Restoring from a time machine backup question

Hi!
I have done several time machine restores before (every occassion has been restoring to a fresh install of the OS) and have had no problems. But i have a question about what will happen in the following situation:
I plan to install Lion on my mac which has 2 hard drives: 1 has the OS, apps, and media cache; and the other just has raw footage and project files. My Time Machine disk backs up BOTH hard drives. What I am going to do is erase my OS hard drive and do a fresh install of Lion and then restore all my data and files to it using Time Machine (I always do a fresh install when changing OS because it eliminates problems and works fine when restoring from Time Machine). But my question is: what Time Machine will do about the secondary hard drive when it is restoring since I am not going to erase it? and the Time Machine has a back up of it.
Since I have done it before, I know what options Time Machine gives you when restoring, but they are irrelivent to this issue since I have files on both hard drives.
Thanks!

soccomp wrote:
What I am going to do is erase my OS hard drive and do a fresh install of Lion and then restore all my data and files to it using Time Machine
Do you mean use Setup Assistant when your Mac boots up to transfer everything but OSX (via this window)?:
(That's the Snow Leopard version; the Lion version is a bit different.)
If so, that will transfer only from the backups of the OSX partition. Time Machine keeps the backups for each drive/partition separate, and only presents the ones with OSX on them here.
I always do a fresh install when changing OS because it eliminates problems
Such problems are fairly unusual. Most folks do just fine by simply upgrading "in place."
And unless you bought a Lion OSX USB thumb drive, or have another Snow Leopard bootable volume, you'll have a problem: you must use Snow Leopard to download Lion from the App Store, so you can't erase the drive first.

Similar Messages

Restoring from a Time Machine Backup on a new Hard drive

Hi,
I have a late 2009 iMac and I had the HD replaced (it was included in the recent HD recall).
Before I had it replaced, I made a backup using my time capsule and it was on the latest version of Mountain Lion.
My question is, since I have to install the OS using the original install discs which was Snow Leopard, if I use the restore from Time Machine using Mac OSX Utilities, will my Mac restore my Mountain Lion backup (and have everything like it used to before I had the HD replaced)? Or do I have to reinstall Lion then Mountain Lion then restore from there?
It would be a pain to re download everything.
Hope someone can help me out.
Thanks in advance

Please visit Pondini's Time Machine FAQ for help with all things Time Machine.
You will find that Mountain Lion stores an invisible copy of the Recovery HD. You can boot from your Time Machine backup drive by restarting with OPTION boot:
Boot Using OPTION key:
1. Restart the computer.
2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "OPTION" key.
3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.
4. Select the disk icon for your Time Machine backup drive.
5. Click on the arrow button below the icon.
Your computer should boot into the Recovery HD. You will be presented with a main window of options. Select the option to restore from a Time Machine backup then click on the Continue button.

Had a recent crash on my macbook, was previously using OS 10.6 I think. Restored from recent Time Machine backup and updated to OS 10.8.2 and now I cannot open Logic Pro 9. I get a 'No entry' Icon and a not supported on this type of Mac message. I cannot

Had a recent crash on my macbook, was previously using OS 10.6 I think. Restored from recent Time Machine backup and updated to OS 10.8.2 and now I cannot open Logic Pro 9. I get a 'No entry' Icon and a not supported on this type of Mac message. I cannot update either as anything up to 9.1.1 tells me I don't need it yet 9.1.2 tells me I need an eligable Logic Pro Version was not found in applications.
All of my files are stored in a separate hard drive with only the actual app having been on my Macbook. Should I just reinstall?

Hi
To run Mouitain Lion you need to update Logic.
For the updaters to work the Logic application must be:
a) Within the Applications folder, and not in any sub-folder
b) Named "Logic Pro" with no extra numbers or spaces
CCT

Are all programs / configuration settings restored from a Time Machine backup?

