Time Machine and clean install to Lion

Completed a clean install of Lion on my 2009 IMac. But Time Machine won't recognize any backups prior to the clean install. In other words, when you enter Time Machine, it only goes back to the time you actually did the clean install. How do I gain access to the indexing for backups from my former system? The data on the backup drive should all be intact.

See Pondini's TM FAQs for starters.

Similar Messages

  • How can I restore my contacts from a snow leopard time machine to clean instal of Lion

    I recently did a clean instal of Lion (which was wayyyyy to difficult by the way--why this wasnt an easy option to begin with I do not know and am not happy about).
    In my sleep depravation from the previous problem I accidentally synced my contacts from mobile me to take my computer contacts (deleting all my contacts from my phone and computer).
    Fortunately I have a back up on my time machine from my previously installed Snow Leopard.
    I tried to restore these files, but they seem to not be compatible.
    Steps I took:
    1.) -Opened Address Book in Lion
    -Opened time machine
    notes: i could not go backward in time with lion address book
    2.) -Copied files from time machine address book to desktop
    -completely unable to open files.
    I do not want to use migration assistant because it seems to want to take ALL my files over and frankly thats not what I want to do at all.
    PLEASE HELP!

    Hi,
    See this Excellent Link by Pondini on TM:
    http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/Index.html
    May be Helpful...

  • Time Machine and clean install

    I made a clean install (Erase HDD -> Install Mac OS X) to my MacBook Pro. All previous attempts to clean my computer from all the junk I had installed on my computer during my studies failed so I decided to make a fresh start.
    I did not use migration assistant after install because I didn't want to get all the preferences from the previous install. What I did, I browsed spesific folder with Time Machine's "Browse other Time Machine Disks" -function.
    The questions are, what happens to my old Time Machine sparsebundle-file if I start backing up again? Will it just add new backup after previous (before clean install) backup, will it destroy all previous backups or will it create new sparsebundle?  Is it even possible to continue backups to the same backup-database?

    Just to make sure I don't lose my previous backups. I have enough space for new backup, so is it possible just to move old sparsebundle-file to a folder so that Time Machine can make new sparsebundle on the root of Time Capsule?

  • How to restore files from Time Machine after Clean Install of Mavericks

    How to restore files from Time Machine after Clean Install of Mavericks. I know the data is there but seems unaccessable because I may have changed the Computer or Owner name. Is there any way to fix that now?

    Hi Linc,
    my back-up data is managed by Time Machine; the actual data is on a second internal Hard Drive with a capacity of 1TB - not partitioned. I am using Time Machine and have access to all data backed up since Mavericks Clean Install but not the data prior to this date.
    When I open the 1TB drive in Finder I can see a folder "Backups.backupdb/Sigi's Mac Pro/ followed by many folders of backup dates going back to 2010-09-20-103441 and up to 2014-02-07-142414 all followed with folder Macintosh HD.  February 7th  2014 was the date of the clean install.
    These Backups are followed by backup date folder 2014-02-08-075554 with a subfolder of MacPro-320GB (this is the name I assigned to my Boot Drive during formatting; I suspect I should have assigned the same name as before ie. Macintosh HD) and 2014-02-11 with a subfolder Macintosh HD, these are the ones I get access to by way of Time Machine > Restore.
    Weird thing is on Febr 11 when I relised my possible mistake and renamed the Bootdrive back to what it was initially ie. Macintosh HD despite this I have access to all backup data since the Clean Install in both folders MacPro-320GB as well as Macintosh HD but not to any data prior to the Clean Install.
    Is there something that Time Machine knows and prevents access or is it simply a matter of renaming the subfolder 2014-02-08-07554/MacPro-320GB to ........./Macintosh HD?
    I like to restore selectively and not everything - It was hard work reinstalling apps that were supposed to be the troublemakers (ref my discussion on Maverick problems) but I now need to get onto data specific to some of these apps as well as other data I may have missed. Long story? Yes and sorry.
    Sigi

  • How can I wipe my hard drive and clean install Mountain Lion?

