No destination disk to install time machine back up on to

My hard drive recently died, so I've bought a new one.
I'm trying to install my time machine backup from my external hard drive on to my MacBook Pro.
Everything works fine, except when I get to the "Select a Destination" stage, there is no disk to choose from!
Help??

Perhaps, if your computer is new enough to be able to use OS X Internet Recovery. Boot OS X Internet Recovery by holding ⌘, option, and r (three fingers) while you start your Mac.
At the Mac OS X Utilities screen, select Disk Utility.
If you do not see the Mac OS X Utilities screen, your Mac is too old to have used OS X Internet Recovery and you will need its original System Install disc. Obtain a replacement directly from Apple.

Similar Messages

Brand new Mac, had to erase drive through disk utility as time machine back up failed. Now disk utility only has the option to install Mountain Lion which my Mac won't allow. Anyone any ideas as my Mac won't load anything up but disc utility!

Brand new Mac, had to erase drive through disk utility as time machine back up failed on initial setup, USB cable popped out Now can only access disk utility as won't load to log in screen. The only has the option in disc utility is to re-install Mountain Lion which my Mac won't allow or loading another time machine back up but after an hour of it processing, that didn't resolve the issue either! The time machine back up is the latest back up of my Mac Book Pro which was using OS X Maverix. I'm guessing I'm going to have to take my Mac to the store but that would be a hassle so does anyone have any ideas?

Follow this guide using another Mac.
Insert your newly created Mavericks USB into you Mac, press the power button and then hold down 'option,' until it gives you an option to boot from the USB. You will then be able to erase the internal disk with Disk Utility and reinstall Mavericks straight after.
After that you should be able to use Migration Assistant to restore your applications and user data.

What should i do i cant install time machine back up .I need urgent help please :(

Hey guys ! please help me tomorrow is my exam and I don't have my laptop for study . A while ago I needed windows on my mac and while installing it via boot-camp I somehow managed to wipe whole mac partition even recovery so I was left with only windows on my mac.
My Condition :- No recovery PS. I have external recovery on my USB. I saved those files from internet recovery was tired of downloading 1GB every time to get into recovery. )
No mac OS
no recovery partition .
so now the problem is I always thought that I do have a time machine backup on my hard disk so ill just install it simple .
I tried internet recovery ... then got into recovery ... tried to install my time machine backup and it said .. [ ERROR CREATING RECOVERY PARTITION ]
I had the time machine backup of OSX mavericks .
when I tried the reinstall OSX option it said it will download mountain lion . I was like fine download it whatever .. i tried the download but every time I try it get stuck at a point with some error . (maybe cause of my slow internet )
I have reinstalled the windows 8.1 but I cant use X-CODE on it .
what should I do
I want my OSX backup
my friend have a ISO of Mavericks and mountain lion both will they help ?

Recovery Partition Creator 3.8
Recovery Partition – Recreate Without Reinstalling
Recovery Partition – Recreate Without Reinstalling (Requires Installer)
When you go to Internet Recovery use Disk Utility to repair the drive and repair permissions. Then erase the partition, formatting it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Click the option button and select GUID. Then try to install the OS.

Following installation of OSX 10.8, the program cannot recognize the disk containing my Time Machine back-up

I made a Time Machine backup of my hard disk. before erasing the latter and installing Mac OS X 10.8. But now, the program is unable to recognize the disk containing my backup, and therefore I cannot use the Migration Assistant to recover my data. Is there a solution to this problem?
However, Migration Assistant was able to recognize my backup disk, before it was unlocked, but not after...
Thanks

nothing here helped me. there is obviously a bug in 10.8.2. Due to other issues, I wanted to install a clean copy (not upgraded) of 10.8.2.
On a MBP running 10.8.2, I made a full Time Machine backup.
I erased the internal HD on the laptop.
I installed 10.8.2 from the App Store installer
When the installer rebooted, the install process continues, BUT
During installation, when asked to select a disc for restore, the installer spins but never sees the time machine backup.
I can see this disc and drag files from it when plugged into another computer (or when booting the MBP from an external HD) but the OS X installer process never recognizes my Time Machine hard drive and never progresses past the select disk for restore process (the disk NEVER appears).
The disc (FW) works fine plugged into other computers and worked fine before reinstalling 10.8.2. on a fully formatted hard drive.
Time Machine is WORTHLESS.
This advice from Apple is useless: "Open Time Machine preferences and reselect your backup disk. If you erased your backup disk and began having trouble, reselecting it may fix the problem." - how do you do this when you're restoring data to an erased HD?!?!?!

