Cannot retrieve old backups from time machine

Two weeks ago I brought my iMac to the apple store for the hard drive replacement program.
I backed up everything before bringing it in and deleted most of my data.
When it came back, it looked exactly the same as how I brought in. (Most things were deleted.)
I tried to restore one folder to test out the function, and then I was off to work when I saw the files transferring.
After I finished work, the files finished transferring but when I go back into time machine, all my recent backups were from today and my previous backups were all gone.
Is there any ways to retrieve my old backups?
Some of my important files were only stored in this external hard drive...
Thank you...

Wimek,
According to this KB article (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1760)
"When upgrading from one Leopard-based Mac to a new Leopard-based Mac, and you wish to use Time Machine backups from the previous Mac, make sure the computer name of the new Mac (in Sharing preferences) is the same as your previous Mac's computer name was when its Time Machine backups were made. Afterwards, if the previous Mac is still on your network, give it a different computer name."

Similar Messages

Help: cannot retrieve old files from Time Machine backup on new computer!

I backed up my old Macbook Pro for several months. I've got a new Macbook Pro and I succeeded to restore the last content of the old one using the migration assistant.
However, now I need some older files that I know are in the backup, but I can't restore them because you apparently can only do that with the computer from which you made the backups... a Time Machine backup is 'tied' to the sparsebundle using the MAC-address of the computer...
I don't have my old computer anymore, does this really mean that all the old file in the backup are lost for me? Or is there an other way?
Please help.
Wim

Wimek,
According to this KB article (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1760)
"When upgrading from one Leopard-based Mac to a new Leopard-based Mac, and you wish to use Time Machine backups from the previous Mac, make sure the computer name of the new Mac (in Sharing preferences) is the same as your previous Mac's computer name was when its Time Machine backups were made. Afterwards, if the previous Mac is still on your network, give it a different computer name."

HT203177 how do i clear old backups from time machine to make more space

My 2TB Time Machine is nearly full. I am trying to back up a drive in a Mac Min that is starting to fail and wanted to do so on Time Machine. Unfortunately since my Time Machine is nearly full it will not back up drive without eliminating nearly all of the files on this Mini. I am okay overwriting the other backups already on the Time Machine but do not know how to force Time Machine to do so. Please any clues on how to make Time Machine overwrite other backups would be greatly appreciated.

About TM "Backup Drive is Full" Alert
TM only deletes older files if they have been deleted from the source and when TM needs space on the backup drive for a new incremental backup. Time Machine "thins" it's backups; hourly backups over 24 hours old, except the first of the day; those "daily" backups over 30 days old, except the first of the week. The weeklies are kept as long as there's room.
So, how long a backup file remains depends on how long it was on your Mac before being deleted, assuming you do at least one backup per day. If it was there for at least 24 hours, it will be kept for at least a month. If it was there for at least a week, it will be kept as long as there's room.
Note, that on a Time Capsule the sparsebundle grows in size as needed, but doesn't shrink. Thus, from the user's view of the TC it appears that no space has been freed, although there may be space in the sparsebundle.
Once TM has found it cannot free up enough space for a new backup it reports the disk is full. You can either erase the backup drive and start your backups anew or replace the drive with a larger drive.
As you can see Time Machine does prune old backups to make space, but eventually it may no longer succeed. Then you will get the alert. You can delete old backups if you wish, but only using the Time Machine application.

Deleting old backups from Time Machine/Time Capsule

I've spent a long time deleting copies of old back ups from Time Machine today. In view of this am I right in assumming this should in turn reduce the size of sparsebundle on TC? If not, please can someone tell me how I can reduce the size of sparsebundle on my 2TB TC; my MacBook has 150GB HD and my sparsebundle is 500GB in size. I want to address the amount of backups I keep as I do not wish to have a TC clogged up with multiple monthly backups of data each month, which in my opinion is pretty redundant.

A sparsebundle file behaves differently than a normal file or folder. As you add data to the sparsebundle file, it expands as long as there is room on the drive. But, if you delete data from the sparsebundle, the size of the file remains the same, even though the data has been deleted.
You will be able to add more data to the sparsebundle, and it will continue to expand as long as there is room on the drive.
If you want to "compact" the sparsebundle file to have it indicate the exact amount of data in the file, there is a Terminal command that you can use for this purpose.
See the pink box in this link for excellent information provided by Time Capsule -- Time Machine guru Pondini:
http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/12.html

How can I restore an old backup from Time Machine to my iPhone 5?

I have the iPhone 5 that I had previously transferred my apps and other data to from my iPhone 4. Due to poor battery life, I had to restore the iPhone 5 as a new phone. This helped battery life but now I habve lost my text messages, App data and photos. I use Time Machine on my Mac so whayt do I need to do to get the data back on my phone. I'd like to do this without restoring the phone but rather syncing it with data recovered from Time Machine. I don't want to screw up the battery life again.

Hi ...
I've found a solution to my problem.
Time Machine locates extenal HDD backups differently depending if they were done via a network or via a USB/FireWire/Thunderbolt connection.
My initial backup was done via a direct Thunderbolt connection. I ran into the above issue b/c the second time when I tried looking for the backup file the HDD was conencted to my iMac and I was accessing it via a network conenction.
I simply connected the drive directly to my MacBook pro and ... voila. I was able to see the backup, select the iPhoto library and begin the restore.
Hope this helps.
BTW - I found this out by reading the 'blue box' selection on this page: http://pondini.org/TM/E2.html
(Thanks goes to Pondini!)

