I used my not empty hard drive for the time machine, so now i only have stuff from time machine, everything else is gone!!! please help, does this mean everything else is completely gone?

Did mac format everything that was there? if not, why cant i see it when i opebn the drive, and if it did format it is there a way to bring it back? my whole life is on that harddrive!!!!

If you clicked through a warning that Time Machine was going to erase the drive, then yes, everything that was there before is gone. Restore from one of your backups.

Similar Messages

  • Can't use my external hard drive for the time machine

    I have a mac mini and i'm having a time trying to back data using the time machine to my external hard drive

    you need to format the external drive. To do that (if haven't got anything important on that external hard drive at the moment) select finder > Go menue > then utilities > open disk utility > then select you external hard drive and partition it to the size you want and format it the Mac os extened journaled.
    Once you have done the above, re open time machine from system preferences and brows the disk. Time Machine will then re format it to its own format and start backing up.....

  • I have just upgraded from a Macbook to a Macbook Air. I have been using a iomega external hard drive for Time Machine, which use a Firewire. However, Macbook Air's do not have a Firewire port and i cannot find an adaptor anywhere. Can anyone help?? Thanks

    I have just upgraded from a Macbook to a Macbook Air. I have been using a iomega external hard drive for Time Machine, which use a Firewire. However, Macbook Air's do not have a Firewire port and i cannot find an adaptor anywhere. Can anyone help?? Thanks

    There has never been a reliable firewire ---> USB adapter suitable for external high speed storage.  This was a major issue when the MacBooks lost the firewire port a number of years ago (Apple subsequently brought it back).
    The only high speed port on the Air is the ThunderBolt port.  There are external ThunderBolt drive options out there, but they're somewhat more expensive than traditional USB/FireWire options.

  • OS is Mountain Lion, upgraded no problems, used an external Hard drive for my time machine, now my iPhoto will not show any of my photo's or ay new ones I import! Help please!!

    OS is Mountain Lion, upgraded no problems, used an external Hard drive for my time machine, now my iPhoto will not show any of my photo's or ay new ones I import! Help please!!

    Do you get this window when you hold down the Command+Option keys and launch iPhoto?
    If not then you're not holding down both keys long enough.
    OT

  • Trying to use a new, larger external hard drive for my Time Machine backup.  However, every time I start the backup, it gets started then fails.  And, I can't delete the few files that did save on the external.  Sort of a catch 22.  Any ideas?

    Trying to use a new, larger external hard drive for my Time Machine backup.  However, every time I start the backup, it gets started then fails.  And, I can't delete the few files that did save on the external.  Sort of a catch 22.  Any ideas?

    Is it a USB hard drive?  USB hard drives have the problem of not giving full speed if they are hooked up on the same bus as keyboards and mice.  Double check your profiler to make sure that is not a problem.  If it is Firewire, make sure there aren't other firewire devices in use at the same time.  I recommend not only keeping a Time Machine backup, but also a clone, and if you do use Time Machine, to make sure the Time Machine drive or partition is at least twice the size of the original drive.

  • I want to use my 1TB Seagate Hard drive for time machine and transferring files from Mac to PC.

    For about a year I've been using my 1TB external hard drive for only time machine. To be honest, it wasn't until today that I tried to connect my hard drive to a PC and realize it isn't compatible. I read about partitioning the hard drive so that it can work both for time machine and transferring files between pc and mac. I'm not what you would call tech savvy, so I was wondering if I can get some advice on how to do this.
    Thanks in advance.

    To do it, you have to partition the hard disk, so you will have one partition for Time Machine and another one to store files and use them in a PC and Mac. To create the partition, follow these steps > http://pondini.org/OSX/DU3.html
    In order to read and write in the external disk on the PC, you have to select "MS-DOS (FAT)" as "Format". If you choose any other option, the PC won't be able to read your external disk. Apart from that, note that you can't use files bigger than 4 GB with FAT. If you want to use the external disk with files bigger than 4 GB, you have to format your new partition in exFAT, and you have to do it on a PC

  • I am using a WD external hard drive for backing up my laptop with Time Machine, but I have to do it manually. How do I know when it has finished the back up? How long should it take?

    I am using an external WD hard drive for backing up my laptop. I have to do it manually, so I can't set Time Machine to just do it for me. How do I know when it is done backing up? How long should this take?

    Triple-click anywhere in the line below to select it:
    tmutil compare -E
    Copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C).
    Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:
    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
    ☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
    ☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.
    Paste into the Terminal window (command-V).
    The command will take at least a few minutes to run. Eventually some lines of output will appear below what you entered.
    Each line that begins with a plus sign (“+”) represents a file that has been added to the source volume since the last snapshot was taken. These files have not been backed up yet.
    Each line that begins with an exclamation point (“!”) represents a file that has changed on the source volume. These files have been backed up, but not in their present state.
    Each line that begins with a minus sign (“-“) represents a file that has been removed from the source volume.
    At the end of the output, you’ll get some lines like the following:
    Added:
    Removed:
    Changed:
    These lines show the total amount of data added, removed, or changed on the source(s) since the last snapshot.

  • I am semi-retiring my old mac mini and want to use it as a hard drive for my macbook pro.  Does anyone know how to do this?

    I am semi-retiring my old mac mini and want to use it as a hard drive for my macbook pro.  Does anyone know how to do this?

    1. Remove the drives, install them in external enclosures.
    2. Use a Firewire cable to connect to your computer. Boot the mini into Target Disk Mode - Transferring files between two computers using FireWire

  • Could I use a USB hub to connection both a printer and an external hard drive to the time capsule?