HT1338 Attempt to install Mountain Lion has highlighted need for internal disk repair. Even after "repair" ML still says disk is damaged. Attempt to restore from Time Machine back-up failed - cannot 'see' internal HD to restore to. Help!

Attempt to install Mountain Lion has highlighted need for internal disk repair. Even after "repair" ML still says disk is damaged. Attempt to restore from Time Machine back-up failed - cannot 'see' internal HD to restore to. Help! Has attempt to install ML caused these problems or just highlighted existing need to Repair Disk? Even so, why can back-up from Time Machine not see the internal drive to restore to?

Csound1, William & Sig .... thanks for taking the trouble to reply. I fear you are right - I'll need a new disk. I'm booked in at the Apple Genius Bar in Bordeaux, France on Wed ... quite a challenge as my French isn't great! The current internal disk is 500gb, does anyone know whether I can upgrade my 21.5" iMac (circa Oct-2009 vintage) to a larger size internal disk, 1Tb or even 2Tb? I already have one external 2Tb drive and another one on order (I have masses of media stored and more planned as I've just taken up photography). Seems a bit of a pain managing with only 500gb internal storage. OR, can you advise me on how I can store all my photos on my new 2Tb external drive - I can't seem to figure out how to set the path for iPhoto to see them (I can't even figure out where they are stored right now!). Same with iTunes, how do I set the default storage to the external drive (I moved everything manually and then imported them all from the new drive - it worked but seemed very convoluted). Any advice on how to manage multiple drives gratefully received. And thanks again for previous replies.

Down loaded Mavericks, will not install on my computer because it says "this hard drive is used for time machine back up".

Down loaded mavericks, it will not install on my computer because it says" this hard drive is used for time machine back up". So I used my old computer hard drive for back up and reloaded the program but it still says the first hard drive is being used.

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Make sure you have selected your MacBook Pro's hard drive as the destination to install Mavericks. If so, you have the "Backups.backupdb" folder in the root level of your hard drive.
That's the folder used by Time Machine to store backups of your files, and the Mavericks installer understands that your internal hard disk is the Time Machine drive.
To fix this, open a Finder window, select the Go menu (on the menu bar) > Go to Folder, and type:
Then, delete "Backups.backupdb", empty the Trash and run the Mavericks installer. Finally, install OS X Mavericks

I have 2 macbooks each with an account for me and one for my wife. I use one Macbook logged in with my account and my wife uses the other Macbook only loged in on her account. We both make regular time-machine back-ups each on a separate external disk

I have 2 Macbooks each with an account for me and one for my wife. I use one Macbook logged in with my account and my wife uses the other Macbook only logged in on her account. We both make regular time-machine back-ups each on a separate external disk. Is it possible to update her account on my macbook using her external disk without overwriting my stuff on the same Macbook and vice versa?

Time Machine does not do individual accounts. It records the complete drive. So if you were to use her TM backup on your Mac it would make your Mac just like hers. Both yours and her account on your MAC.
Just copy the missing files over from her Mac to yours. If there are differennt programs on each then they would need to be installed on both.

Recently upgraded Mac 24" to Lion (clean install) and now no external hard disks work with Time Machine

Recently upgraded Mac 24" to Lion (clean install) and now no external hard disks work with Time Machine.
installed new internal disk first with fresh 10.7.3 Lion software. Also upgrade ram to 4GB. Work great, super fast.
BUT.... my WD 1TB firewire400 external disks no longer work with the Lion enabled machine now.
FURTHER... I read somewhere that WD is problematic with Lion but Seagate was not... so I went and bought a new 3TB Seagate GoFlex.
When it didnt work properly either, I patiently searched and found a software/firward upgrade and applied.
I re-partitioned disk to extened/journaled standard, etc.
Then assigned the particition to Time Machine. Drive turned the blue/grey color, so I thought it would work.
But, it has now been in "preparing" mode in Time Machine for HOURS....
What is up Apple? So dissappointed. Ive read these type of problems are notorious with Lion and I wish I never upgraded.
Are you trying to make issues with External disks, to drive people to iCloud? That trick ont work in me. I will not reward bad behaviour Apple.
Please provide a fix... I wasted hours/days screwing around with this, instead of using the Mac for what its intended!

