Pulling Files From Time Machine Backup?

I want to do clean install of Snow Leopard on my Macbook Pro because it's becoming overly cluttered with files that have been over the years first put on my Powerbook then my Macbook and then this computer. Currently everything is backed up to a hard drive with Time Machine. Would it be possible to do a clean install and then just pull the files I want from the Time Machine backup without just restoring the entire thing?

capnamazing wrote:
When I went to the Apple store they told me to run a fresh install and rather than use Migration Assistant (I'm assuming that is the same thing as Setup Assistant, correct?)
No. They have similar screens and "works" but are different. +Setup Assistant+ runs when a new Mac first starts up (or after installing OSX on an empty volume), and can transfer everything from another Mac or its backups "as is." It's used mostly to set up a new Mac exactly like an old one.
+Migration Assistant+ is an app in your Applications/Utilities folder, and runs only after at least one user account has been set up. It's used mostly to add a user account from one Mac to a different one that already has one or more. Depending on the circumstances, accounts transferred this way can lose their permissions to files on other volumes, such as backups.
Unfortunately, may folks, including some Apple folks, don't distinguish between the two, causing problems.
I went home to do this, plugged in my time machine backup to my MacBook Pro which has a fresh Snow Leopard OS X installed, and tried to drag and drop files from the time machine backup to my hard drive. It kept asking for my password when transferring, which is no big deal. But now when I move some of these files around or edit them on my hard drive, it keeps asking for the password again. Is there a way around that so I can just put the files and applications that I want onto my Mac without it requiring a password every time?
That's because the account you set up on the fresh install of OSX wasn't recognized as being the same one as on your backups. One user, even an Admin user, doesn't normally have access to a different user's files, and that's also enforced on backups.
If you really want to do it that way, you'll have to change the permissions on those files, via +Get Info.+ But be careful; do not use the +Apply to enclosed items+ to your entire home folder or the default folders (Desktop, Documents, etc.) inside it.

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How do I restore files from time machine backups made before reformatting macbook air?

The section titled "Restoring data from Time Machine backups" in the following may help: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427

HT201250 Time Machine backup then install new SSD HD + Pulling files from Time Machine from 'old' HD

Hi Guys,
I currently have a mid 2009 Macbook pro and I decided to upgrade the current HD in it to an Intel 330 SSD. Which might I add was a *gongshow*.
Anyways before I did the switch I used Time Machine to back up all my information, and to be double redundant I backed up the REALLY important information on a 8gig flashdrive.
The removal and reinstall of the new drive went smooth, and once lion was installed I did all the usual system updates.
Once it came to importing files from Time Machine is when my hassle started.
The last backup I did on Time Machine with the old HD still installed was at 10:00 this morning.
I had the new SSD up and running and a new backup of that created by 1:00 (3 hours later).
When I loaded up Time Machine to grab some files off of my 10:00 backup, it would not let me. The current backups have a Grey/Silver snapshot, and the backups from the OLD HD were blacked out and I could not click on them. What can I do to get these files off my Time Machine from the old HD?
Thanks

Quick followup question,
If I do a migrate with the time machine will the system be updated to the version I had when I made it (10.8.6 I think) or will I have to do the system updates afterwards. If so, will that cause any clashes when applying the time machine migration?

Delete large file from Time Machine backup drive?

I recently selected to exclude my Aperture.library file from Time Machine, but only after it had done about 8 backups already... the file doesn't exist in the latest folder on my TM hard drive but it is there in previous ones.
how can i delete this file from my TM backups and regain 40gb? (it won't let you delete it in finder)

Ewen,
Let me make my self more clear.
Because of the Apple KB article regarding Aperture and Time Macine, that's exactly why i chose to EXCLUDE my aperture.library file from time machine.
Please don't read any negative tone in this, i'm just trying to explain myself.
But hind sight is 20/20, so i was looking for a way to delete the old previous version of the aperture.library that was sitting on my backup time machine drive (useless taking up space)
I apologize for not searching out that KB article, but i didn't think i'd have to do that. I assumed Apple would know how to have Aperture play nice with Time Machine....
Any way all is good. we're all educated now

Can't restore files from Time machine backup?

