TM Error Logger
Version History

7.4

5/3/23

Fix Class errors when opening the Email Notification window with Ventura

7.3

11/12/22

Compatible with MacOS Ventura

7.2.8

5/20/22

Fix - Previous Log would say that yesterday's log was not available and possibly hang.

7.2.7

5/18/22

Ignore error messages in MacOS Monterey containing...
"Not prioritizing backups with priority errors"

7.2.6

4/6/2022

Fix - Could not run if there was a space in the user name

7.2.4

2/22/21

Fix - Could not run if not English Language

7.2.2

12/18/20

Email Notification"Send email for minor errors" now sends an email when there is a minor error if the backup was succesful or not. (When you have that option enabled).

7.2.1

10/31/20

Warn user when using a non-admin account.

7.2

10/17/20

Fix - Email Notifications for Mojave or later

7.0

10/3/20

Universal app for Intel and Apple Silicon Macs

Compatible with Big Sur

6.1

12/6/19

Fix - Could not send email with Catalina

NOTE: Updated 4/13/20 with new code signature to prevent crash with Catalina 10.15.4

6.0

11/2/19

No longer a paid app. It is now donationware.

You can donate with Paypal

5.0.10

7/30/19

Code signed and notarized.

Fix - Possible hang when reading error logs that have single or double quotes.

5.0.9

5/18/19

Fix - Intermittent hangs

5.0.8

1/20/19

Fix - Window intermittently closed when app was hidden.

5.0.7

10/30/18

Fix - Stays hidden when you hide it

Fix - Time out after two minutes if log is too large

5.0.6

10/28/18

Fix - CPU usages was rising when the app was left running in the last version.

5.05

10/25/18

Fix - If TM Error Logger was running for several hours, it could stop checking for errors on some Macs.

5.0.4

10/23/18

Fix - Could not quit if Send Emails was enabled.

Fix - Open Problem folder was not working.

5.0.2

10/19/18

Fix - Timer problems (sometimes would not start checking for Time Machine Errors automatically and sometimes would check a few times and stop).

5.0.1

10/17/18

Ignore minor errors for “Operation not permitted” and “snapshot”

Fix - If Time Machine error log was too large, it would say "Getting Time Machine Errors" until you quit and ran again. It now tells you that the log was too large to read.

5.0

10/15/18

New 64-bit version

TM Error Logger is now a 64-bit application.
You will no longer get those warnings from Apple that the app needs to be updated.
The 64-bit re-write required significant programming time and the payment model has been changed to a yearly payment of $9.95

4.2.7

12/9/2017

Ignore errors for unmounted recovery volumes in High Sierra

4.2.6

1/18/17

Fix - Change timing so that slower Macs can read the log.
Prevents endless loop of "Getting Today's Time Machine Log"
Compatible with MacOS 10.12.2 which takes longer to read the log.

4.2.5

12/2/16

If the log is too large to show the whole day, then just show the last 6 hours.

4.2.4

12/1/16

Fix - If the log was too large, it would just say Getting Today’s Time Machine Log but would never show the log errors. It will now let you know when the log is too large to be read.

4.2.3

11/21/16

Fix - automatic notification for upgrades should not check for upgrades when internet is offline.

4.2.2

11/20/16

Feature - This version introduces automatic notification for future upgrades
If you currently have an earlier version 4, then Select Upgrades from the TM Error Logger Menu to get this 4.2.2 upgrade.

4.2.1

11/18/16

Fix - Open Problem Folder was not working for MacOS Sierra for some source errors.

Fix - Changed subject of email if just a Time Machine minor error and the backup completed successfully.
Subject now says "Time Machine Minor Error" instead of "Backup Failed"

Fix - Intermittent File #1 errors.

4.2

11/14/16

Feature - All successful backups are now listed in the current and previous log.

Feature - Added option to "Send email if no backups for more than one day"

4.1

11/11/16

Fix - Was hanging while getting the Time Machine Error Log and you could not move the window or click on buttons until the error report was done.

4.0

11/4/16

Compatible with MacOS Sierra

Feature - Adds an option to send email notifications for minor errors that do not cause the Time Machine Backup to fail.

