Restore External Harddrive From TimeMachine

I had to reformat my external harddrive. I wanted to restore all the files I had previously back onto it. I made sure that it was backed up before I reformatted, for months timemachine hase been making its normal backups with this external drive included in those backups. (I made sure this external harddrive was not on the "exclude" list in system preferences for time machine).
I cannot figure out how to restore those files! Please help me! How can I restore those files I'm sure are backed up?!
(sorry for so many exclamation points... I just have a lot of work invested in those files)
Thanks everyone in advance for your help:-)

See #E3 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

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I accidentally combined all of my photos on iphoto to be one event. i have it the way i want it saved on my external harddrive from time machine. how do i make my computer go back to that

i accidentally combined all of my photos on iphoto to be one event. i have it the way i want it saved on my external harddrive from time machine. how do i make my computer go back to that

Open Time Machine to the date that you know the iPhoto Library is in the format you want and select and Restore it.
http://pondini.org/TM/15.html
Ciao.

Trying to restore iPhoto library from TimeMachine - "not enough space" even though there is

Hi all, I'm trying to restore my iPhoto library from the timemachine backup which is roughly 200gb in size.
Timemachine is on an external hard drive, of course.
Main laptop hard drive has roughly 408gb left. Whenever I try to restore the 200gb iPhoto library backup from timemachine, it says I don't have enough disk space... I am so frustrated.. I don't want to lose all my photos from the past 5 years ..
Please help.
I am using the newest Lion, everything is updated.

moving stuff to trash doesn't remove it from a drive. It puts it in a hidden .Trash folder on that drive. you have to empty trash to reclaim space. even easier would be to reformat the drive if you have a lot of stuff to erase.

Problem accessing Seagate External Harddrive from iMac and Mac Book Air

I have a brand new Seagate 2TB external harddrive which I have just used to backup my entire iMac files (photos, videos, etc) via the Time Capsule programme. However I now can't access the files which apparently have been copied onto the Segate. I have now connected the Seagate to my Mac Book Air and it is not even being recognised as an external storage device.
Is someone able to tell me how I can access the files on the external drive?

do you mean "time machine" as opposed to "time capsule" the latter is a back up drive in itself.
before you did your backup was your seagate drive formatted or did you just connect and instruct the mac to back up to the drive.
if the drive was not formatted then you will need to format the drive using disc utility.

How can I restore my calendars from TimeMachine in Mavericks?

I have lost all my calendars (except birthdays) in messing with icloud. How do I restore my calendars from Time Machine. I don't have an active iCloud account.

Solution;
What fixed it for me... as long as you still have this data on another device, (computer, ipad) I did a true "shut down of iphone" by holding the power and home buttons at the same time, restarted it and went to calender and hit "calendars" and like magic there all back
My Situation:
I had this same problem, i had deleted my "calenders" on my iphone in an effort to consolidate.

How to restore iTunes library from TimeMachine external hard drive backup after clean install

I was not able to solve this problem, hence I decided to open this discussion.
1. Recently, I clean installed Yosemite so my new Mac is completely empty.
2. I have my time machine backup on my eternal hard drive and would like to restore only specific things - such as iTunes library.
3. I did not manually copy iTunes library to my drive, I did the TM backup only, but I also do have all the files in my own "music" folder I manually backed-up.
However, I cannot locate the library there, where is it?
How do I move the library to my new Mac and then establish a new source folder that would be on my drive?
PS: Previously, iTunes used my own music folder as a source = it contained all the music files. I had it on an external drive, later moved it to my Mac.
This leads me to the conclusion that my backup copy of iTunes library did not contain the files anyway.
Any advice?
Thank you in advance.

I am confused as to what you had or have where and when. The bottom line is, your library (for the standard user) is everything in the iTunes folder. As far as iTunes' organization and display is concerned, your library is a file called "iTunes Library.itl" which points to all the other host of files and folders normally in the iTunes folder which all work together.
What are the iTunes library files? - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660
More on iTunes library files and what they do - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management
What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html
Where are my iTunes files located? - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391
iTunes 9 [and later]: Understanding iTunes Media Organization - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3847 - plus supplemental information about organizing to new structure https://discussions.apple.com/message/26404702#26404702
Image of folder structure and explanation of different iTunes versions (turingtest2 post) - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-7392 and making an iTunes library portable.
If you kept everything together in one place then you need to put the whole iTunes folder on the drive where you want it, start iTunes while holding down the option key and guide it to that .itl file. If things were split up and you had media on the external and the rest of the library on the internal you need to get them back to exactly where they were before. If you can't find that iTunes folder holding the critical .itl file anywhere then you have a bunch of media tracks and no organization and will need to rebuild the organization from ground level.

Can't access the bookmarks backup file I created on my external harddrive from my desktop to restore on my laptop.

I created a firefox bookmarks backup file from my desktop computer on my external USB hard drive so that I could transfer them to my laptop. I go to "organize bookmarks" on my laptop, choose "restore", "choose file", navigate to the external drive. All the regular folders display, but the backup bookmarks file does not display. It's there when I open the drive in windows explorer. Why isn't it there in the restore bookmarks window?