I kinda successfully restored my files from Time Machine after a clean re-install of Snow Leopard (Time Machine thought they were new files, though, so backed up the 26 GB... waste of space), but now I'm trying to restore the files of the other user on the computer. In her pictures folder, I can't copy the iPhoto Library because I don't have permission to access it! The same problem occurred on my account too, but I was able to go to my Time Machine drive and manually change the permissions for the files I wanted, which doesn't work on her account.
I have made a Youtube video of the error:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1__PdyAetVg
Can anyone assist me in restoring the files? That's all I need help in. Thanks

wrongusername wrote:
But if I transfer everything with the Setup Assistant, won't I once again be experiencing the problems I had?
If the problems were caused by your data. But that's extremely unlikely. It may have been an app, or, much more likely from your description, something corrupted in the Leopard OS. That's one of the problems with upgrading a sick system without knowing what or where the causes are. It's a bit like a brain surgeon operating on himself: if he isn't in tip-top shape to start with, his condition is likely to change, and not for the better.
Most of us would have recommended first simply doing a +*Repair Disk+* on your internal HD; if that didn't help, installing the "combo" Leopard update; if that didn't work, doing an +Archive and Install+ and re-installing the "combo."
After a clean re-install of Snow Leopard, my Mac worked fine again (except for the TM trouble). So it probably had something to do with my old files.
Probably not. Much more likely OSX was somehow damaged. And you got a whole new one.
How come I could read the files on my external HD and yet not be able to copy the files?
Time Machine uses special "deny everybody everything" permissions on it's backups, among other things, in an attempt to keep us mere mortals from moving, changing, or deleting things and corrupting them.

Restore iBooks files from time machine backup after clean install

I just did a clean install of Yosemite. I still have a Time Machine backup of my Mavericks install. iBooks in my new Yosemite install does not have all of my books and pdfs in it - just the ones I can download from the iBookstore.
Is there an easy way to access my Mavericks Time Machine backup to retrieve my old iBooks files?

When I go back to the backup it does not let me go back to the previous backupprobably because the last backup was Lion and I am on Mt. Lion now. don't what to do another backup if that is going to mess up the old one. I can access it though by just going to it. So i am putting that one on my desktop and I am going to rename it and see if I can open in Iphoto.

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Hi,
My iMac has a beachball issue to the extent that now it not even starts up anymore, I don't even get to the desktop screen. I plan to reinstall the system from with the CD I got when I purchased the iMac 2 years ago, then update the operating system to the latest version, and then get my files and programs back from my latest time machine backup, which was completed c. 2 weeks ago.
1) Will this process generally work? I am running Mavericks 10.9, so the CD I want to install from will be an older version, but I then plan to upgrade to 10.9 before accessing the time machine files.
2) Post upgrading the op system to the latest version, when I then get the programs and files back from time machine, will that bring also back the beach ball issue, or given that everything will be saved and installed 'cleanly' it will be alright?
I am not a mac pro, so still learning, please forgive if I am not posting required info. Let me know what you need.
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1. Yes.
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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."

Trying to copy out files from Time Machine backup.

I'm really frustrated here any help greatly appreciated. Order of events:-
1. Basically I have been backing up my files through time machine on a external drive for my mac mini.
2. I formatted my mac mini and sold it to my friend.
3. I am having troubles copying files(iphoto library) from my timemachine backup on to my imac.
4. I don't need anything else except a few particular files, but everytime i try drag or copy it gives me the 'no privilege/permission error'.
It's really frustrating i've changed permissions and everything and still doesn't work. It will work if I go copy the individual files. But any folders doesn't work.
Any advice?
Many thanks in advance.

