MacOS 15.3 fixes backup bugs affecting multiple apps

Update: Superduper developer Dave Nanian reports that Apple fixed an issue with MacOS 15.3.

One or more backup bugs in MACOS 15.2 Sequoia have affected Apple’s own time machine utility, as well as third-party apps Superduper and CarbonCopycloner. Initially, the issue seemed to affect only bootable backups, but now it appears to be more common than this or multiple bugs affecting Mac backups…

Things started with Superduper

The Superduper developer shirt pocket originally created a bootable backup of the Mac volume using its own code.

After the bootable backup of Superduper started failing, the company investigated and found that the bug was in Apple’s replicator code on Macos 15.2.

MacOS 15.2 was released a few days ago and was surprised. Awful, terrible surprise. Apple broke the replicator.

A busy error is occurring in the resource when it appears to be trying to copy either preboot or recovery towards the end of replicating the data volume. In the past, we have been able to avoid busy resources by making sure our system is awake. However, this new bug means that there are no fixes on most systems. It’s just going to fail.

Apple has taken away the ability of third parties (for example, the US) to copy the OS and assume the responsibility itself, so it’s up to them to continue to function. Among them, they failed with the Macos 15.2. This is their code and they are forced to rely on it to copy the OS, so copying the OS won’t work until you modify it.

Synology said the same issue is affecting bootable backups of NAS systems.

Widetest macOS 15 SECOIA backup bug

CarbonCopycloner was also affected, which also normally supports bootable backups, but users reported that (unbootable) time machine backups were also failing.

MacOS 15.2 breaks the backup of the time machine. My friend blew the entire history of backup into a time machine.

This issue appears to be specific to Apple Silicon Macs.

We contacted Apple for comments and will update with any responses.

Via bold fireballs. Photo by Samsung Memory on Unsplash.