How is your external drive formatted? Use Disk Utility to check the volume format. If it is NTFS, you will need to reformat the HDD as exFAT in order to retain universal compatibility (RW to it on both Mac and Windows).

How to restore a file from timemachine under yosemite

Hello
Mac User since 1984 !
Mac recent Mini under Yosemite and TimeMachine on Hard Disk (1To)
No problem before to restore a file by choosing a previous date
with yosemite impossible to select a file and choose a date in the backup
So ??
Thks

Enter Time Machine with your hard drive selected. Then, to see all mounted volumes shift - command - c. Information learned from Linc Davis.

Restore External Drive From Time Capsule

For reasons that I won't bore you with, I needed to perform a complete restore of of my MacBook Pro. My Time Capsule has been backing up the 'Pro's HD and a single external HD. Folowwing the instructions (boot from Snow Leopard install disk, run updates and select migrate from Time Machine, everything worked out perfectly, plus I have a clean system. However, the external drive was not restored. It's where my music and photos are stored (although I do have off DVD back-ups as a fall back plan). I cannot enter Time Machine. I get the message that "Your Time Machine backup disk can't be found. I can see it in the finder sidebar Shared>"name" Time Machine>Frank MacBook Pro 00264....sparsebundle.
Is there a method to get my Time Machine Back ups back. I'm guessing the problem is related to the newly installed OS. Thanks in advance for any help.

Start with a "full reset" of Time Machine, per #A4 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.
If that doesn't work, try the +*Browse ...+* option, per #E2 there.
The full system restore, starting with your Install disc, only restores volumes with OSX mounted.
To restore a data-only volume, use the normal "Star Wars" display. See #15 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions, especially the notes below the second screen sample.
If the original drive is no longer connected, you'll need the procedure in #E3 of Troubleshooting to locate the backups, and restore to an alternate location (the replacement drive -- even if it has the same name as the original, OSX knows it's a different one).

Restore External HDD from TM Backup

My External drive with my iPhoto and iTunes libraries died. The drive fell down from a table, and since then it is not recognized -- I thought these kind of drives had shock protection.
Fortunately, I have a TM backup. The question is how to best restore the TM backup. If I give it the same name, will TM recognize it as the same drive, so that it doesn't do a full backup next time, after restore? It is quite a huge amount of data. Judging from some older discusssions, it seems the answer is no, but I would like to check again.

Tonight I found most of the solution I needed:
-Create a new administrator account on your machine.
-Run the Migration Assistant.
-It should identify your previous hard drive's name, and that's what you migrate from to your new account.
-If your new account and your old account (the one on your old machine), have the same name, you cannot migrate to an account with the same name. You should get a prompt to change the account name in the three options that are given.
-I gave the account being migrated TO a new name, and in about 30 minutes everything came over.
The remaining problem is that some of my items did not make it and I cannot find those folders in my Time Machine.
Also, iTunes is looking like it needs to be rebuilt for the most part. I have an iTunes Match account. That auto-imported all of my playlists but my movies have to be re-imported into iTunes for it to recognize them again.
Oh yea...my backup of the iTunes library list is nowhere to be found. I think it's in and among those items that are yet to be found.

External HardDrive for TimeMachine (MyBook Pro?)

Hi,
Now that Leopard comes with the TimeMachine I'm thinking about buying an external hard drive. I always liked the MyBook Pro (500GB) from Western Digital but there seams to be quite a lot of people who have/had problems with the MyBooks series. Someone said that this drive would be the perfect hard disk if you want to delete your files
Whould you recommend this HD?
PS: I know that I'm asking advice about a non-Apple product. So if this kind of thread is not allowed here, please administrators, delete it right away.

I strongly suggest against getting the MyBook line of external HD's. I went through two of these and both had faulty or non-working FireWire connections. I finally got a refund after the 2nd one. There are much better alternatives out there. I am using a 500GB Mercury Elite Pro (FW800/FW400/USB2) from OWC with Time Machine.

What is the best way off using two external harddrives with timemachine?

Hi,
I have already searched the board but I am still not sure what the best way is to backup to two harddisk.
Here is what I want to achieve:
I have two identical external firewire drives. One is always stored at my parents house. I swap drives once a week +(not perfect, should be everyday but much better than nothing).+
Before TimeMachine I have used SuperDuper which made incremental backups on both disks.
Due to my "method" I never have both drives at home. So it will not work to clone the external disks.
Can I now simply swap the drives and TimeMachine will backup again on disk 2, what it has already backupped to disk 1? Like "catching up" the now missing backups for the last week?
Should I give the disks the same names or should I choose "change disk" everytime?
I appreciate any suggestions and experiences.
Best Regards
Olaf

