Time Machine back up taking almost 24 hours for a 2 TB Mac

Definitely erase the drive and start over. You may wish to consider adding at least one more backup disk to Time Machine. One and only one backup device does not comprise a robust backup strategy. TM will back up to as many of them as you wish to provide. Despite its mathematical inaccuracy "two is one and one is none" is an applicable philosophy to keep in mind with backups.

After erasing, Time Machine may bug you that it cannot find the previous backup disk — the one you just erased. Just remove that one from its Settings.

You should also remove the "WD Drive Utilities" software from your Mac. Drive manufacturers are fond of bundling various and sundry "free" software with their drives. They're not worth the price. They are all unnecessary and they often cause problems. An earlier version of that specific product was notorious in the distant past for spontaneously erasing perfectly good hard disk drives — another reason to have more than just one backup drive.

Follow its uninstallation instructions.

you skipped a step when you set up your backup drive initially.

Drive makers often provide proprietary driver software to "save you trouble" when setting up a new drive. They initialize the drive to the most commonly-used format, and ask you to install their Utilities.

But because Windows systems outnumber Macs, the most commonly used format is Windows New Technology File System (NTFS).

Windows New Technology File System (NTFS) is Microsoft proprietary.  Without added utilities, the Mac can not write to NTFS drives as issued. If you install WD Utilities, the drive KEEPS NTFS format and creates a Mac Volume-in-a-File (Sparse Bundle Disk Image).

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The Best Practice is to ERASE that drive by its immutable manufacturer-given DEVICE-name when new, and NOT use the drive-maker's Utilities at all.

<< So to clarify, I should have the NTFS utility running? >>

When the drive is new, drag the driver makers Utilities to the Trash and empty the Trash.

We occasionally see drives fail when they were not ERASEd when new, but the drive-maker's Utilities, including Paragon or Tuxiera NTFS Drivers were installed. All proceeds fine until that Driver is not included in the MacOS image being used, or a modest failure forces you into recovery or Installer system, which has NO add-ons available. Then the drive 'mysteriously' stops working.

The right way to do it (new or old) is to ERASE and start over.

If you have whole lot of essential and unduplicated data on it, that would be WAY more complicated.

But it's a backup drive, right?

Yeah, just ERASE the Device by its immutable manufacturer-given DEVICE-name and start over.

The disk above is identified as a Physical device connected by SATA, with Device-name shown above (certainly not a name I gave it). Since has an older system is on it, it has all the APFS data structures showing in "View all Devices".

NTFS for Mac is an add-on that allows you to use or continue to use Windows New Technology File System formatted drives on your Mac. (the W is silent because the inventors felt there was no need to explicitly say Windows).

Microsoft consider NTFS is proprietary, and has threatened to sue anyone (including Apple) who WRITEs that format without paying them Royalties. The drive maker paid to include that add-on, an the developer pays that Royalty.

if you need to Write Windows-format drives to share whole drives with a Windows machine, then you could allow it now (or later). But since it appears to be the SOURCE of your substantial aggravation, I recommend you remove it and/or NOT grant such permissions.

So, since it isn't new, then I need to follow the instructions you pointed to, correct? Erasing it now and starting over. Am I following?

CarolinemanD wrote:

Oh, just saw this. Thank you. I'll check this out.

To keep users from being confused by the added complexity of Apple File System data structures, Apple's default presentation currently omits all references to the underlying Physical Device.

As you can see in that Apple article, to initialize a new device, you MUST expose the underlying Physical DEVICE by changing the tiny 'View' menu to "Show all devices".

Failure to ERASE the Physical DEVICE by its immutable manufacturer-given device-name is what leads to problems later. The default view show only Volumes, not DEVICEs.

CarolinemanD wrote:

Ok. So it has to do with the external drive, NOT the laptop itself, if I'm understanding you correctly, and I'm safe deleting it and not giving it permission. Do I understand you correctly? I just wan't sure if it had to do with my MacBook or with the external hard drive.

'NFTS for Mac' is NOT part of MacOS, it has been added.

You appear to understand perfectly.

I don't understand what you mean by "write windows-format dives to share whole drives with a windows machine" since my MacBook is the only thing I'm trying to back up.

I over-explained because I wanted you to understand you can freely share Files with Windows computers directly with your unmodified Mac. You only need that 'NTFS for Mac' add-on if you want to share entire DRIVES.

Is there another or better hard drive you would recommend so I can avoid this whole issue? Or just delete NTFS for Mac (if I understood you correctly) and just keep my current hard drive, having gotten rid of the WD utilities?

Your drive is just fine, as long as you ERASE it with Disk Utility, and do NOT use NTFS for Mac.

Again, thank you for your explanation and patience. Last thing I want to do is mess up my new laptop that I'm trying to protect.

Of course! Thats why volunteers like me commit the time and attention to help you through this, and

try to stay with you until you triumph over the inanimate objects!

This Apple article explains how

https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/erase-and-reformat-a-storage-device-dskutl14079/mac

So to clarify, I should have the NTFS utility running? I actually did completely erase the drive and start new, and it was backing up fine but has just started being slow using Time Machine not the WD utilities. Can you please clarify?

So, I deleted all WD utilities and erased as suggested in the article provided. There is, however, a program or extension called NTFS for MAC that keeps asking for permission. Do I delete this as well?? Sorry for all the questions but this is a learning curve for me.

Ok. So it has to do with the external drive, NOT the laptop itself, if I'm understanding you correctly, and I'm safe deleting it and not giving it permission. Do I understand you correctly? I just wan't sure if it had to do with my MacBook or with the external hard drive.

I don't understand what you mean by "write windows-format dives to share whole drives with a windows machine" since my MacBook is the only thing I'm trying to back up.

Is there another or better hard drive you would recommend so I can avoid this whole issue? Or just delete NTFS for Mac (if I understood you correctly) and just keep my current hard drive, having gotten rid of the WD utilities?

Again, thank you for your explanation and patience. Last thing I want to do is mess up my new laptop that I'm trying to protect.

Oh, just saw this. Thank you. I'll check this out.

Thank you! I can't tell you how many of these I have been through with my Macs! Now I see the what the problem was! I appreciate all your help.

AI suggests:

To uninstall NTFS for Mac, you can use the built-in uninstaller by opening the application, going to Settings, and selecting the Uninstall option.

Thank you! It does feel like a battle sometimes! 😂 You are appreciated.