What the issues in the Issues list mean

Updated

Issues in the sidebar lists anything a backup, or a check of the backup, couldn't finish. The number beside Issues is how many there are. The Overview screen shows the same count as Need Attention, with a Review Issues button.

Issues are grouped by kind, and each one shows the file, its folder, and what went wrong. Control-click an issue to Show in Finder (the original in iCloud Drive) or Show Backup Copy. When a group has more than one issue, a button beside its title deals with them all at once: Retry All, Use Safe Names or Dismiss All, depending on the group. Backup Didn't Finish, Many Files Missing and Too Large for Budget have no such button, so deal with those one at a time.

An issue about a file clears itself once a later backup copies that file.

The buttons

  • Retry: try the file again in the next backup.
  • Skip: leave the file out of future backups. It's deselected in Selection, where you can select it again.
  • Dismiss: remove the issue from the list without changing anything.
  • Allow Once: let the next backup use extra space to download a file that's larger than your temporary download budget.
  • Use Safe Name: save the backup copy under the name shown below the issue, one the destination accepts. The file keeps its own name in iCloud Drive.
  • Archive Anyway, or Delete Anyway while the archive is turned off: let the next backup move the copies of missing files to the archive, or delete them.
  • Back Up Now: start a backup, which copies the files again.

Each kind of issue

Backup Didn't Finish

The backup stopped before it could copy anything, and the issue says why. Nothing in the backup was changed. Check that the destination is connected and that you can open the backup folder, then start the backup again. Button: Dismiss.

Many Files Missing

More than half of the files you've backed up weren't found in iCloud Drive, so their copies were left in place. This can happen when iCloud Drive is signed out or a folder can't be read. Check iCloud Drive in Finder first. If you did delete those files, click Archive Anyway (or Delete Anyway). Buttons: Archive Anyway, Dismiss.

Too Large for Budget

These files are bigger than your temporary download budget, or need more free space than your Mac has to spare, so they can't be downloaded without using extra space. Buttons: Allow Once, Skip. See Disk space on your Mac during a backup.

Name Not Allowed

The destination doesn't allow some characters that iCloud Drive does. You'll only see this if Rename files whose names the destination doesn't allow is turned off on the Destination screen. Buttons: Use Safe Name, Skip. See What's in your backup folder.

Couldn't Read From iCloud

These files couldn't be downloaded or read, or their download took too long. They weren't changed, and they're tried again in the next backup. Buttons: Retry, Skip.

Changed While Copying

These files were edited while they were being copied, so the partial copy was discarded. They're copied again in the next backup. Buttons: Retry, Dismiss.

Couldn't Write to Destination

The destination rejected these writes. Check that the NAS or drive has free space, and that your account can write to the backup folder. This kind also covers a copy that didn't match the original when it was checked, which is discarded and copied again. Buttons: Retry, Dismiss.

Missing From Backup

Found by Verify Backup: these copies weren't in the backup folder when it was checked. The next backup copies them again. Buttons: Back Up Now, Dismiss. See Check that your backup is intact.

Changed in Backup

Found by Verify Backup: these copies didn't match what was backed up. The next backup copies them again and moves the changed copies to the archive. Buttons: Back Up Now, Dismiss.