Solved by Pondini, on another thread I opened...
Answer:
Sounds like either:
A directory problem on your internal HD. Verify your internal HD, and Repair any other volumes being backed-up per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.
Something in OSX may be damaged. You've tried the "combo," so a fresh copy of OSX (that won't disturb anything else) would be worth a try (and you don't need a tech for that). See Installing the ''combo'' update and/or Reinstalling OSX.

The disk drive in my iMac 8,1 has stopped working, so I now use an LG 8x Slim Portable that works. However, every time I use the LG drive, I lose contact with my Time Machine back-up drive that has to be deleted and reinstalled. Help!

The disk drive in my iMac 8,1 has stopped working, so I now use an LG 8x Slim Portable that works. However, every time I use the LG drive, I lose contact with my Time Machine back-up drive that has to be deleted and reinstalled. Help!

It's not Logic that can't find them, it's your Komplete apps, though if you did exaclty as you say I can see no reason why they can't.
Do you know where the apps installed them in the first place? I chose a non-standard locarion for mine, but I'm sure it installs sounds to your documents folder/native instruments/name of app.
Go into the prefs of each app and choose the library location button on the library tab and point it to the relevant folder in documents/native instruments and see if that works
jake

If I erase and install Lion, will my exisiting Time Machine Back-up be overwritten?

Since upgrading to Lion, I have experienced problems with permissions and having to repair the disk.
I have decided to do an erase and install of Lion, but would like to clarify a few things about the time machine back up.
Firstly, once the operating system has been re-installed (I do not intend to restore from backup), will my current time machine back up continue to operate or will a new back up need to take its place?
Secondly, rather than restoring from the back up (as I have alot of redundant apps), am I able to select certain apps/app data to restore? (If the answer to the above is 'Yes' then i assume that this could be done by entering time machine once I am up and running).
Thanks

First, it's unlikely that reinstalling Lion will solve your problems. But that's not the question.
If you do erase and restore, you won't lose your TM backups, but TM will need to back up all your files, even if they were previously backed up. That may result in the deletion of many snapshots to free up space.

"Can't connect to a current Time Machine back up disk"

OS X Yosemite, version 10.10.1
Macbook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013)
Processor 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Computer is supposed to seamlessly back up to Time Capsule via wi-fi, but ever since upgrading to Yosemite it's been broken. "can't connect to a current Time Machine back up disk" is the message that pops up, just after it shows me the files on my Time Machine for a split second. So it sees them, for a moment, then it pops up the message and freezes my computer. I have to do a hard reboot. I tried the instructions here: OS X Yosemite: If Time Machine can’t find your backup disk, and various instructions I've found on the internet regarding fixes from deleting plist files to whatever.
This is very annoying, I'd like to fix the problem. And also vent, this *****, this isn't why I purchase Apple products, it's a known problem and they aren't publishing a fix. Apple isn't very elegant anymore, it's cumbersome, troublesome, and I'm wondering why I'm spending the extra when those were the benefits I was paying for.

Apple isn't very elegant anymore, it's cumbersome, troublesome, and I'm wondering why I'm spending the extra when those were the benefits I was paying for.
Don't upgrade next time until the following version is out.. I updated not long ago to Mountain Lion.. and it works very nicely. Apple is playing MS game.. don't fix the problems.. just release a new fangled OS. So issues that have existed over Mavericks and all its updates are still there and in fact exacerbated in Yosemite.
To fix your issue.. You may need to do some major work.. did you upgrade or clean install Yosemite??
I guess it is too much to ask if you still have your previous OS install intact?? Making a bootable clone before updating is a necessity now IMHO.
TM does not really allow you to go back to the previous OS.. but you can clean install Mavericks or whatever you used and then recover your files.
To fix Yosemite a clean install can be a big help. Especially as wireless is a major flaw.
Do you own the thunderbolt to ethernet adapter? It is like $35 and a well worthwhile gadget to own.. since I think your mac has no ethernet port.
See if it works ok by ethernet.
Otherwise factory reset the TC and try mounting it manually in finder by IP address, not name.
ie in Finder use Go, Connect to server and type in the IP.. thusly
SMB://10.0.1.1 (replace with actual IP)
It is a bit tricky if the IP is not static.. but start there and see what happens.
Remember to save the password to the TC in the keychain when asked.

