Finder doesn’t see backups

Please download and run EtreCheck, and then post its report in a reply to this Discussion. It may reveal some actionable information. Instructions are here: How to use the Add Text Feature When Posting Large Amounts of Text, i.e. an Etrecheck Report - Apple Community Please be sure to follow them with care.

The fact Mac OS does not see the backup when it should suggests the possibility the backup got corrupted or was made in a different Mac OS version that you are using presently. Regardless, a good way to examine the backup file is with a program like iBackup Extractor. It will let you see your voice mails, texts and photos stored on your last backup if it was done correctly

It is the reason your iPhone backups are not being reported as complete. Moreover, it suggests restoring an iPhone from those backups may fail when you need it most.

I know you wrote that you deleted the backup folder but confirm you deleted the entire ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup folder.

I also suggest you reconsider the use of non-Apple utilities to interfere with tasks Mac does normally. For example I have no idea what "iMazing" does and have no way to determine if it did anything correctly. "Repairing" a backup does not inspire confidence, and crashes are not normal.

Same goes for many of those system extensions EtreCheck alluded to. Every such modification becomes a full-time maintenance responsibility (yours), and some of them can be difficult to uninstall depending on when they were installed relative to macOS having rendered itself impervious to future modifications. I will reserve comment on those specific modifications but suffice it to say I would not let some of them anywhere near my Macs.

The Mac backup of the iPhone gets stored in ~/Library/Application Support/SyncServices

There are a number of programs in the App Store that can read these backup files directly on the Mac, so you can see what they backed up, including photos and music. But keep in mind though that Apple in the process of copying music to your phone scrambles the data, so the music itself can not be directly restored from the iPhone to keep copy protection active. The Apps may not always be available on the App Store, so having the backup to restore from can be helpful in the future. But that restore may not work if you upgrade the iOS version. Some apps may just not work with the newer iOS version. You have to balance the security of your phone with the ability to run Apps you deem essential. Learning how to manage email and websites securely is key if you want to keep older apps active. Your Finder backups may be breaking simply by virtue of changing your iOS or MacOS version. Having a clone backup of your MacOS that you can boot, may be the only way to get some of those older backups usable. Speak to a data recovery company if you need help with some of that recovery.

Delete the entire ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup folder. If the AppleMobileDeviceHelper process does not crash, it will be re-created upon connecting the iPhone and initiating a backup.

I suspect the process will crash again though. Yes, start by reinstalling macOS, because it's simple enough to try.

Any help with that will be greatly appreciated.

I doubt it. Please understand that you are asking me what to do, and I believe I already answered that question. Your opinion on what is essential differs from mine, and it's only a slight exaggeration to estimate the number of reputable macOS developers I know can be counted on my fingers.

Rule 1 of Macs is don't install junk. Some of those products are arguably malware. Your Mac not working as it should. Proceed accordingly. It may be necessary to completely erase and reconfigure that Mac from the ground up. Yes it is that bad.

John,

If your desire is to restore existing backups, deleting your MobileSync folders will never restore them!

If your desire is to rebuild the backup to the point it works in the future, that's the only time I would delete those folders.

I would make that clear.