No access to old mac's backup with new mac

Question

Hi forum,
I bought a new aluminium MacBook to replace my "old" black MacBook, and migrated all data and settings with the assistant via Ethernet-cable. Worked fine.
Now, I want to continue using the over 1 year of TM-backups created with the old mac, because there are some files that are archived in these backups.
To achieve that, I found some terminal-voodoo on the internet to update the MAC-numbers within the old backup-files and tried those. Now, TM continues to backup into the same folder on my TM-hdd.
BUT whenever I try to access a folder backed up with my old MacBook, I get an error-message saying that the folder cannot be opened, because I do not have the rights to do this. That's all, no way to enter any password or so.
What can I do?
Thanks in advance,
Michi

Answer 1

.mhuber wrote:
Now, I want to continue using the over 1 year of TM-backups created with the old mac, because there are some files that are archived in these backups.
To achieve that, I found some terminal-voodoo on the internet to update the MAC-numbers within the old backup-files and tried those. Now, TM continues to backup into the same folder on my TM-hdd.
That may have been a major error. That's for the same computer with either a new hard drive or new logic board, not a different computer. You've "fooled" TM into mixing backups from two different computers, and it likely has made the old ones un-usable.
BUT whenever I try to access a folder backed up with my old MacBook, I get an error-message saying that the folder cannot be opened, because I do not have the rights to do this.
Are you doing this via the Finder, or the TM interface?
If at all possible, use the TM interface, either via +Enter Time Machine+ or +Browse Other Time Machine Disks.+
If not, you might be able to copy some data via the Finder, but it's going to be tedious with all sorts of problems. First, as you see, you don't have permission to read the files. Second, you won't get the "metadata" -- permissions, creation date, open-with info, etc. Third, if you do manage to copy them, their permissions probably won't be what you want.
As a last resort, try this:
Navigate, via the Finder, on your TM disk, to the backup you want, then to the folder you want. Select it, then select Get Info.
At the bottom of that panel, click the padlock, then enter your Administrator's password.
Then click the plus sign at the bottom of the panel; that should give you a place to select your ID.
Clicking on that should give you "Read only" rights.
Clicking on the "gear" icon should let you apply those rights to the enclosed items.
Also, for future reference, do NOT depend on TM to keep "archive" copies of things you've deleted from your internal HD. TM will, eventually, delete them; you cannot prevent it. If you want to keep them, make other copies somewhere else.