Mountain Lion will not install says HD is time machine back up but it isn't

I downloaded ML and it state will not install as HD is time machine back up but it is not, I have another external drive
for time machine back up.
I have OS 10.6.8 which a I read the information should be what is required to intall ML.
How can I get the program to recognize that my HD is not the back up disk?

OS X- Cannot install on a volume used by Time Machine for backups

HD failure with neither time machine back-up or OSX install working

Hi,
I recently had the OEM HD fail on my Mac book pro resulting in the blinking folder question mark on startup. I purchased a new intel SSD to replace it and it installed it in the laptop. I then performed the command + r on boot and went through the system recovery from network. This seemed to be working fine at first and I was able to open the disk utility after load, I created a single partition on the SSD and then was able to verify successfully. I then closed this window and tried to restore from a time machine back up on an external hard drive. About 30 seconds after it started, it returned an error saying that it was unsuccessful and to restart the computer. I accepted and then it rebooted.
I power cycled the system and again tried the command + r on reboot. This time I first erased the new SSD from the disk utility and then proceeded to create the partition. This time I tried the option to load the OSX and did not plug in the external HD. It began to download from the network and looked to be working fine. However, at some point about 1.5-2 hours later it looks like the system reset itself and came up with the flashing folder with a question mark.
When I power cycled the system for a third time to check the disk again it gives a white screen and command + r does not do anything. I tried resetting the PRAM which the system responded to the option+ command+ p+r and rebooted but it still returns to this white screen. In order to check if it was the SSD that was the problem I opened the computer again and disconnected the SATA cable from the SSD. Then with the SSD disconnected at boot I was able to attempt a system recovery from network using the command + r.
Does anyone have any advice or did I just end up ruining the $200 SSD?
Thanks in advance.

Followed the directions on this page and it worked!
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1102423
Part One - Turn on SSH (in the admin panel)
[1] Go to to http://mybookworld.local
[2] login: username will be admin, password will be whatever you have setup. If you can't remember it should be in your Mac OS X keychain (Utilities > Keychain Access, search for "mybookworld"). If you have not changed if from the default the password will be admin as well.
[3] Switch to advanced mode.
[4] From the System tab, pick Advanced.
[5] Enable SSH Access, and click submit.
[6] Click on the network tab and then the LAN button
[7] Make a note of the IP address
Small, maybe obvious, but nevertheless important point: For the install to work, your NAS needs to be connected to a router with internet access.
Part Two - Install netatalk2.2
[8] Open Terminal.app (Utilities > Terminal)
[9] Enter the following command (substitute in 127.0.0.1 for the actual IP address you noted down in step 7), then hit return:
Code:
ssh [email protected]
[10] When prompted, enter the ssh password (will be welc0me).
[11] You are now going to download the installer. Enter the following command, then hit return:
Code:
wget http://mybookworld.wikidot.com/local--files/netatalk2-2-on-whitelight/install_netatalk.sh -O install_netatalk.sh
[12] Once completed, you will need to run the installer. Type:
Code:
sh install_netatalk.sh
[13] You will be asked a number of question during install, answer yes to all. When asked about the "DHX2 login process", I opted to install the modified version, so I can confirm it works.
[14] Once the box has restarted, you should be able to connect to your afp shares and continue to use Time Machine.

How do I install my time machine back up on a new hard drive because the old one died?

Hi! My MacBook hard drive died, so I had a new one installed. Now, I am hoping I can transfer my Time Machine back up on it without having to do it manually. I was running Leopard on it. Can I boot from the Time Machine back up or will I have to install Leopard on it first? I'm not extremely computer savvy so , of course, I am looking for an easy way to do this! Thanks for any suggestions!

The Time Machine backup is not bootable
You will have to install Leopard first

I had a new hard drive fitted to my imac and restored it from my time machine back when I try to open itunes I get this message "the itunes library extras.itdb file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have write permission for this file"

I had a new hard drive fitted to my imac and restored it from my time machine back up on an external hard drive when I try to open itunes I get this message "the itunes library extras.itdb file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have write permission for this file"

To solve this issue all I did was check to ensure that the file permissions were set as described by the earlier posts, followed by simply deleting the iTunes Library Genius.itdb file. Once the file was deleted I was able to open iTunes without difficulty. Note that I am running Windows 8. Hope this helps!

No destination disk to install time machine back up on to

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