Restore from Time Machine fails

I just got a new HD from the apple store and had them flash 10.5.8 onto it so that I could restore my MacBook right when I got home.
The problem is that when I get through to the "Restore from Time Machine" screen, the mac only finds one backup available and even then it won't transfer the files to the new HD, the TM external sits and spins and then the macbook goes through the welcome video again and starts me all over again.
what did I do wrong and did I lose everything?
I just plugged in the TM external to another mac in the house and it sees every thing in TM fine.
Message was edited by: MrBackpack

MrBackpack wrote:
I'm trying to use the set-up assistant.
One of the problems that I am running into is that when I get to the point where is calculates the size of the files that I want to restore, it sits at calculating then it restarts the set-up assistant.
Ah, that does sound like the backups may be corrupted.
One question and three options:
Did you get a larger drive, or was there a problem with the old one, requiring a replacement? If there was a problem, it's possible something got corrupted on your internal HD before the last backup. When the last backup ran, the damage would have been backed-up, too, and could be why Time Machine is having trouble dealing with it. If so, you probably want the first option below:
Boot up from your Install disc. After selecting your language, select Utilities, then +Disk Utility+ from the menubar on the next screen. Use it to do a +*Repair Disk+* (not permissions) on your backup drive. If that finds no errors, or fixes whatever it finds, quit Disk Utility, return to the Utilities menu and select +Restore System from Backups,+ per #14 in the FAQ. The advantage here is, you'll get a list of backups to restore from. If the last one won't work, try an earlier one. Be sure to get the log window per step (h), so if it fails or hangs, you'll know where, and we can help figure out how to recover.
Boot up from your Install disc and repair the backups as above. If that finds and fixes errors, boot up normally and try +Setup Assistant+ again. Note that +Setup Assistant+ always uses the most recent backup -- you don't get a choice as with the full restore.
Skip +Setup Assistant.+ Select +Do not Transfer+ instead, and set up a temporary user account (use a different name from any that are on your backups). Then do the +*Repair Disk+* on the backups from the copy of +Disk Utility+ on your Mac. If that finds no errors, or fixes whatever it finds, use +MIgration Assistant,+ per the pink box in #19 of the FAQ. The advantage to it is, you can use it multiple times, so you can transfer one thing at a time, and perhaps bypass whatever's corrupted. But +Migration Assistant+ also uses the most recent backup -- you don't get a choice.
(p.s.: I'll be going to bed soon, so if you post back after half an hour or so, I won't answer until tomorrow.)

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    Melnibonean wrote:
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    Hroodbwai wrote:
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    |
    |
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    |
    |
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    |
    |
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    I used to be quite the geek with my PC - still on the learning curve with the mac but not enjoying it.  I am fairly tech savvy and I can follow instructions for a step by step solution if you've got one. 

    I got a recall and had the drive replaced. I have retored 3 timesa dn even had apple do the job and it is still not right. I still can't get a simple ghost of the data from time machineback tot he new drive. 
    This is Apple's explaination as taken from their web page.:
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    If you are restoring a backup made by a Mac to the same Mac
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    Note: If "You can't restore   this backup because it was created by a different model of Mac" appears  when restoring  a backup that was  made on a different Mac, follow the onscreen instructions.
    I even posted this information on the community and apple removed it... because they don't like the:
    Off-topic or non-technical posts
    Non-constructive rants or complaints
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  • Can't restore from Time Machine backup error message

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    Good to hear MA is doing something!
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    Same here, not one good backup or restore, can't tell which.
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    Carbon copy cloner...
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    15) Start a terminal and verify the recovery partition is still there (type diskutil list and see that the Apple_Boot Recovery HD is there). If it's missing, choose to download Mavericks from the App Store again and run the installation from this one.
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    Talked with Apple last night. Everything we did to restore lost images failed to fix the issue. I did have the images still on my camera's SD card so I was not breaking out in a cold sweat.
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    Moral of the story: you can't ever be too rich or have too many backups (I also have an offsite backup).

  • Should I restore from Time Machine, replace hard drive, or neither?

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    Alilynx wrote:
    I appeared to have a full functioning Macbook Pro, until I ran Onyx, and after scanning my hard drive, it said that there were issues....
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    OnyX  launched the Terminal version of Disk Utility in other words, and so it's Disk Utility that is telling you that there is a problem with the drive it's unable to repair.
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    Disk Utility on the Macintosh HD partition (in OS X) is telling you to boot into Recovery HD partition and use that version of Disk Utiltiy to repair the Macintosh HD partition. To do this you hold the command and r keys down and boot the computer.
    Both Disk Utility and DiskWarrior were unable to repair the damaged hard drive.
    Yes because to be able to repair the Macintosh HD partition it can't be booted from, why you instead boot from the Recovery HD partition instead.
    Obviously replacing the hard drive would sort out the problem
    You don't need to go that far at this point, unless the drive is having mechanical issues.
    OS X said to backup, erase my drive and restore, so should I do a restore from Time Machine?
    You  have software issues, when booted from the Recovery HD partition that version of Disk Utiltity says it can't repair the Macintosh HD partition then it's time to erase the Macintosh HD partition and restore from TimeMachine.
    However there could be a problem if the data on your TimeMachine drive is not current or is also corrupted which it copied from the failing internal drive.
    You might want to perform data recovery steps first to grab your data off the Macintosh HD partition so you have a clean copy.
    Create a data recovery/undelete external boot drive
    If this is all above your head, your local PC/Mac repair shop will image your current boot drive to a new extenral drive, then erase the Macintosh HD partition and reinstall OS X for you or restore from TimeMachine etc.
    They will hand you the external drive with your files and everything which you can pick through to restore back to your machine.
    It all depends how important your data is, because if you go and erase the Macintosh HD partition, your destroying one of your copies leaving only one on the TimeMachine drive, which might be in worst shape or outdated without your knowledge.