chadnchady wrote:
3. I am having troubles copying files(iphoto library) from my timemachine backup on to my imac.
That's correct. Time Machine backups retain the original ownership and permissions. So one user doesn't have access to another user's data. Usually, that's a good thing.
4. I don't need anything else except a few particular files, but everytime i try drag or copy it gives me the 'no privilege/permission error'.
Your best bet may be to use +Migration Assistant+ to migrate the user account and selected data. Then log on as that user and use/copy the data as desired. See the pink box in #19 of Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

Creating a script to exclude files from Time Machine Backup

Hi guys,
I was looking for some input as I have rolled out Sophos Safeguard to a number of MacBook's in our company and with this you need to exclude sevral files from the Time Machine backup.
Rather than manually doing each user is there a scripting tool I could use to exclude these files? Have taken a look at apple script but don't think this supports the time machine application. Could the terminal be used? If so does anyone have any guidelines I could follow to create this?
Thanks for your time.

The exclusions are contained in the file
/Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
I suggest you deploy that file rather than trying to edit it, which could be quite complex.

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I have somehow deleted all previous Calendars and entries prior to the day I set up iCloud. They have gone from iCloud also. This occurred after I tried to remove duplicates. Calendar entries after setting up iCloud are more or less OK but everything before that day has gone (except for birthdays and a few other entries).
Can I recover them from a previous (Mavericks) time-machine backup and if so how please?
I have looked for calendar files on my external backup HD but can't see anything recognisable.
Other posts on this topic seem to refer to previous operating systems.

I used the process outlined here successfuly just now:
http://www.wilmut.webspace.virginmedia.com/notes/icloudtm.html
I am running Mavericks. Things I learned or to clarify/amplify what he says (at the URL I just listed):
* If you have partial data saved in Calendar now, I highly recommend you export and save it as an .ics file so you won't lose anything.
* Make sure you close Calendar before trying to restore.
* To restore Calendar files, go back to the date you want to restore in Time Machine, and in your home folder (or whatever you may have renamed it), go to Library > Calendar. Highlight ALL files in this folder. The Restore button should turn white in the bottom right of the Time Machine and hit that. It will move them all into your calendar.
* Follow his procedure otherwise. When you import the old data into your newly created On My Mac version of your calendar, it will say there is a "new event" or message and ask you where you want to put it. That would be the newly created calendar you just set up chosen off the list. It's pretty obvious but his directions didn't say so I like to be explicit with details.
* I found that calendars I had created since losing my old ones were not overwritten or lost when I followed the above procedure.

How do I recover files from time machine backup?

I need to recover my entire system from my time machine backup.
I'm following the help center instructions.
The last step is step 6.
It says, "Select the date and time of the backup you want to restore, and then follow the onscreen instructions."
Problem is, no onscreen instructions appear.
What am I supposed to do to actually run the backup?
thanks!

While in Time Machine, press the key combination shift-command-C. The front window will show all mounted volumes. All snapshots should now be accessible. Select the one you want and navigate to the files you want to restore.

Problem moving/deleting files from time machine backup

I recently ran into some problems with my hardrive and had to get it replaced at the mac store.
Unfortunatly, i only ran a partial time machine backup on the hardrive before i lost it.
Fotrunatly though, it did manage to save some important stuff, but now for the next problem....
I have dragged my files from my external hardrive with the partial time machine backup onto my new desktop but it wont let me do stuff with them
this includes;
asking for my password whenever i want to delete one of them
saying "cannnot be modified" whenever i try to drag the files to a new location.
as you can imagine, this is a bit of a pain.
anyone have anything similair?
help would be great
thanks
Chris

