Is it possible to reinstall Mac OS X Lion on MacBook and then use Time Machine to restore to the previous backup I made before reinstalling Mac OS X Lion?

Is it possible to reinstall Mac OS X Lion on MacBook and then use Time Machine to restore to the previous backup I made before reinstalling Mac OS X Lion?

My MacBook was not normally booting up. It would turn on, make the Apple startup noise, and the bottom loading bar would progress just a little bit, then my MacBook would shut down. I tried rebooting it many times and the same thing would happen, it would just shut down. Then, I read that I can reset the PRAM (by holding Option+Command+P+R after the Apple startup noise comes). That worked, but now I get a screen that asks me to choose one of the 4 options (see:  http://images.macworld.com/images/article/2012/07/lionrecoveryutilities-289404.j pg). I choose Restore From Time Machine Backup, but it progresses to 17.6% and gets stuck there forever. I tried doing it again, and it got stuck at 17.6% again. That is why I am asking if I should just reinstall Lion, then restore a previous backup on the fresh new Lion?

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  • I have a powerbook G4 with macosx10.5.8 (as far as I know the latest possible OS with powerPC). Can I use Time Machine to restore my data on an Intel Macbook?

    I have a powerbook G4 with macosx10.5.8 (as far as I know the latest possible OS with powerPC). Can I use Time Machine to restore my data on an Intel Macbook?

    Well the newer TimeMachine model as stated in current Support pages isn't directly compatible on OS X 10.5 now, as noted in above link provided.
    What OS X does your newer MacBook have running in it? (Not linux?)
    With the current setup you have there may be a way -among other details in the support page- to do the migration of data from Mac, including a subnote on Time Machine, in a section below the main article with triangle by it,  from links here:
    •OS X: How to migrate data from another Mac using Mavericks 10.9:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5872
    •OS X: How to migrate data from another Mac using Mountain Lion 10.8 and Earlier:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4889
    In the support articles there are various troubleshooting and help items about the technology, some data back some time and whatever still stands would be there. Some archives are no longer current and say so.
    Perhaps someoone still using older PPC Macs and Leopard 10.5, will say how to backup into a G4 PowerBook, from a Time Machine.
    Unless the TimeMachine backup from the older PPC G4 PowerBook is used in the migration process of transferring personal account files from there to a new MacBook running (?) OS X. This probably could be done. You may be able to access older libraries, such as iPhoto, iTunes, etc and import them from the archive, to a newer Intel-based MacBook.
    Sorry for any confusion.
    I'll more carefully reply in the future.
    Good luck & happy computing!
    PS: a different direction on archives, time machine, clones, and other devices:
    •About Time Machine - Time Machine vs. Clones and Archives:
    http://pondini.org/TM/Clones.html
    •Apple OS X and Time Machine Tips:
    http://pondini.org/TM/Home.html
    {edited to add link details}

  • I used time machine to restore on a formatted MAC. Now the HDD space has reduced by 100GB but I cannot see any of the files. How do I find and delete those 100GB data from the HDD?

    I used time machine to restore on a formatted MAC. Now the HDD space has reduced by 100GB but I cannot see any of the files. How do I find and delete those 100GB data from the HDD?

    dglenn9000 wrote:
    I created a new user account just to see if it was my user Library or if there was something wrong with my system. And the new user account is doing most of the same things so I will need to do a full restore anyway.
    Not necessarily. I'd suggest downloading and installing the "combo" update. That's a combination (thus the clever name) of all the updates to Leopard since it was first released, so installing it should fix anything that's gone wrong since then, such as with one of the normal "point" updates. Info and download available at: http://support.apple.com/downloads/MacOS_X_10_5_8_ComboUpdate Be sure to do a +Repair Permissions+ via Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utilities folder) afterwards.

  • I am having sporadic issues after new hard drive install and recovery using Time Machine. The same sluggish response, start up screen pixelating...If I reinstall Lion will it wipe out other applications? My HD was formatted and partitioned correctly, I ha

    I am having sporadic issues after new hard drive install and recovery using Time Machine. The same sluggish response, start up screen pixelating...If I reinstall Lion will it wipe out other applications? My HD was formatted and partitioned correctly, I have a late 2009 iMac.

    Use the trackpad to scroll, thats what it was designed for. The scroll bars automatically disappear when not being used and will appear if you scroll up or down using the trackpad.
    This is a user-to-user forum and most people will post on here if they have problems. You very rarely get people posting to say there update went smooth. The fact is the vast majority of Mountain Lion users will not be experiencing any major problems with the OS, or maybe with apps which are not compatible, but thats hardly Apple's fault if developers don't update their apps.

  • HT201250 What do you do if your mac crashes as while you're backing up using time machine?

    What do you do if your mac crashes as while you're backing up using time machine?

    It could be right, how is the drive connected... interface wise?
    Open Console in Applications>Utilities & see if there are any clues or repeating messages when this is going on.