    Hi I have a 21.5 inch mid 2011 iMac running Mountain Lion, I want to wipe my hard drive and clean install Mountain Lion. I dont want all my stuff back, just photos and music, the rest I'll reinstall my self. I also dont have a exteranl harddrive. only two USB's one 2 GB and the other 8 GB. How do I do this? And I dont want to pay for mountain lion again. Thanks!

    I made my partition and am currently reinstalling mountain lion to put on my flash drive. I'm using Lion disk maker 2 thats compatible with mountain lion. I'm doing it right, correct?

  • Cannot restore iPhoto Library from Time Machine after clean install

    I was experiencing various problems with my MBP and wiped the hard drive after meticulously backing up everything with Time Machine, or manually. I reinstalled everything. I was relying on Time Machine to restore my photos and events in iPhoto. When I select "Browse Backups" in iPhoto, I can see all of my backups, but can select none of them. Any ideas to save a decade worth of photos?

    Hi a:
    Welcome to Apple discussions.
    I am preaching, but +"wiping/erasing a HD"+ should be reserved for true disasters. That is a Windows process.
    Now, trying to help (I treasure my own photos - a lot), go to your home folder (~pictures). If something called iPhoto library is there, highlight it, open Time Machine, and then restore it.
    If that does not fix the problem, try posting in the iPhoto forum. There are some real experts with iPhoto problems that may be able to help.
    Barry

  • Restore from time machine after clean install of Mavericks

    I decided to do a clean install of Mavericks to get rid of all the very old files hiding in my system folders.  I made a startup disk following online instructions, rebooted from the USB drive and wiped the drive and reinstalled Mavericks.  Then I plugged in my Time machine backup drive and tried to recover particular folders from the latest backup.  However, I am getting a permission error that prevents me from going into the old user folder from that backup.  It has a red circle/line icon on the folder.  How do I get around this so I can select what to restore?

    You might be able to view in System Preferences > Users & Groups.
    Time  Machine  -  Troubleshooting by James Pond is the best source around for Time Machine  help.
    I'm not seeing your issue listed. It's possible you will need to do a full Time Machine restore to another drive so you can actually boot from the drive then log into the user. If you have enough space on internal you could partition to restore there without polluting your current new install.
    Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions 18. How can I copy my TM backups to a different location?
    I backup to Time Machine but I also use a clone and use it over Time Machine when I'm trying to restore a User like youare trying to do. Hopefully someone else will have a better suggestion other than doing a full restore.

  • Time machine question when installing Mountain Lion

    I have a 2010 iMac running OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard.
    I am preparing to install Mountain Lion, and can't find any instruction about what to do
    with my Time Machine which is on an external hard drive.
    Do I eject it before I install Mountain Lion and then just plug it back in afterwards?
    Will I still be able to see the older backups?
    Thanks

    No, and yes.

  • Problems loading Time machine since clean install of Yosemite.

    I have an IMAC 27"/2.8QC/2x2GB/1TB/5750/SD.
    I recently tried to upgrade to Yosemite without success, I ended up taking my IMAC to my local Apple store and they ended up doing a clean install of Yosemite.  When I came home I completed the install and plugged in my Time Machine to recover the historical date i.e. files/photos etc.   Time machine is showing files going back to the 4th September and no further so far although it should be going back nearly four years, I am also unable to select any of the files/photos to restore.  Any help would be appreciated.

    Time Machine in Yosemite must index all of the old backups on your backup drive before they will work correctly.
    That process will take a long time....a very long time if you have backups going back 4 years.
    With my Mac connected to a Time Capsule using an Ethernet connection, it took 2 days for Time Machine to index the old backups, and my backups only went back about a year.  It might take a week for Time Machine to index all your old backups.....assuming you are using Ethernet.
    If your Mac connects using wireless to your network, the indexing process will likely take 3-4 times longer.
    You will know when the indexing is nearing completion when you can access your backups and go back 24-36 months to see them.

  • How do I set up my Time Machine and Mac Mini with Lion Server so i have one wifi loop in the house?