Retrieved old app from Time Machine, but iTunes won't see it

I'm running 10.6.1. iTunes 9, iPhone 3.1. I'm trying to revert to an older version of an app. I retrieved the older app from Time Machine and I can see it in Finder in my iTunes/Mobile Applications folder. iTunes doesn't see it though. Is there a way to make iTunes see it?

I just discovered that I have to import the reverted app's file into my iTunes Library (File -> Add To Library). Nevermind.

Why can't I delete old backups from Time Machine?

I can actually delete them, but cannot empty them from the Trash Can.
Any ideas?

You should avoid deleting backups yourself, but you are determined to do it anyway read the following, courtesy of Apple Support Communities contributor Pondini:
12. Should I delete old backups? If so, How?
Your question is likely addressed in the third paragraph from the end.

OS 10.5.8 Leopard. Recovering old data from Time Machine after HD replacement.

Okay, I have and iMac dual core Model A1224, EMC 2210, 20" screen, 2.66GHz processor, 2GB RAM, came, when I bought it, with a 500 GB drive circa late 2008. The drive started to fail about 2 weeks ago, random shut downs, wouldn't boot up, couldn't find the OS. Could sometime recover booting up from the original OS disk in the C drive, but eventually even that failed. Had run disk first aid and TechTool Pro6 to no avail, they all passed the drive so it was a mechanical failure,not bad sectors.
REPLACED the drive with a brand new Seagate Barracuda 1TB drive, figured I was all set, Time Machine had backed up the old drive every day since 2009 to an external 1TB drive. I could even see the data there. Now new drive is installed and I need to load the OS to it and retrieve my data from Time Machine. Put in the old disk, Leopard 10.5.1, and walked along and asked it to bring in the data from Time Machine.... except, the data is saved on Time Machine in a new version of Leopard, ver. 10.5.8 and so the 10.5.1 version can't import it, but of course Migration Assistant will allow you to import it later.
So, I continue to load the OS via the disk, then go to software update after creating a new computer name, which I didn't want to do. Updated the software so I am now running OS 10.5.8, open Migration Assistant and attempt to migrate / recover the old data from Time Machine. I can get some stuff, but it insists on my resetting everything up all over again, all new accounts in Quicken and Thunderbird and Microsoft Office, no recovery of data already there and I can't access the accounts that were set up by others, it indicates I don't have sufficient privileges though I was an Administrator on the old computer and on the current system as well.
Frankly, I need that old data, so how do I get it? Do I bite the bullet and upgrade the system to Snow Leopard OS10.6.XX, will that allow me access to old data under OS 10.5.8? Will it be backwards compatible? How about moving up to Lion? Would that be a better way to go and will I be able to recover that old data then?
VERY frustrated here! Thanks for help or direction you all can provide.

HI,
Have you looked through Pondini's extensive TM help site?
http://Pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
Can't imagine what he hasn't covered!

How to delet old backups in time machine

How to delete old backups in time machine.
I have no space left for new backups

See Here > Should I delete old backups? If so, How?
From Here > http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html

Delete old Backups from Time Capsule

Deleting old Backups from Time capsule ist very slow.
How could it be faster?
Where can i change the preferences?
Which Programm changes Preferences?
If its possible answers in German;-)
Thanks

Deleting old Backups from Time capsule ist very slow.
Deleting Time Machine backups can be slow. Löschen von Time Machine-Backups können nur langsam voran.
How could it be faster?
Unfortunately, there isn't any settings that you can make to speed them up. Leider gibt es keine Einstellungen, die Sie vornehmen können, um sie zu beschleunigen.

How do I delete old emails from time machine?

How do you delete all old email backups from time machine?

Could we please get one more clue?
What email application are you asking about?

I recently deleted imovie 9 .and i don't have a cd and i have not made backup from time machine ..i want it back.plz help me..

i recently deleted imovie 9 .and i don't have a cd and i have not made backup from time machine ..i want it back.plz help me..

It depends how you installed it.
If you installed from your iLife 11 DVD, then you can insert the DVD and install it again.
If you purchased it from the Mac App Store, you can open the Mac App Store, go to the Purchases tab, and reinstall from there.

I am unable to empty my trash w/o getting an 8003 error.Some of what is in the trash is BackUp from Time Machine. I have tried to Secure Empty and also Unlocking folders yet the error continues. There is over 300gb that I need to trash. MacPro 10.6.8

I am unable to empty my trash w/o getting an 8003 error.Some of what is in the trash is BackUp from Time Machine. I have tried to Secure Empty and also Unlocking folders yet the error continues. There is over 300gb that I need to trash. MacPro 10.6.8

See #E6 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

After restore backup from time machine, all thumbnails in photos are blank. How to fix ?

After restore backup from time machine, all thumbnails in photos are blank. How to fix ?
I'm using Yosemite 10.10.3 and Photos. i have tried repair database, but no success .

Try these for the first attempt:
First be sure to have a backup copy of the library if you already don't have one.
OT

If you remove a backup from Time Machine, can you add it later?

if you remove a backup from Time Machine, can you add it back later? I have two backup sets active, but only one is connecting to a drive at the moment. It seems to be pausing TM for the inactive one, which is as I would expect, except that the menu icon for TM shows an exclamation point (= "waiting to backup"). I'd rather have that error / pause sign show if the ACTIVE connected drive is experiencing issues. It has zero diagnostic function as currently set up.
The solution would be to remove the backup drive from the TM list and then add it back later. I am just unsure if I can do this (will TM recognize the alternate backup set again if I re-add it?)
tx

Yes, you can re-add it.

Cannot retrieve old backups from time machine

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for