3.2.7

This version provides an upgrade path to version 4 and lets you know that it is not compatible with MacOS Sierra.

Note that this version and all previous versions do not work on MacOS Sierra (You need version 4)
The symptom is that it always thinks that no backup has been done and it will not report any errors.

3.2.6

4/21/16

Fix - Updates menu item had a broken web page link.

3.2.5

4/20/16

Added information about Time Machine Error: (22) setxattr for key:com.apple.backupd

3.2.4

1/13/16

Added Updates menu item to the TM Error Logger menu as a link to the web page for the latest version. (So you can see if you have the latest version and download a new version if necessary).

When an error occurs, the information emailed will now include the last successful backup information if available.

3.2.3

9/30/15

El Capitan...
The backup interval is protected in El Capitan and cannot be changed when System Integrity Protection (SIP) is enabled (and it is enabled by default).
The only way to get TM Error Logger to change the Backup Interval is to disable SIP.
However, you will need to decide if you want to do that because it is a system-wide change and makes your Mac less secure (reduces it to a security level equal to versions of OS X prior to El Capitan.

Fix another false positive for backup drive offline

7/19/17 Update. Backup interval may not work at all in later versions of El Capitan (even if you disable SIP).
Mac OS Sierra only backs up as needed, so there is no need to change the backup interval.
The backup interval option was removed in version 4 of TM Error Logger.

3.2.2

3/22/2015

Fix false positives for backup drive offline.

3.2.1

3/18/15

Added tests for Time Machine drive offline.

3.2

Email Notification now works with Microsoft Outlook as well as Apple's Mail app.
You can get an email notification when there is a Time Machine backup failure.
(MacOS 10.10 or later required for Outlook Notifications).

However, Apple's Mail app is still the default. You can change that by running the Mail app and selecting Preferences / General / Default email reader

Note that it is possible that Outlook Express and Entourage also work but have not been tested.
They will most likely only work when they have been installed as standalone apps instead of being part of Microsoft Office.

Thunderbird is still not supported due to the lack of Applescript support in that app for sending mail.

3.1

10/12/14

Fix - Previous Log was not working to show any Time Machine errors from the previous day.

Fix - "Run Time Machine Backup Now"

Now compatible with OS X 10.10 Yosemite

3.0.9

7/11/2013

Added a check for Assistive devices when you enable email notifications.

Also, added error 1002 Disk Full

3.0.8

6/03/2013

Fix - Email Notification was only emailing one person instead of two when "Send a Copy to" was used.

3.0.5

1/09/2013

Fix - Intermittently, email was not sent when there was a Time Machine Error

3.0.4

8/25/2012

Fix - Could possibly send an email intermittently saying the backup had failed when there was no failure. The body of the email contained an invisible carriage return when this happened.

3.03

2/12/2012

Fix - Could possibly send an email intermittently saying the backup had failed when there was no failure. The body of the email was blank when this happened ( a clue that there was no failure ).

3.0.2

10/10/2011

Fix - When Email Notification was on and you had too many errors to list, you would get an email every thirty seconds. Now just sends one email as it should.

10/05/2011

3.0.1

Fix - Email Notification email was not being remembered if you changed or entered the address and then quit by closing the window.

8/22/2011

3.0

Feature - You can now get an email notification when there is a Time Machine backup failure.
Click on the Email Notification button
If you want to receive an email when the Time Machine Backup fails, then enable the checkbox "Send email when backup fails" and enter your email address.

10/11/2009

2.05

The last version fixed the password entry problem with Snow Leopard but would not remember the backup interval time. Now the interval time is once again remembered.

10/10/2009

2.04

Fix - Snow Leopard Compatibility. Could not not enter admin password for the backup interval.

6/05/2009

2.03

Fix - Red text, misspelled word "sucessful" now correct as "successful"

4/22/2009

2.02

Fix - If a problem file is invisible, it will now say (Invisible) in red text.

Fix - Put "No successful backups reported" in the current log in red if no problems found but also no backups done in the current log.

Fix - New dialog window adds explanation that you may need to reboot for backup interval changes to take effect.