    I am planning on purchasing a new router.  The Time Capsule looks amazing.  However, I have Macs and PC's in my how.  So, I need to know if I can connect a printer (for all computers) and external hard drive (for the PC's) by way of a USB hub on the Time Capsule.  I've read that you can do this with the Air-Extreme.

    Couple of comments:
    You will need to use a powered USB hub to connect multiple devices to the USB port on the Time Capsule
    The hard drive for use with the PCs will not be compatible for use with the Time Capsule if it is currently formatted for Windows NTFS, which it likely may be if you have been using with the PCs.
    Same info applies to the AirPort Extreme.
    The following hard drive formats would be supported:
    Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    MS DOS FAT32

  • How can my daughter use the hard drive in the Time Capsule ...

    So, I am in Oklahoma and my daughter is in Tennessee...
    She has a Time Capsule where the Wi-fi base station quit working, but the hard drive may be OK.
    She bought an Airport Express to use as a wi-fi router.
    The question, then, is:
    How can my daughter use the hard drive in the Time Capsule to do Time Machine backups?
    Thank you very much for your insights.
    Roberto

    It can be done but is very messy. That is assuming the TC is still functional which I kind of doubt.. the wifi is seldom the only thing that will die .. so whatever problems it has the wifi would be the least of it.
    Anyway.. do a factory reset to get started.
    The Factory Reset Gen1-4.
    Unplug your TC. Hold in reset. and power the TC back on.. without releasing reset for about 10sec. When the status light flashes rapidly; release it.
    Be Gentle! Feel the switch click on. It has a positive feel..  add no more pressure after that.
    TC will reboot after a couple of minutes with default factory settings and will wipe out previous configurations.
    No files are deleted on the hard disk.. No reset of the TC deletes files.. to do that you use erase from the airport utility.
    If the LED is not lit then the TC is dead, not just the wireless.
    The setup for using the TC is explained in the bottom of this thread.
    TC in a second local network.
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4817218?tstart=30
    The idea is to set the TC to provide router function.. and the computer plugged in by ethernet to as a second network.. but there are rules on how this is done which I have explained in that thread.
    I notice that Mountain Lion deals better with order of network priority than Snow Leopard used to .. so it might not need to have manually set gateway and dns.. although I would still recommend it. It simply stops the second network causing issues.
    It is much easier to simply purchase an external drive and plug that in.
    It is cheaper, faster and more reliable than using the TC for TM anyway.
    Plus a lot of the later machines no longer have ethernet ports.. and using dongles is far from neat.. although thunderbolt to ethernet is IMHO necessary accessory for anyone without ethernet.

  • I have a 250GB western digital external hard drive for my time machine backups. if i just want to backup and recover my photos and movies how do i do that with time machine?

    I have a 250GB western digital external hard drive for my time machine backups. I did not download the software that came with the external HD. If I only want to backup my photos and movies from my Macbook how do I do that in Tme Machine with my external HD?

    Format the HDD in Disk Utility>Erase to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and the open System Preferences>Time Machine and set up the external disk as the Time Machine HDD.  Then look at the Options, and exclude what you do not want backed up.
    Ciao.

  • I am running my first backup on Time Machine using a Seagate external hard drive with a thunderbolt adapter and cable.  I have a MacBook Pro 2011. It is backing up 11GB, and is telling me it will take approx two days. Is this normal?

    I am running my first backup on Time Machine using a Seagate external hard drive with a thunderbolt adapter and cable.  I have a MacBook Pro 2011. It is backing up 11GB, and is telling me it will take approx two days. Is this normal?

    Download the supplemental fix to 10.7.5 
    http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1599

  • HT201250 Hi, I hope this question won't seem too basic but if I want to use a new larger external drive for my time machine backups, will it do a new full backup the first time I plug it in and if so, do I really need all the old backups on my smaller ext

    Hi, I hope this question won't seem too basic but if I want to use a new larger external drive for my time machine backups, will it do a new full backup the first time I plug it in and if so, do I really need all the old backups on my smaller external drive?

    50maz wrote:
    Hi, I hope this question won't seem too basic but if I want to use a new larger external drive for my time machine backups, will it do a new full backup the first time I plug it in
    Yes, it will do a full backup.
    and if so, do I really need all the old backups on my smaller external drive?
    Only if you want to be able to go back in time to those previous Time Machine backups.  When you plug in the new larger external drive, you will only be able to go back as far as the first day you plugged it in and ran the first Time Machine backup on it.

  • What is the best external hard drive for the MAC Book Pro with Retina?

    What is the best external hard drive for the MAC Book Pro with Retina?
    I was looking at WD MY PASSPORT FOR MAC and Toshiba. I want something that will work best with time capsule! Suggestions on the best external hard drive would be greatly appreciated!!!

    A Time Machine backup drive should be substantially larger than the system drive.  If you have a 128 or 256 GB SSD then a 1 TB drive will suffice.  If you have a 512 GB SSD then a 2 TB drive will suffice.  As leroydouglas indicated any brand other than WD will do.
    For 1 TB drives PlotinusVeritas gives some great suggestions here:
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5602141?tstart=0
    A 2 TB drive sold by Apple:
    http://store.apple.com/us/product/H9378ZM/A/lacie-2tb-usb-30-porsche-design-p923 3-desktop-hard-drive
    $130
    A 2 TB drive just as good for only $92.
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toshiba-Canvio-Basics-3-0-USB-2-TB-Portable-Hard-Drive-M odel-HDTB220XK3CA-/231162655273

  • What's he best portable hard drive for the Mac Pro?

    What's the best portable hard drive for the MacBook Pro?

    There is no best.
    Look at OWC for some options.  http://www.macsales.com/
    I am biased against the ubiquitous  low price Western Digital.
    I had good luck with DiskGo Edge in the past.

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