The hardrive in my late 2006 Macbook 2.0ghz laptop has finally kicked the bucket. I confirmed this with an Apple Genius at my local Apple store after she plugged in an external drive and running disk utility to run a diagnostic. However, I forgot to ask her about some details concerning my time machine backup which resides on an external drive that connects via firewire. I do know that my files and folders should be restored without issues. Although, I'm not sure about the following:
1. Will all my non-apple applications / programs be restored?
2. Will my configuration settings for mail be restored?
3. Will my itunes settings be restored (I have an iphone and ipad that connects to itunes)?
4. Will my contacts in address book be restored?
I still have the original drive of this laptop which still works just fine and boots up okay (never erased the OS) where the upgraded drive that I installed a few years ago is the one that failed. Therefore, I will be reverting back to the original drive that is smaller and slower.
The Genius recommended to run disk utility from the Snow Leopard Upgrade DVD (I originally had Leopard installed) to format the drive/install the OS and then do a full restore from my time machine backup. Although, I'm not sure if all my programs and settings for certain apps will be restored. I appreciate any help or other optioins I can possibly do to get back my saved files, programs, and settings.

Restoring from my time machine backup

My macbook pro OS crashed...the local apple store reinstalled OSx 10.6.8, told me to restore from my time machine backup drive. How do I get the backup to go? I've plugged the drive in, the machine finds it, but I see no place to click and start the restore...

To restore your backup:
1. Insert the Mac OS X disc and hold the C key while your Mac is starting.
2. Choose your language, go to Utilities menu (on the menu bar), choose the option to restore a backup and follow the steps.
Another way is to use Migration Assistant > http://pondini.org/OSX/Migrate.html It will create a new user with the transferred files

Restoring from a Time Machine backup manually ?

Hi all,
To make a long story short, I reorganized my disk space to create a Fusion drive from the initial hard disk drive and an added SSD one, confident in being able to restore everything from my Time Machine backups.
The creation of the Fusion drive went well but the restore from Time machine failed. This happenned probably (but I realized this too late) because the hard disk drive contained initially my own home directory and Time Machine had backuped 2 drives whereas I was asking it to restore on a "single" Fusion drive now.
So my question is simple : is there a way for me to recover the data (actually my own user directory, I reinstalled a clean system and all applications from scratch) that is available in my Time machine backups "by hand" ? And, if yes, how ?
Many thanks and happy new year to all
Jacky

If you can't restore from a Time Machine snapshot in Recovery, Setup Assistant, or Migration Assistant, then restore as much data as you can in the time-travel view.
Starting from a fresh installation of OS X, set up a new administrator account and log in. Enter Time Machine and 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 your home folder (in the Users folder at the top level of the old startup volume.)
You should now be able to restore your user data. I suggest you do this in two stages. Quit all applications except the Finder before you begin.
Restore all the visible items at the top level of your home folder.
Hold down the option key and select Go ▹ Library from the Finder menu bar. Enter Time Machine and restore all items in the Library folder. Log out and log back in as soon as the restore is complete.
Any other invisible folders or files at the top level of your home folder that you want to preserve will have to be restored separately. For most users, that isn't necessary.
Then either restore or reinstall all third-party applications, or restore them from another kind of backup, if you have one.
You'll have another problem if this is a new computer, or if you erased the startup volume: The next time you back up, Time Machine won't recognize any files as being the same as they were before, and will make a full copy of all files. There might not be enough space on one or more of your backup volumes for that. There are different ways of dealing with that situation, depending on your needs. The easiest way is to set your backup drives aside, if possible, until you're sure you'll no longer need the data on them, then erase them and start over. Meanwhile start a new backup on one or more empty storage devices. If that solution isn't workable for you, ask for instructions.
*If you don't see any snapshots in Time Machine, exit the time-travel view and then hold down the option key while selecting
Browse Other Backup Disks...
from the Time Machine menu, which has an icon that looks like a clock running backwards. Select the backups of your computer by its previous name. If you don't have the Time Machine menu, open the Time Machine preference pane in System Preferences and check the box marked
Show Time Machine in menu bar

Can i restore from a time machine backup that is not the latest one?

