click to expand...

Yep, I opened a case with Apple just so they're aware. They're having me test a backup in safe mode (which I'll do later today), but if that doesn't work either then I'm worried this may be a hardware issue.
 
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Well, an SMC reset and running a backup in safe mode didn't work either. Out of options and Apple Support just says they're looking into it. But that could mean anything.
 
This is the experience tax we get to pay for. Hopefully this is a software issue, cuz yeah ...
 
So I noticed that data IS being backed up. My initial backup was ~400GB. It got half way done the first time (~200GB backed up) and crashed. It's going through and may finish up the remaining 200GB or crash again just before that. At which point I plan on running it again to get the first full backup completed. After that it shouldn't backup much so it should be ok.

Looking online this issue seems to have existed a while back and is not likely tied to our hardware. I'm sure we're all just seeing it now as we're running the first full backup in a long time (and after a few OS upgrades).
 
I got Machine Check Error crash also when doing TM backup over Belkin ethernet adapter to my NAS. Over built-in WiFi is fine.

2016 15" MBP
 
wilsonjchan said:
I got Machine Check Error crash also when doing TM backup over Belkin ethernet adapter to my NAS. Over built-in WiFi is fine.

2016 15" MBP
Click to expand...
What's the size of your backup ? Is your installation on your new MacBook Pro coming from migration or fresh ?
 
Looks like anything with a large data transfer at high-speed over USB-C crashes the computer. My TimeMachine backup succeeded the second pass (about 200GB of data). Though it did show a bunch of drive disconnect errors. Now that the full backup is done, I have been doing an incremental every hour without issue.
[doublepost=1480003262][/doublepost]BTW, Apple support requested I create a new local account and re-attempting a full backup. Have not done that and am getting pretty frustrated. Not sure I want to continue troubleshooting THEIR issue for them.
 
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