    HELP!
    So I have had a Time Machine wifi loop at the house for approx. 6 years. I run two Macbooks, 2 iPhones, 2 iTouch and a Samsung Smart Blueray on the loop.
    I just bought a Mac Mini with Lion Server. When setting it up I'm not sure what or how I managed to do, but I now have 2 wifi loops, one doesn't lock and niether will support the Samsung BlueRay. Also, each time I want to go online with one of the other Mac devices i have to relog into the wifi loop.
    Can someone please walk me through the fix. The mac Mini is plugged straight into the Time Machine to recevie its internet connection.
    Thanks!
    John

    You often see this limit of 10 clients in wireless hotspots but I have yet to see it in an adsl modem.. most strange way to pay for a service that is really irrelevant how many clients you use.
    Have a go .. I recently setup a TC to help a guy run his Roku.. and this setup worked well.. I have no idea if it can work in your case.
    Lets say the IP you get is 192.168.2.1-10 .. doesn't matter what it really is. And the adsl modem is 192.168.2.254
    (Assuming they are private addresses.. if they are public IP you can just use the DHCP and NAT. )
    But go to the airport utility.. I think you need to run v5 at least to change DNS.. but you can do the same thing in v6 using static but no dns changes.
    Now you set the IP of the TC manually.. This address might need to be in the dhcp range of the modem to work. You can set the DNS to same IP as the router address.. ie home address of the modem. Or you can use another DNS.. whatever you like.
    Then set DHCP for clients that will join.. this can then expand the scope of addresses..
    It worked without a NAT error.. although I am not sure exactly how.. on paper it should not be able to work but did.. have a go.. otherwise there is perhaps another way.. but it is complicated.
    Give us an example from a computer plugged into the modem of what IP .. subnet mask .. Gateway and DNS you get. Then I can fine tune the values for it.

  • Will Time Machine backup of SL erase Lion at the same time?

    I normally wait before downloading new OSX's from Apple, but didn't this time and regret it. Before installing Lion, I did a Time Machine backup of my iMac. My question is: how do I restore my iMac to that last backup with Snow Leopard? I want Lion off my iMac (for now), but I DON'T want to have to reinstall all my applications, lose my iTunes Library, lose my iPhoto and Aperture libraries or all of the other applications I have. So - do I load the Snow Leopard disc.. erase my hard drive, reinstall Snow Leopard then restore from Time Machine, or can I just select the last restore from Time Machine and it will delete Lion for me? The reason I ask is because I want my internet back without having to manually reconnect through Network Preferences every 10 minutes. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

    Restore to a multiple disk setup should work fine. But there are as always some tricks to it.
    See our expert Pondini's explaination and follow his links.. I suggest you actually spend some time understanding how TM works.
    http://pondini.org/TM/32.html
    I would also recommend spending a few dollars and buy CCC or superduper. Make a backup of each drive. These 3rd party backup programs are more flexible and you can create direct images of the drives. It makes recovery a much much easier process.
    If it is a Mac Pro put in another disk for TM backups and use a USB or even esata card and external sata drive for backups using CCC. Doing it that way you can make a bootable image of your main drive.

  • Clean install of Lion and Time Machine backups

    Hi All,
    I have a new MBP on it's way to be delivered to my house today, and my question is about Time Machine backups. I'd like to restore from my old MBP's Time Machine data, but I'm a little concerend because I've had some issues with Lion. Specifically, very slow at random times, spinning beach balls, etc. I didn't do a clean install of Lion, just the download/upgrade method, and from what I've read, that's caused some problems for people.
    Will a restore from a Time Machine backup replace all of the "fresh" system files, etc. on the new MBP, or only move specific files, or files not present in the system (i.e. app preferences)? I'd rather not have to manually copy and install everything if I can avoid it, but I don't want to transfer any old problems to the new MBP. Thanx.