Hi Olaf,
Germany . . . hmmm, nice talking to you!
OK - We seem to have a lot in common. I used SuperDuper all the time too. Loved it. NEVER had a problem at all with it. Ever!
I use Carbon Copy Cloner now - it seems a bit erratic - sometimes fails, sometimes works, can't find the pattern.
But enough of that.
YES - Time Machine will do exactly what you want (or does for me, at least.)
I named the two drives the same name and bounced back and forth between them, Time Machining to each. Works PERFECTLY every time . . . BUT - you MUST go to TM preferences each time and click "change disk". Simply reclick the one it sees. This seems stupid - but it's worked every time for me so far. So this morning, I simple renamed one of the backup drives (from Finder). Simple renamed it.
Went directly to TM with the renamed disk - clicked "change disk" - he instantly "saw" the newly named disk - and it Time Machined perfectly to the "newly named" one. I didn't even have to re time machine the entire drive - it picked up perfectly and backed up only 50 meg, which is all I changed!
So Time Machine seems to work perfectly backing up to two hard drives, with either the same name, or different names - TM doesn't care. But you MUST simple click "change disk" each time.
Let me know how it works for you. It really does work for me!
Larry

Restoring FileVault user from TimeMachine

My MBP is just past 3 years (about 1 month out of AppleCare). The machine will not boot from original MBP HD, but the original MBP HD will mount if started from other drive and all data appears to be there. I have tried TechTools and DiskUtility on original MBP drive. Both report problems, claim they fixed the drive, but MBP will not boot from the original HD.
I have one user on the original MPB Drive that is protected via FileVault. I also have recent Time Machine backup of that user. I need to recover that data (106GB). I have a new HD and 10.5 install disk and external box to put either HD. I have tried the restore function of the installer, but the user I need cannot log in - others not protected by filevault can log in. Further, when I log in as different user and look at the user whose data is protected by filevault, it does not look like the data has been restored (just identity).
So, what is the procedure to recover the user that is protected via filevault?

djk_norman wrote:
I was able to see all of the files of that user as root and as that user - very odd - it appears as though those files were backup unencrypted?
Were they in a sparse bundle? If so, OSX was decrypting them "on the fly."
I just copied the data into the user account, logged in as that user, and all files appear to be there. Only issue now is Disk Utility fails on verify saying there is an incorrect file count. Probably need to do fresh install, then use migration agent.
Try +*Repair Disk.+*
FileVaultDrive -> Backups.backupdb -> Name of Backed up Computer -> List of backups by date
[and now for the oddity, at the same hierarchical level]
|-> User folder of user I want to recover
|-> Computer HD name -> Users [and other folders] -> All users EXCEPT the one I wanted
I'm not sure I follow. In the sample in my last post, +*My Main User Account+* and TestAccount are both in the Users folder.
The only thing inside the TestAccount folder is the sparse bundle, containing the FileVault encrypted sparse bundle of the home folder. I've never looked in the structure as root, either.
I don't use File Vault myself -- I've used it on a test account to test and experiment, but that's about it.
Very strange? But I have my files, that's all that matter now! Thanks!
Yup, that's the main thing!
Glad it's sorted out, and thanks for the feedback.

Using external harddrive from iBook G4 with MacBook Pro

My logicboard failed in my iBook G4, so I installed the harddrive into an external exclosure, (MacAlly PHR250CC FireWire/USB 2.0 External Enclosure for 2.5" HDD).
My new MacBook Pro refuses to recognize the harddrive when I plug it in. It works on an older iBook G3. I've tried restarting it with it plugged in, and it still doesn't recognize it.
Is there any kind of plug-in or driver I need to install to make them compatible?

1. Is the drive recognized in your System profiler?
2. Is the drive formatted GUID? (check in your Disk Utility)
3. Plug it in another Mac and see if it will work.
Dave M.
MacOSG Founder/Ambassador  An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast
Macsimum News Associate Editor  Creator of 'Mac611 - Mobile Mac Support'

Open os9 movie clip from iomega external harddrive on osX

With my old G3 Mac I stored movies on a 120 GB External firewire Iomega Hardrive.
When I use this same external harddrive with my new G4 Mac, the Harddrive works perfect without having to dowload any drivers.
But the os9 ( G3 mac) movie's stored on the Iomega external harddrive will not open on the osx G4 Mac
All mp3's stored on the external harddrive from the G3 os9 mac open perfect on the G4 osx mac.
I dont have the G3 mac anymore so am now stuck with 20GB of old movies I can't open up on new G4 osx mac
apple mac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)
apple mac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)
apple mac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)
apple mac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

The files used to look like those ( im with a star)
Now they are just Light black / grey Icons (Rectangles)
With the letters " exec " witten on the top left corner in Green writing.
Under info in finder it says:
Kind: Unix Executable File
Size: ( whatever)
Where: / Volumes / IOMEGA_HDD/ MAC OS9 Folders 20GB
Modified: (Whatever)
I looked in diskUtility and yes this is somthing I must do to re-formatt.
How do I do this please.
They dont open with quicktime or im ( or any application ) on the External drive
or on the mac internal drive even when you drag / import clips to desktop on the G4 osx mac
If I reformatt the external drive would this solve the problem?
* Now there is no problem at all storing and playing /opening new movies I make and store on the external drive now with the G4 osx Mac. They all have the folders and Icons with the im star.
Thanks.

Restore External Harddrive From TimeMachine

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