  • After a restore from Time Machine my login password does not work.

    My HD crashed and I replaced the HD.  I then restored from Time Machine.  After it was done restoring it prompted me for my apple ID and password and account info.  Now when I try to login, the password does not work.  After several failed passwords, it says I can reset my password using my apple ID.  How do you do this?  I click on the message and it just disappears.  I can't login!

    Is it your actual Apple ID login password that you're talking about (which is obviously working since you got into this forum) or the password for your user account. If the latter, simply boot to your ML Recovery partition (holding down the Command and R keys while booting) and set a new password via Terminal.
    Boot into your Recovery partition and, from the Utilities menu, open Terminal. In Terminal, type in:
    resetpassword
    ...a small app will run allowing you to select a user and change the password for that use. Enter the new password twice (the second time to verify) and give yourself a password 'hint'. Then reboot and use your new password on your account.
    Clinton

  • Unable to restore from Time Machine

    Hi
    I'm having some problem restoring from Time Machine. Here are the steps i've taken to do that but it won't boot after restoration.
    Macbook Pro, 2011 Model with 10.7.3.
    1. My Mac have 3 partitions (MacHD, Drive A, Drive B) - MacHD has Lion and all other apps, A & B are for my stuff like music, movies etc...
    2. I backed it up using Time Machine but in the option I only back up MacHD (A & B) are not backed up.
    3. Restarted and Command-R into Disk Utility
    4. Erase MacHD using DU. Note: I enabled FileVault so once that's done, its locked but it can be unlock from Disk Utility
    5. Restore from TimeMachine, now here's the problem
    Once time machine is finished, it reboots my Macbook but keeps going back to the set up screen.
    I tried to change the start up disk but this is the error i have is this “you can’t change the startup disk to the selected disk. Building boot caches on boot helper partition failed”
    Now i've tried these steps
    6. Tried to use  http://d43.me/blog/126/building-boot-caches-error-when-changing-startup-disk/ --> by going into Terminal but still doesn't work
    the command in that help doesn't work, sudo nano /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist
    7. Tried Reinstall Mac OS X but the screen come up and said 103days 40hrs to dl the god darn Lion (note I have Lion installESD.dmg stored on Drive B, is it possible to access that and install from drive B?)
    8. Can't seem to find the Lion Recovery partition, how can i boot into that? When hold Command-R, it boots into Internet Recovery for 15 misn then go back to the choose languague and the 4 options (restore from TM, Reinstall OSX, Disk Util and somethign else I can't remember)
    Basically I want to either restore from my TM back up to current state or re-install new OS X to the MacHD without wiping out the whole drive.
    Thanks for your help.

    Yes, but you would need to erase/reformat the hard drive to re-install Snow Leopard.
    Star with Section E in the first linked article.
    Time Machine Troubleshooting
    Time Machine Troubleshooting Problems

  • Struggling to restore from Time Machine (2007 MacBook; Snow Leopard)

    The hard drive failed on my 2007 MacBook. I had it replaced and the shop also installed Snow Leopard (this was what  I was using prior to the fail).
    I tried a restore from Time Machine and while a huge chunk of my new hard drive disappeared,  I couldn't locate the files. I have since found them in the hidden /Volumes folder.
    I have also learned that to do a full restore,  I should have used my Snow Leopard install disk alongside the drive with Time Machine backups.
    So...
    1. Should I delete the restored file in the /Volumes folder and start again using the Snow Leopard install disk?
    2. I want to upgrade to Lion (this is the furthest I can go with this MacBook). Can  I do step 1 using a Lion install disk even though the Time Machine backup was created in Snow Leopard? (Confession: I'm not sure where my Snow Leopard disk is and I'm trying to avoid going through cupboards and boxes to find it)
    3. is it laborious and risky to try to restore everything manually from the /Volumes folder? Where do  I start if I decide on this route?
    Thanks in advance for any advice.

    I would try recovering the files manually first. If the result is unsatisfactory, then I'd boot up using the Snow Leopard DVD, run Disk Utility/Repair disk, erase and reformat the drive, and then install Snow Leopard. Reboot normally, and use Setup Assistant to restore from Time Machine. Completely update to 10.6.8 and then consider if you want to upgrade to Lion. There are no Lion disks - it is a download.
    10.6.8 Combo Updater

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