Fix - Show errors in red (even if they are not related to specific files).

Fix - Intermittent SetMenuBarFromNib error when you click on the Backup Interval button

4/19/2009

2.0

Feature - You can now set the Time Machine backup interval. The default setting is every 1 hour. You can select times from 1 hour up to 24 hours. Added Backup Interval button.

Feature - The window can now be resized.

Feature - Added a dialog box that tells you about .DS_Store files when you click on the button to open the containing folder. If the problem file is .DS_Store, It lets you know they are invisible.

4/11/2009

1.2

Feature / Fix - Installer window now has instructions to drag the TM Error Logger icon to the Applications folder icon.

Fix - Donate Button was blank on Intel Macs.

4/10/2009

1.19

Fix - The problem item reported in red text was only showing part of a second line of text. Normally, it is just one line and no problem. But can now display two lines for long file names.

3/24/2009

1.18

Feature - Added -50 error definition to the errors list and also added I/O errors -17 to -24.

Fix - Reset timer to another 30 seconds if the mouse cursor passes over the scroll bar.
This prevents the error log from updating while you are scrolling.
Also changed cursor to arrow cursor for scroll bar instead of pointing hand.

3/08/2009

1.17

Fix - Today's log can possibly have log data from several days if you do not leave your Mac on at night. Changed "Today's log" to "Current Log" and changed "Yesterday's Log" to "Previous Log".

Feature - Added scroll bar.

3/03/2009

1.16

Fix - If you left the program running overnight and there was an error yesterday but not today, the red problem item would not clear on the today's log screen.

Fix - When you clicked Open Problem Folder, it sometimes said ERROR but did not say what the error was. Then when you clicked again, it said no problem found. The actual problem was that you did not have access privileges to open the folder.

2/27/2009

1.15

Feature - Added Close Window button. Program now quits when you close the window.

Fix - If there were multiple errors in one day, the problem item shown in red was incorrect.

2/25/2009

1.14

Feature - Added information to the help file about Time Machine and Spotlight conflicts
(mds "importer start failed" messages.)

2/20/2009

1.12

Cosmetic - Changed window design using Interface Builder for more pleasing appearance.
Style changed to Utility Window with gray border area and rounded buttons.

2/19/2009

1.10

Fix - Program must be run as an Admin User. Previous versions would allow you to run the program as a non administrative user but would not report any errors or successful backups as that user.

Fix - Disk image now opens automatically when you double-click.

Fix - Stopped using grep to read the system log. It was creating unnecessary entries in the system log for TM Error Logger messages.

2/16/2009

1.1

Feature - Simplified Installer. Now just drag and drop TM Error Logger into the Application Folder.
NOTE: If you are upgrading from a previous version, you can discard the old TM Error Logger Folder. This new version does not use a folder.

2/15/2009

1.07

Feature - Added "Error Numbers" button. Now when you get a Time Machine error, you can click on the Error Numbers button to get a list of error numbers and their meanings.

2/13/2009

1.06

Fix - If there was a Time Machine Error in Today's log and also a successful backup, the error in red would say that the error was "successful backup". Huh?
Problem was introduced in version 1.05 and fixed now.

2/12/2009

1.05

Feature - Show Last Successful Backup message in Today's log.

Fix - If there are multiple errors, the error shown in red is now the last error received instead of the first one.

2/10/2009

1.04

Feature - TM Error Logger will poll the system log every 30 seconds looking for Time Machine Errors. You can update the window immediately by clicking "Today's Log" .

Fix - Log updates are now disabled temporarily while you are copying error text into the clipboard. The window no longer blinks when updating.

2/06/2009

1.03

Feature - The Admin password is no longer required to view Yesterday's Log.

Feature - Look for and report Spotlight conflicts with Time Machine.

2/06/2009

1.02

Fix - Today's log was not showing all Time Machine Errors for the day.

2/02/2009

1.01

Fix - Some buttons would not work to launch applications on Macs with partitioned hard drives.
(When launching Disk Utility and Time Machine Prefs.)

1/30/2009

1.0

Initial release