  • I had a system reinstall on my iMac today. I am am using time machine, but  I can,t reinstate my machine with all of,y old settings. Any ideas?

    I had a system reinstall on my iMac today. I am am using time machine, but  I can,t reinstate my machine with all of,y old settings. Any ideas?

    Use Migration Assistant http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4413
    If you previousley backed up from OS X Lion you won't be able to restore to a Snow Leopard partition

  • If my Mac ends up with a virus, can I use Time Machine to go back before the virus?

    I have recently just bought a 2TB external hard drive and have just backed up using Time Machine. I was just wondering, if my Mac was to become infected with a virus, would I be able to use Time Machine to restore my machine to back before it became infected with the virus? (So I didn't have to do a full factory setting resortation)
    Thank you in advance for any assistance with this query.

    My apologies.  As a computer user since the days of Mainframes in 1970's, I tend to be rather precise in how I phrase things (a legacy of the old punch-card days). Also I write medico-legal reports for a living, again a field where precision is rather essential!
    I saometimes forget that just because I read and write the word 'virus' as meaning just that, others (as you say) are prone to use it as a blanket term for malware and other 'irritations'.
    Thanks for your clarifications WZZZ.  Hope winter in the Big Apple is treating you well.

  • When using Time Machine to restore some Mac Mails, after clicking restore, a message shows "restoring 480 mesages.  They are supposed to appear on Mac Mail sidebar in a special folder.  They are not there and I have no idea where they are?  Would apprecia

    I am having a problem with the Time Machine in restoring Mac Mail back to a certain date. Everything works fine, with Mac Mail the active application and entering Time Machine, and I have found the mail file after the location process is done, then I hit Restore and there is a messages "restoring 480 messages", but I cannot locate them anywhere. What is suppose to happen is that a special file should appear in the sidebar of Mac Mail in the section On My Mac.  Any suggestion would be appreciated.
    I use Mountain Lion.

    Although you can restore messages from a Time Machine snapshot within the Mail application, it generally won't work with messages that were saved by an older version of Mail. In that case, you have to use an alternative method.
    Triple-click the line below to select it:
    ~/Library/Mail/V2
    Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
    Services ▹ Reveal
    from the contextual menu. A Finder window should open with a folder selected. Inside that folder are subfolders representing your Mail accounts. The names refer to the email addresses you use. Decide which ones you want to restore messages from.
    Enter Time Machine and scroll back to the snapshot you want. Select the account folders you want and then selectRestore ... to... from the action menu (gear icon) in the toolbar of the snapshot window. Restore the folders to the Desktop, not to their original location.
    From the Mail menu bar, select
    File ▹ Import Mailboxes...
    Import from the mailboxes in the folders you restored to the Desktop. The imported messages will appear in a new mailbox. Move the ones you want to keep wherever you like and delete the rest. Then delete the folders on the Desktop.

  • How do I use time machine to restore to a new mac

    Just bought the new i mac. I'm using Mt Lion on my old mac and Time machine with a back up.  How do i restore to my new mac from time machine?

    Pondini's excellent resource provides some useful reading:
    http://pondini.org/OSX/Setup.html

  • I had my hard drive fail on my Mac Pro. I used Time machine to restore my hard drive. All my adobe aps say that "Licensing for this product has stopped working."

    Is the a simple way to fix the licensing?

    thank you
    I appreciate the feedback.
    I actually found the original disc today and was able to re-install all.
    Thanks agin
    On Fri, Aug 1, 2014 at 6:50 PM, Jeff A Wright <[email protected]>

  • Imac has crashed..need new hard drive....had external drive connected...was using time machine.....so...itunes file should be on external drive....how do i import them to my new mac mini?

    my iMac has crashed...was told I need a new hard drive.....meantime I bought a mac mini.....I had an external drive connected to the mac....and was using time machine for backups....so....how do i move itunes music files to my new mac mini from the external drive?

    Turn Time Machine OFF temporarily in its preference pane. Leave the window open.
    Navigate in the Finder to your backup disk, and then to the folder named "Backups.backupdb" at the top level of the volume. If you back up over a network, you'll first have to mount the disk image file containing your backups by double-clicking it. Descend into the folder until you see the snapshots, which are represented by folders with a name that begins with the date of the snapshot. Find the one you want to restore from. There's a link named "Latest" representing the most recent snapshot. Use that one, if possible. Otherwise, you'll have to remember the date of the snapshot you choose.
    Inside the snapshot folder is a folder hierarchy like the one on the source volume. Find one of the items you can't restore and select it. Open the Info dialog for the selected item. In the Sharing & Permissions section, you may see an entry in the access list that shows "Fetching…" in the Name column. If so, click the lock icon in the lower right corner of the dialog and authenticate. Then delete the "Fetching…" item from the access list. Give yourself read access if you don't already have it. Click the gear icon below the list and select Apply to enclosed items from the popup menu.
    Now you should be able either to copy the item in the Finder or to restore it in the time-travel view. If you use the time-travel view, be sure to select the snapshot you just modified. If successful, repeat the operation with the other items you were unable to restore. You can select multiple items in the Finder and open a single Info dialog for all of them by pressing the key combination option-command-I.
    When you're done, turn TM back ON and close its preference pane.