I am trying to restore from a May 7th time machine backup. At that time my username was michaelhood. I had a system crash and when my computer was returned to me I inadvertently set it up under a different username, thinking I would do the restore later. Between May 13 and today, Time machine did backups under the name mhoo4494. Changing the name didn't let me access my May 7 backup, nor did creating a different user account. I have erased the hard drive and am reinstalling from the Install CD. I have set up a third user name. I now want to restore my data from the Time Machine May 7 backup. How do I do that? Migration assistant saw two users -- mhoo and mhoo4494 (michaelhood was not an option). I selected them both, but got no data for either -- no docs, no music, no pictures. This procedure should not be this hard~!!

Hi uclamikey90,
It is possible, using Migration Assistant, to restore the contents of your hard drive selectively. See this article -
Mac OS X v10.6: How to use Migration Assistant to transfer files from a Time Machine backup - Apple Support
In particular -
To migrate data from a Time Machine backup
In Finder, press Command-Shift-U.
Double-click Migration Assistant.
Click "Continue" and enter an administrator name and password when prompted.
Select the "From a Time Machine backup or other disk" option, then click "Continue".
Select your Time Machine backup disk or Time Capsule (enter the user name and or password if prompted), then click "Continue".
Select the Time Machine backup you would like to restore (such the most current one you just made), then click "Continue".
Select Items to Migrate, then click "Continue". Note: The "Continue" button will be dimmed until the "Calculating…" stage is complete.
A user account sheet may appear if you have a user name on your Mac that is the same user name in your Time Machine backup. You will have to give the username in your Time Machine backup a new username to avoid conflicts. Note: This will create a new user account on your Mac to hold the data from the Time Machine backup. After migration, you can use the /Users/Shared folder to transfer data files the accounts.
Migration Assistant will begin the process of transferring the items you selected to migrate. When it is finished, click "Quit" to exit.
When you reach step 7, deselect items that you do not wish to migrate. Videos, photos and music are likely candidates for this as they take up a lot of disk space. You can later put items on an external hard drive.
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Brett L

Restoring from partial Time Machine Backup

I've backed up all my user files with Time Machine and I'm wondering if I can do a clean install of Leopard (erase the contents of the drive, install a fresh version of the OS) can I re-attach the Time Machine backup that I've created and easily restore, say, my desktop files to the new OS? Appl seems to suggest that the only way to restore your files from a Time Machine backup is to boot from the backup and restore the files using the Migration Tool. Can I just attach the new OS to my old Time Machine backup and restore piecemeil, one folder at a time (e.g. my music folder, my desktop, etc.). I ask because my leopard install is bunk (virtual memory is eating all my hard drive space, continusely, until it's empty) and I want to do a clean install, but I want to make sure I'll be able to restore the user files I've backed up with Time Machine.
Thanks.

I would be interested in this too. My 24" is coming back from repair and I'd just like to get my music and photos out of the time machine backup against a fresh OS install.
Any thoughts?

Restoring from Lion Time Machine backup and keeping Lion recovery partition

I am installing a new hard drive in my MacBook Pro. I have a Time Machine backup of everything, but I'm aware that just restoring the Time Machine backup to the new drive will not restore the Lion recovery drive/partition. What is the best way to move my data to the new drive? Am I best doing a clean install and moving everything over by hand from the Time Machine backup?

I've just done this. I booted from a Lion Recovery USB stick then restored from a Time Capsule. I had no RecoveryHD partition after it.
However, if you download and run the Lion installer once you log in to your desktop it will re-create the RecoveryHD partition. Long way round though.
Best solution is to make a bootable USB (8GB) or DVD from the Lion installer App. Then do a new install of Lion to get the Recovery HD partition created. Once installed you can restart and boot up using the newly created Recovery HD and restore your entire computer from the Time Capsule. Hey presto, your computer should be back to the way it was.