That is not how you restore from a Time Machine backup.
Repairing the permissions of a home folder in Lion is a complicated procedure. I don’t know of a simpler one that always works.
Back up all data now. Before proceeding, you must be sure you can restore your system to its present state
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 page that opens.
Drag or copy — do not type — the following line into the Terminal window, then press return:
chmod -R -N ~
The command will take a noticeable amount of time to run. When a new line ending in a dollar sign ($) appears below what you entered, it’s done. You may see a few error messages about an “invalid argument” while the command is running. You can ignore those. If you get an error message with the words “Permission denied,” enter this:
sudo !!
You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning not to screw up.
Next, boot from your recovery partition by holding down the key combination command-R at startup. Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial.
When the recovery desktop appears, select Utilities ▹ Terminal from the menu bar.
In the Terminal window, enter “resetpassword” (without the quotes) and press return. A Reset Password window opens. You’re not going to reset the password.
Select your boot volume if not already selected.
Select your username from the menu labeled Select the user account if not already selected.
Under Reset Home Directory Permissions and ACLs, click the Reset button.
Select  ▹ Restart from the menu bar.

Exclude Hidden File from Time Machine Backup?

Hi all,
Used the Time Machine error message widget, and got the following info:
Starting standard backup
Backing up to: /Volumes/HD Backup/Backups.backupdb
Backup content size: 880.8 GB excluded items size: 247.4 GB for volume Macintosh HD
No pre-backup thinning needed: 760.15 GB requested (including padding), 929.90 GB available
Error: (-36) SrcErr:YES Copying /.DocumentRevisions-V100/PerUID/501/1/com.apple.documentVersions/029AC116-6255- 42B7-977E-7698A590699D.key to (null)
I searched for the trouble file so I could exclude it from the backup, but couldn't find it.
Any ideas?
Thanks!

Alvyn,
On all my machines the Time Machine destination disk is normally excluded. I can't remember if I did this or it's added by default. You can excluded anything you want in the Privacy tab of Spotlight's system preferences.
Regards,
Captfred

Restoring files from time machine backup made using Mountain Lion

Hi Guys
I have trawled through the Internet and found many sources of help for some of my headaches but still can't help the problem. So here I am.....
I have an early MacBook Pro 13" that came with snow leopard. I immediately updated to lion which was a disaster being so slow etc. Then I upgraded to mountain lion which was pretty good. I always upgraded and never clean installed.
I have been running time machine on a Qnap nas (model 212) which I must add has been a headache to get going in itself.
Anyways I recently upgraded to mavericks which made my MacBook grind to a halt. I mean even the beachball was struggling. To the point after 2 weeks I couldn't get anything done on it!
So I decided to do a clean install. Did that and then tried to do restore files using migration assistant at first log in. Turns out my back is corrupted!
Now I know I have a good complete backup of my mountain lion system just 2 weeks old on my nas. Only problem is that mavericks won't let me get to that when I try to upgrade from that drive as it just says no OSX backup available.
Now I am trying to install snow leopard cleanly and the try and upgrade to mountain lion hoping that it would recognise the mountain lion backup on my nas.
Can you please let me know if I am going in the right direction?
Any help appreciated guys.
Thanks

Everything since the fresh install, has to be done manually from my Backup drive. Wasn't, or isn't TM supposed to do that automatically (for example restoring iTunes, is it supposed to restore just the application or all the folders with it as well?). Why, when I select a folder with many subfolders in it (and eventually the files I want within) does it say that the original whatever doesn't exist anymore at that location, then I have the option to choose a new location or to recreate the enclosing folders? I Click on recreate but when I do, just the top level shows (the first folder, for example, garageband). No more folders are shown inside, despite there being plenty of files in my backup version. Am I misunderstanding TM's powers/capabilities here? Is it supposed to be this frustrating and difficult?
Everything that I want has to be done manually it seems. I don't understand it. The other thing is that it denies me access (I don't have the privileges or whatever it says) to move the files directly via the mounted disk on the desktop rather than entering TM. So, I can't go into TM and click restore, I can't manually open the mounted drive and drag files (denies me permission). The only way I've been able to do anything successfully is to archive the **** folder/s or files.
Any help or direction, or a manual on how to use or tutorial on Time machine would be great. Someone point me in the right direction please, this is highly annoying and I am debating switching back to Leopard (having issues with iChat in Snow Leopard).
Thanks

Pulling Files From Time Machine Backup?

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