HT5097 I recently upgraded my macbook to Mountain lion. Before doing so I used time machine and an external hard drive to back up my entire laptop. When we upgraded my computer came back like new. All pics, music, videos documents etc gone. How do I ge

I recently upgraded my macbook to mountain lion. Before doing so I used time machine to back up my entire laptop with an external hard drive.
When I got my computer back it was clean....all pics, music, documents, bookmarks etc. are gone. How do I get these files off the external hard drive and back onto my laptop with the new upgrade?

Similar Messages

If i back up my mac using Time Machine and an external hard-drive, can that same hard-drive be used on another computer and on a PC?

Hi!
I hav just got a macbook pro and am used to using a HP pc and am a newbie! I have backed up my macbook with my elements external hardrive and was wondering if i can transfer the music i have purchased and is now on my external hard-drive back onto my other laptop purely because i use both laptops for different things and want to use my music on both. how do i do this? and do i need a particular software to do so?
Any tips would be greatly appreciated
thanks
alex xxx

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
You can do it, but it's not recommended to use a Time Machine volume to store other files. In this case, you can create a second volume on the external drive, so you will be able to use it to store data and transfer it to other PCs.
As you are going to use the external drive with other PCs, you can make the volume and format it in "MS-DOS (FAT)" with Disk Utility > http://pondini.org/OSX/DU3.html Finally, you will be able to copy files to the external drive.
If you copy files to a Time Machine disk, you may damage the Time Machine file structure, so you shouldn't do it. It may not happen, but it's better not to try that. Also, you won't be able to read the Time Machine drive in a PC

My system information shows 232gb used as a "back up"on my internal hard drive even though I use time machines and a external hard drive.

Hi
I have had my mac book pro for almost 6 months. Whilst using a 500 gb portable hard drive with time machine, I was surprised to get a message saying there wasn't enough disk space to complete a back up.
I brought another but started to look into why I had used so much space. In system information I had this view. Can anyone help me find where to clear this back up which is taking up so much of my hard drive.
Thank you
Dan

Local Snapshots - About
Local Snapshots on Portable Macs

HT201250 i am using for first time the time machine and an external hard drive because I want to erase my macbook and start from zero files. do i keep my files in the portable hard disk when I connect it again with the macbook or the time machine will era

i am using for first time the time machine and an external hard drive because I want to erase my macbook and start from zero files. Am i keeping my files in the portable hard disk when I will connect it again with the macbook or the time machine will erase all?
I would like to know if after I erase all my data, empy hard drive inside the macbook, the time machine will erase all my files that I have saved in my "WD "My passport" external hard drive

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Time Machine has to erase the external disk in order to make backups. Before setting Time Machine up, copy the files of your external disk to the hard disk of the Mac in order not to lose them, and then, set up Time Machine. The first backup will start automatically.
If you want more information about Time Machine, read the Pondini's site > http://pondini.org

Backing up iPhoto pics without using Time Machine or an external hard drive

I cannot figure out how to back up my photos on my one year old MBP. I haven't gotten around to buying an external hard drive (so many choices and there seems to be problems with every one I look at - advice?), but at this time the only important data on my MBP are my photos (approx 9 GB). I've searched the various forums, looked in The Missing Manual (Mac OS X Leopard), and read the help sections on the computer but cannot seem to find step-by-step directions for backing up to a flash drive or a few DVDs. Thanks for your help.

Welcome to the Apple Discussions. Unless you have an external storage source you can't backup your photos.
You could burn the image file to a DVD disc by selecting about 4GB of files in iPhoto and exporting the photos to a folder on the Desktop and burning that folder to a DVD with the Finder.
Or select about 4GB worth of files in iPhoto and use the Share->Burn menu option. That will give you a DVD disc with a mini iPhoto library on it that contains those 4GB of original files, their modified versions and all metadata associated with them.
Click to view full size
When you want to copy any of the file on the disc back into iPhoto mount the disk in your optical drive and it will show in iPhoto where you can select what you want and drag to the Library icon to copy them back into the library.
CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO
I'm sure you have other documents on your MBP that you need to backup. An external FW hard drive for use as a Time Machine backup drive is essential if you value your photos and other data on the hard drive. Consider for a moment what you would have to do to get back where you are right now if you lost the entire internal HD.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier versions) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. There are versions that are compatible with iPhoto 5, 6, 7 and 8 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. Just put the application in the Dock and click on it whenever you want to backup the dB file. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
NOTE: The new rebuild option in iPhoto 09 (v. 8.0.2), Rebuild the iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup" makes this tip obsolete.

Why does Macbook Pro rename my Time Machine and other external hard drives?