Moving files from a Time Machine backup manually vs restoring from a Time Machine backup

I have read several articles saying that contemporary Macs and OSs are built such that they clean themselves up - defragmentation, general sweeping, etc. I was told by the Genius, however, that there are many little files that are left lying around after installs, uninstalls, file making, and file deletion that will gum up the works. He recommended that I set up my computer as though it's brand new and manually transfer files over from my Time Machine backup folder on my ExtHD.
Because I couldn't find a discussion of this specific topic online, I thought I'd bring it to the community myself. Is there an advantage to setting up the computer from scratch and manually moving the files (provided I use Migration Assistant for applications)?
For background: My Mac was running slowly, and after doing some research and talking to a "Genius", I thought it would be wise to reformat my HD and restore my system. Aside from sluggish performance, I was experiencing strange symptoms - like free disk space remaining the same even after deleting huge files, permissions errors, etc. I tried doing a permissions repair (a process I'd been told to do before when experiencing issues, even though I never knew what that really did), and read that I should verify my disk as well. Disk Utility told me that I had to reboot from the repair disk to perform the necessary repairs. The repair disk Disk Utility told me that my disk had some major issues and needed to be reformatted and restored.
HOURS LATER: I am back up and running now and Disk Utility is showing the appropriate amount of free disk space.

Let's start with some basics.
Check under the Apple in the Menu bar About this Mac > More Info
How much Memory do you have installed?
What size is our hard drive and how much free space?
You'll find the term Genius does not necessarily mean they are expert. Even on this forum, you'll find varying difference of opinions and levels of expertise.
I have read several articles saying that contemporary Macs and OSs are built such that they clean themselves up - defragmentation, general sweeping, etc.
This is true. Apps like MacKeeper, CleanMyMac, TuneUpMyMac, Washing Machine or anything like these apps might appear to be helpful, can do too more harm than good. As a result of the 'cleanup' it can leave your Mac non-functional Mac. The forums are full of users with computers that no longer work correctly after running these so call 'cleaners'
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4171
Your Mac runs maintenance in the background for you > Mac OS X: About background maintenance tasks
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2319
I was told by the Genius, however, that there are many little files that are left lying around after installs, uninstalls, file making, and file deletion that will gum up the works.
I'm going to disagree here. Get rid of the installer from downloads after installing. After removing an app, most of the little files do no harm and take up very little space. However some applications mostly crapware/cleaners will leave files that continue to run silently in the background takeing up resources.
Don't install stuff you don't really need. There is no magic bullet to clean up your messes.

HT201250 After restoring from a time machine backup using migration assistant I can't log in

Hi, I recently bought a Mac Pro and using a Mountain Lion boot disk I made installed a fresh ML install which went fine. During the final part of install it gives you the option of restoring user data etc etc from a time machine backup which I have from my MacBook Pro which again in principal went fine until I went to log in when I got the message 'An error has occurred unable to log into this account a this time'.
Looking on the web I thought at first it was a password issue so restarted with command-r and reset the password, however the same error still occurs. I don't think it is password issue as if you deliberately enter the wrong password it rejects it immediately where as with the correct password it hangs for about 15secs before throwing up the above error.
Can anyone offer any advice?
The only thing I can possibly think of is that on my MBP where the time machine backup is from my home folder is on a 2nd HDD that is not the boot disk and I only have a single HDD on my MacPro.......

You might try to access the desired Time Machine backup from "Browse Other Time Machine Disks" (click Time Machine icon in the Dock).
Also, you might find some help here.

REstoring from old time machine backups on new install

Hi, I've been looking for good documentation on this and haven't seen an answer yet.
I want to blow away and reinstall my OS (10.5.1) I made a full backup to my time machine disk and I had planned on reinstalling the OS and all my apps for a clean start, then when the time came to move my photos and itunes back just connect my time machine disk to the new installation and copy the data back. Once I was satisfied that everything I needed was restored from the time machine dist to the new install I would go ahead and re-enable time machine on the new install and blow away my old backups starting from scratch. Has anyone done this yet? I do not want to plug in the old time machine disk and not be able to access the data that was created by the old installation. I would be bitter to say the least. Before anyone suggests another means of backing up I have thought of that, but, I'd like to see if this works.
I understand the scenario of beginning an install and choosing to restore that way, but, the reason I'm reinstalling is to start with a fresh OS form scratch an be able to restore selectively.
Thanks for reading my wordy post, I look forward to hearing back!
Thanks again