    OK, you're right. I wish Apple would get rid of the Applications Folder in the User Folder.
    If you haven't read this yet:
    How to use Migration assistant to transfer files from another Mac
    I still believe you are relatively safe in not porting over trouble from your previous System.
    What trouble are you having

  • Clean install of Lion and Time Machine

    I have done a clean install of Lion and re-installed all software.
    Now I would like to continue backing up this new, clean computer to the same Time Machine I was using before the clean install, preserving previous backups.
    Is there any way to do this? I don't want to loose all of the data backed up...will choosing the old Time Machine disk overwrite everyting?
    I don't want to try anything until I'm sure.
    Thanks,
    Margot

    Margotvbp wrote:
    I have done a clean install of Lion and re-installed all software.
    How are you planning to put your data back?  If you use Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant, that should leave a "trail" for the next Time Machine backup to "associate" your "new" (erased) disk with the old backups.
    If it doesn't, or if you use some other method to put your stuff back, you should be able to tell Time Machine to do it, per #B6 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

  • Clean install of Lion and proper Time Capsule procedure.  Advice Please.

    Good day all,
    I have performed a clean install of Lion.  I have previously been using a  1TB Time Capsule to backup my Snow Leopard disk.  I did not use the Time Capsule to restore my files to Lion, instead I restored individual files from a backup of my Home folder on a seperate exteral hard drive.  I have not yet enabled Time Machine in Lion.  Is it advisable to erase the Snow Leopard backups using Airport Utility before enabling Time Machine?  If I enable Time Machine without erasing the Time Capsule will it ask me if I want to erase or will it simply begin another set of back up data leaving the previous backups intact? 
    Thank you!

    If you had used Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant to put your data back, Time Machine would do an "incremental" backup, of what's new or changed.
    Since you didn't, TM doesn't realize the erased disk has most of the same stuff as before, and will treat your Mac's internal HD as a different one, and will do a new, full backup of it.  You cannot prevent that.  (If your backups were on an external HD, you could make it "associate" the backups with the "new" disk, but that doesn't work on network backups for some reason.) 
    So your best bet is probably to erase the TC's internal HD.
    If it's quite large, however, you may not have to.  If it's at least 2.2 times the size of what's on your internal HD, there will be room for a new backup.

  • I installed lion. and lost all my previous apps also my email. my desktop is cleared. i have time machine and the disk that was used to back up is still oK and what did i do wrong. I can't use final cut or any of my software or applications

    I lost all my applicatons when I upgraded to Lion.  I have a backup disc with all my informatioin..  I am not sure what happened but under my harddrive i still have my user tab my orginal name is there and informaton. but its like i have a new computer with new harddrive.  I have final cut and many other programs that do not show up. can i get them back ?  also my emails are all gone.   can I do a restore ? to get back to normal ?   at this point i feel i have to reload safari and do a restore from time machine.  
    can i get lion to see my old username ?
    thanks
    rock

    Thanks so much but none of that helped.  It was driving me crazy because it would back up another external drive.  I just changed the name of the drive from iPhoto/iTunes Library to Media Libraries and IT WORKED!! I guess for some reason it didn't like the drive being called iPhoto or iTunes ???? I don't understand but I have tried so many solutions and exchanging things out but the name change did it????!!!
    Thank you for your help and replying to this.  Guess I made my own issue!

Maybe you are looking for

  • Problems to connect two external firewire hardrives at the same time

    I try to have both external connected at the same time one via Firewire 800 and the other via Firewire 400 and it doesn't work. My solution is to change to Usb 2.0 one of them. Maybe I have a problem with my Firewire? How can I check if the ports are

  • Recording audio from the net ?

    What are simple means to record an audio stream from the net on my PowerBook, like a podcast (not a live broadcast, not a line-input) ? Can QuickTime do it ? Thanx in advance,

  • Raw or jpg in lightroom?

    Hi a stupid question about lightroom , i'm a new customer i know that i can edit raw & jpg files is there a big suitability to edit raw files in quality??? or can i edit jpg files as well like raw? thanks

  • Installing Flash on Windows 7 Professional with 64 bit?

    We have been unable to make this installaation on several of our office desktops.  Any advice is appreciated - thanks!

  • No Centry in CDHDR when Cost Center is created via Idoc

    Hi All, Whenever a cost center is created via an Idoc the corresponding entry is not maintained in CDHDR table. Whereas if I use Tcode ks01 to create Cost Center (ie via screen) then there is an entry to CDHDR table. I tried debugging the FM  IDOC_IN