Why does my Macbook Pro rename my Time Machine to "Time Machine I" and then back again periodically. Last night it was one name, this morning it is another. It also does it on other external hard drives - usually by adding a I after the name. It is frustrating for me because I store a large runtime folder on an external hard drive and end up losing a lot of time with my computer not being able to find files because of the renaming.
And even though it still looks like Time Machine under "Get info: - when I open a folder window or Disk Utility it has a new name, and there is no way to change it. I've seen other questions that mention Macs renaming themselves, so it seems like a similar issue. I did try deleting the preferences plist file, but that did not work.
Is this a glitch with this particular model or operating system?
Specs: Macbook Pro A1297 - 2009 model.
Snow Leopard 10.6.8
2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
8GB ram
Many thanks for any advice.

nachdenki wrote:
strange, my external HDs were added to the exception list automatically. maybe because they wouldn't fit on the time machine volume.
It seems to depend on when the drives were connected. When you first turn Time Machine on, it only excludes the TM drive itself, and any drives not formatted HFS+.
If you connect a drive later on, that drive will be excluded automatically.

HT1553 DO I HAVE TO HAVE THE ORIGINAL INSTALLATION DISCS IF MY HARD DRIVE IS REPLACED BUT I MADE A BACK UP WITH TIME MACHINE TO AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ?

I have an imac from late 2009 and received an email saying the seagate hard drive may fail and apple is going to replace it free of charge. I will back up using time machine to an external hard drive but do I absolutely have to have the original installation CD's or is there a way around this to restore the computer once they replace the hard drive??

Yes, you can partition your 2TB drive that way. In fact, I have an external hard drive with 3 partitions: one for a SuperDuper! clone of my Snow Leopard partition, one to clone my Lion partition, and one larger partition for Time Machine (which only backs up the Lion partition).
I would expect the authorized reseller to have a complete set of OS X disks.

When upgrading the operating system mac os x 10.5 to 10.6, should i do a back of my computer or if i do it directly i would loss all my music, videos, documents, etc?

when upgrading the operating system mac os x 10.5 to 10.6, should i do a back of my computer or if i do it directly i would loss all my music, videos, documents, etc?

Hi ocio,
First of all, you should always do a backup of your computer before doing an upgrade - always.
Things can go wrong, and if they do, you will be out of luck without a backup.
Upgrading should not affect your music, videos, documents, files in general. But don't take any chances in case things go awry....back it all up first!
Cheers,
GB

Can the MacBook Air be backed up using Clone softward and an external hard drive?

I want to find the best way for a new college student to back up her MacBook Air files. Can she use cloning software and an external hard drive? I'm unclear if the Air supports attaching an external hard drive.

The computer should be cloned using Disk Utility, so no additional software is required. However, it's preferable to incrementally update the clone using backup software. I would recommend using one of the following. They each have different capabilities and features. Each can be used for a free trial period. My personal preference is Carbon Copy Cloner. All of them can make and maintain bootable clones.
Suggested Backup Software
1. Carbon Copy Cloner
2. Get Backup
3. Deja Vu
4. SuperDuper!
5. Synk Pro
6. Tri-Backup
Others may be found at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.
Clone Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion using Restore Option of Disk Utility
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
     1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu then press the Continue
         button.
     2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
     3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
     4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it
         to the Destination entry field.
     5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to
         the Source entry field.
     6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.
An excellent source of external drives is OWC.

I use Time Machine with an external hard disc which has worked perfectly for some years. Recently Time Machine has aborted backups if the screen saver starts when back-up is in progress. I use a Maxtor OneTouch4 back-up system. Any ideas?

I use Time Machine with an external hard disc which has worked perfectly for some years. Recently Time Machine has aborted backups if the screen saver starts when back-up is in progress. I use a Maxtor OneTouch4 back-up system. Any ideas?
Has Apple recently up-dated my OS (Lion) such that every time the screen saver starts it disables Time Machine. I have to switch-off the computer and re-start in order to undertake a back-up. I have now switched of all screen savers.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of this exercise is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Be sure your Mac is shut down.
Press the power button.
Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone, but not before the tone.
Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple icon and the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear).
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem(s)?
After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)

Does the new airport extreme support backing up via time machine to an external hard drive pluged into the usb port

Does the new airport extreme support backing up via time machine to an external hard drive pluged into the usb port

Yes, but you might want to note that the port on the AirPort Extreme is only USB 2.0, and that it runs at about half the speed of the USB 2.0 port on a computer, so things are going to be quite SLOW as far as backups are concerned, or anything else for that matter.

Backing up Mac HD with Time Capsule AND an external hard drive

I am sure that this question has been asked one way or another but I can't seem to find the exact answer.
I would like to back up my Mac HD with the Time Capsule AND another hard drive essentially to create two backups. Should one fail, I still have another copy as a precaution. The Time Capsule will be my primary back up because my external hard drive is usually switched off and will only be turned on from time to time to perform "less frequent" backups.
With Time Capsule AND the external hard drive on, will Time Machine just update the backup on the external hard drive without becoming confused with the other copy on Time Capsule? In other words, can Time Machine distinguish between two different Time Machine Backup files and bring them up to date accordingly?
I understand there is an archive function on the Time Capsule, which would also serve the purpose. However, I am wondering if there is another way.
Thanks.