I think I'm facing the same issue as you. I ran Time Machine on my MBP. Now I've bought a new iMac. I started it with the Leopard CD and instead of installing Leopard on the new machine, I selected Restore from Time Machine Backup (or something like that). Everything from my old machine is now on my new machine. Sweet!
Only one problem. I've now enabled Time Machine on the new iMac and it tells me that there's not enough room on my external 320 GB drive for its first backup. It also tells me that its first backup will be 112 GB in size! This large size leads me to conclude that Time Machine will not add to the backups from the old MBP, but instead start a new series for the new iMac. To confirm this, I looked on the backup drive.
On the external backup drive, there are a series of 4 KB files, one for each machine that has previously been backed up. These names are nearly identical to the machine's MAC address (which you can find by open Network Preferences > Airport > Advanced). Time Machine will create a sparsebundle file for each machine backed up over the network; its name will have the format MachineNameMacAddresssparesebundle (Backups made when the backup drive was connected locally are saved in a folder called Backups.backupdb). So, to delete an old backup from a machine you're not using any more, you need to delete the 4 KB file containing the machine's MAC address, AND either the sparsebundle file OR the machine names' folder inside the Backups.backupdb folder.
Hope this helps.

Can iCloud documents in Mobile Documents folder be restored from a Time Machine backup?

Integration with iCloud seems much improved so far in Mountain Lion. Thanks, Apple! Just to be on the safe side, though: are documents stored in the ~/Library/Mobile Documents folder included in Time Machine backups, and fully restorable? This seemed a little uneven prior to Mountain Lion.
I just wanted to make sure that these documents are always backed up in case there is ever a problem with iCloud (or in case I simply make a mistake and an unintended change or deletion propogates across all my devices and I need to restore an earlier version).

Wow! It didn't occur to me that it would work this way, although of course it makes perfect sense—and it works. I just tried it.
It doesn't actually seem to work with older documents (I tried in Pages), and I'm not sure if that problem has to do with Mountain Lion, or previous versions of iWork apps, or both. But I tried it with a fresh document, deleted it restored it, and was able to use it. So finally it seems that iCloud works the way it should.
Thanks again.

Can not restore from all Time Machine backup locations

I've just set up Time Machine in Mountain Lion to rotate backups between a Time Capsule (existing) and a Synology NAS (new).
When I select "Enter Time Machine" only the backups created on the NAS are shown.
How can I make Time Machine show restore points from both devices, or at least select a Time Machine location to restore from?
Backups are rotating and operating between the two without any issues.

Pickled Hamster wrote:
How can I make Time Machine show restore points from both devices, or at least select a Time Machine location to restore from?
You have to use the Browse Other Backup Disks option, per Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #17.

Restoring from a Time Machine backup

I installed OS X Leopard onto my iBook recently and realized that no matter what I do, the install of Leopard on my more powerful PowerBook is much slower and buggy at this point. So I've decided to reinstall Leopard on the PowerBook and I have the entire HDD backed up to a PowerMac G4 using Time Machine. While loaded off the Install DVD the drive where it's backed up to on the PowerMac won't show up in the Restore From Time Machine application.
I don't mind reinstalling and just dragging everything I want off of the backup Sparseimage to where it used to be, but I want to keep more simple things like preferences and even little things like the amount of times I've played songs in iTunes. It gives the computer more personality to me (don't judge). Is there a way to do this? Or do I need a fire wire cable to have the backup show? The PowerMac is also running Leopard.

tanner1294 wrote:
do I need a fire wire cable to have the backup show? The PowerMac is also running Leopard.
I've never done it, but that should work. The installer is looking for an external (or network) disk, not another Mac. If you connect via F/W and start the G4 up in Target Disk Mode, it will look like an external disk.
See Using Target Disk mode if you need details.
Also see Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #14 if you need details on the full restore.

Restoring from a time machine backup question

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