  • Using Time Machine to transfer Logic and Plugins to a new Mac

    Hey there folks,
    I'm about to invest in a new Mac Pro to upgrade from my Imac 2010 Quad Core Intel I7.  I just have a question regarding using time machine to restore my settings that were on my Imac to the Mac Pro...
    I've heard that time machine backs up everything, but i've also heard that it might not back up things like all my Logic 3rd party plugins (Waves stuff for example).  And i will have to enter in all the serial no's again etc...does anyone know if this is the case?  Will i have to reinstall Logic 9 and all my plugins again?  Or will time machine backup the Applications and plugins so i can use them straight away?
    Many thanks!
    Sam

    Google Pondini's Setup Assistant tips, you will find migrating your settings, data and apps is extremely simple.

  • Data transfer: ext hard drive to new Mac with Mavericks using Time Machine

    Data from old computer is on ext hard drive. I delayed transfer to new Mac. Now using Migration Assistant bit I don't know if it is working or just hung up. It shows 'looking for other sources' for over an hour. Please advise.

    In general, most people will recommend Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! You can find either one easily enough with a web search.
    However, in your case, I imagine you are going to have a hard disk returned to you all by itself, and you will need to install it in an enclosure. Don't let that bother you as this is easy to do and the enclosures are not expensive ($40 or so).
    Once that is done, I would recommend you set up your brand new Mac by answering all the questions during initial setup as usual. Be sure to use your correct Apple ID - probably the same one you used to log into this support forum. When you reach the point in which it asks you if you would like to transfer your old documents and settings, connect the old hard disk and select it as the source. It will take some time as it copies all its contents to your new Mac. All your familiar items will be exactly as they were on the failed Mac.
    After that, you can use the old hard disk as a Time Machine backup. When you are satisfied everything on your new Mac is running as it should, go ahead and erase the old disk. Then, tell Time Machine to designate it as a backup, and the rest is automatic.

  • Migrating to new Mac using Time Machine

    Hi,
    I will be getting a new Mac soon and I want to take all of my apps with me in their current state so I will be using Time Machine to migrate to the new machine.
    I was wondering what are the essential files that I need to transfer over so that all the apps stay in the same state as they were on my current Mac. (Without the need for me to re-enter licence codes and go hunting for libraries etc.)
    The main applications this is a worry for are:
    Photoshop CS4 (and its affiliated apps)
    Aperture 2
    iWork '09
    various other applications that have licence codes attached to them

    it's more to do with the preferences being saved intact on my new Mac, I need to know what essential files to choose off my Time Machine backup when I Sync it with my new Mac. I don't want the whole drive migrated because it is full of rubbish I want to get rid of.
    If you have any idea of what preferences and other library files are essential then that will be a great help.

  • Re-Creating Entire System on New Mac From External Drive Using Time Machine

    Hi all -
    Sorry if this question has been posted, I've look extensively and haven't seen it in this exact form, and I'm paranoid about this stuff. I also can't get a straight answer from Apple store employees.
    I travel extensively with my MacBook, and when I'm home, I use Time Machine to back up all data from my MacBook onto an OWC external hard drive.
    My question is, if my MacBook is ever lost, stolen, or damaged, and its internal hard drive is no longer accessible, and I have to buy a new MacBook, can I use Time Machine to access the backup data on my external drive and transfer it to my new MacBook's internal drive, thus re-creating my entire system on my new MacBook, including all settings, preferences, files, absolutely everything exactly as it was on my old MacBook?
    This is by far the most likely need I'll ever have for this backup data, so if Time Machine doesn't help me to re-create my system exactly as it was on a new laptop, it's not of much use, and I'll switch backup software.
    Related question - I read somewhere that Time Machine keeps making backups on your external hard drive until it runs out of space. Does that mean it literally uses up every bit of space on the external drive? Because overstuffing my old external drive is what killed it, and cost me a huge chunk of change and several weeks to get the recoverable data off the drive. Or does Time Machine know enough to stop backing up when there is only "X" amount of space left on the drive, and if so, at what amount of remaining free space does it stop?
    Thanks for your help!

    If you need to restore everything to a new Mac, you simply have your TM drive connected when you start up the new Mac and during the Welcome routine that runs when you start up a new Mac for the first time you will be presented with the option of migrating your user info, settings, files, applications, etc., from a Time Machine backup. You just click "Yes" and all your backed-up info will be transferred to your new Mac.
    Time Machine continuous "cleans up" backups so you do not need to worry about TM pushing a drive to its capacity limits, or even close to that.

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