Rheopaipo wrote:
I am sure that this question has been asked one way or another but I can't seem to find the exact answer.
I would like to back up my Mac HD with the Time Capsule AND another hard drive essentially to create two backups. Should one fail, I still have another copy as a precaution. The Time Capsule will be my primary back up because my external hard drive is usually switched off and will only be turned on from time to time to perform "less frequent" backups.
With Time Capsule AND the external hard drive on, will Time Machine just update the backup on the external hard drive without becoming confused with the other copy on Time Capsule? In other words, can Time Machine distinguish between two different Time Machine Backup files and bring them up to date accordingly?
I understand there is an archive function on the Time Capsule, which would also serve the purpose. However, I am wondering if there is another way.
I don't think it's possible to configure Time Machine to back up to two locations without modifying its settings frequently.
You might consider using that external drive to hold a bootable backup. You can create such a thing with either of the utilities SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner. If you pay the registration fee for SuperDuper! (~US$28), there's a mode where it will back up only what has changed, which makes the backup operation run quicker. (Carbon Copy Cloner may offer a similar feature.)

HT201514 I upgraded to OS Mountain Lion. I checked on mt Time machine and found that I had to go to Time Machine, select Disk, and found the only options were to either "Cancel" or "Remove Disk". It appears my Time Machine is no longer working since the u

I upgraded to Mountain Lion and now I'm having trouble with Time Machine. It appears that since the upgrade Time Machine is not recognizing the external hard drive. When I go to Time Machine and select Disk for the current HD I am left with one of two options: "cancel" or "remove Disk." I am worried that I will loss my backups.

Is this a usb drive?
It will probably never recognise that drive ever again.. Mountain Lion has this little bug where it cannot recognise some USB drives.. I don't understand it.. but it just happened to me and a quick google shows it is not uncommon.
Your backups are not lost.. they are just not accessible.. you need to plug the drive into a computer with a better.. older OS. Find a new USB drive that Mountain Lion can actually read.. and even write to.. and copy the files across.

Time Machine - including a external hard drive in time machine back up.

I have recently updated to a 2014 15 inch Macbook Pro running OS X Yosemite. Previously on my 2006 Macbook I have used a 750GB hard drive with iMovie to store old files and subsequently back up this drive and my Macbook to a separate 3 TB external hard drive at the same time using time machine. Since using OS X Yosemite I can't seem to find a way to do it, as in back up the computer drive and a external drive to time machine. Has this feature been removed??? Any ideas. Thanks in advance.

Feature is still there (but buggy if you dismount drive, run Time Machine, mount drive, run Time Machine)
Have you checked that the drive has not been excluded as part of the migration from old machine to new?
Open System preferences
Select Time Machine
Select Options
If the drive is in the list 'Exclude these items from backups'; then select the drive, select minus and select save
Now; if that is the case the initial calculation for that drive next occasion Time Machine runs will be ALL the in-scope contents of the disk whether already backed up or not; so if there is less than this on your TM drive it will start deleting backups.

My 5 year old iMac's hard drive is at the point of failing. I'm trying to save al files on it, but it wont allow backup via Time Machine to an external hard drive. How can I keep from losing all the files and programs if the hard drive fails?

I'm concerned that my iMac, purchased 5 years ago, is about the crash and I can't back up my files and programs to an external hard drive via Time Machine because the computer freezes after only a couple hundred MB and gets nowhere near the required amount.
How can I save these files and programs if the computer hard drive fails or has to be replaced without the backup being able to be done? I need to do something quickly, but I'm not sure what I can or should be doing.

Get an external hard drive, some good ones that I like are the OWC, http://www.macsales.com Mercury Elite Pro drives...they are very good and reasonably priced.
Get the drive, connect via USB or FireWire, then use Disk Utility to format the new drive as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled), and then use Disk Utility to Restore the current drive to the new drive. Restore actually clones the drive so you will have a bootable backup on the external drive.
After you have formatted and named the external drive, click Restore in the main Disk Utility window, drag the name of the old hard drive to the Source box, and drag the name of the new external drive to the Destination box. DU will make an exact clone of the internal drive on the external drive.
That clone will be a complete backup of the operating system and all of your data.
You can test it by restarting the iMac and hold the Option key. That will give you a grey screen showing all bootable drives. Just click the external drive, then click the upward pointing arrow under it and the iMac will boot from that drive.

HT5097 I recently upgraded my macbook to Mountain lion. Before doing so I used time machine and an external hard drive to back up my entire laptop. When we upgraded my computer came back like new. All pics, music, videos documents etc gone. How do I ge

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for