Time Machine backing up, but restore option not available

Macbook Pro with OS X, 10.5.8. For some time now time machine has been backing up to the external hard drive, but when I select an earlier date to restore my system, the "restore" selection is not available. Any ideas?

Try Section E Here...
http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html

Similar Messages

HT201250 I had files stored on a hard drive that were not on my Mac. I used the hard drive for my first Time Machine back up, but it was not enough hard drive space to finish. Now those stored files are gone. Is there any way I can recover them?

I had files stored on a hard drive that were not on my Mac. I used the hard drive for my first Time Machine back up, but it was not enough hard drive space to finish. Now those stored files are gone. Is there any way I can recover them? No, they were not part of previous Time Machine backups, and I have checked both the hard drive the documents were lost on and the new one that I now use for backups. Any suggestions would be helpful, as the lost files are old pictures that are gone forever. :[ Thanks!

1. Yes, if both drives are formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
2. Reformat the drives if needed, open the Time Machine pane of System Preferences, and remove the drive with the pictures from the list of items set to be excluded.
(110331)

Mountain Lion will not install says HD is time machine back up but it isn't

I downloaded ML and it state will not install as HD is time machine back up but it is not, I have another external drive
for time machine back up.
I have OS 10.6.8 which a I read the information should be what is required to intall ML.
How can I get the program to recognize that my HD is not the back up disk?

OS X- Cannot install on a volume used by Time Machine for backups

Mac Pro early 2008 2 x 2.8GHz Quad Core 10.7.5, replaced 4 x 500ghds with 4 x 3Tb and Raid card Raid5 them OK but can not load time machine back up as it does not see any of the 4 drives, neither does disc utilities, any thoughts?

On my Mac Pro, early 2008 2 x 2.8GHz Quad Core 10.7.5, replaced 4 x 500ghds with 4 x 3Tb. The Raid card Raid 5ed them OK but can not load time machine back up as it does not see any of the 4 drives, neither does disc utilities, any thoughts?

You don't see drives when using a hardware RAID only the volumes.
WD Green are not suitable for hardware RAID (or software RAID for that matter).
USB2 and TimeMachine are a disaster waiting to happen. I've used SATA (internal) and eSATA (using SATA PCIe cards) trouble-free.
I can't say I begin to understand your use or "choosing the install drive for the backup"
Install what?
You don't load TimeMachine. Maybe seems minor but that is not how to describe the behavior of software.
You read FAQ and How To http://www.apple.com/support/timemachine
Time Machine’s Gory Details:
https://www.apple.com/support/timemachine/
TimeMachine 101
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427
Lion Recovry & TimeMachine
http://www.apple.com/support/lion/installrecovery/
http://www.apple.com/support/lion/
How To Restore Your System
http://pondini.org/TM/14.htmlMac OS X v10.7 Lion
Pondini's Blog: Time Machine - Troubleshooting -- B5. Would you like to inherit (or re-use) the backup . . . ?

I use an external hard drive as a Time Machine back up, but I want to use another external hard drive to save movies, photos on it, but it won't give me the option to save anything on the new external hard drive. Nothing is wrong with the external hard.

I use an external hard drive as a Time Machine back up, but I want to use another external hard drive to save movies, photos on it, but it won't give me the option to save anything on the new external hard drive. Nothing is wrong with the external hard.

Hi Clarkett99,
To use an external hard drive for your iTunes library, see the steps in this article -
iTunes: Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
iPhoto can be used in a similar way, follow the steps in this previous discussion -
how do I save photos and their albums...: Apple Support Communities
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3744259
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Brett L

I cannot install ODX Yosemite over OSX Mavericks as my Mac Book Pro (early 2011) advises that the disc "Mackintosh HD" is used for Time Machine back ups. This is not the case however as I use a separate external HD for this purpose, help please ?! T

I cannot install ODX Yosemite over OSX Mavericks as my Mac Book Pro (early 2011) advises that the disc "Mackintosh HD" is used for Time Machine back ups. This is not the case however as I use a separate external HD for this purpose, help please ?!
Thanks

Check this link out...
OS X: Cannot install on a volume used by Time Machine for backups
I was apart of this thread and it helped the OP...
Re: System installer thinks my main drive is my time Machine backup and won't install.
KOT

If I already purchased FaceTime for Mac and recently upgraded my HD. How can I retrieve that app again? I found it in my Time Machine back up, but the files won't work. Please help.

If I already purchased FaceTime for Mac and recently upgraded my HD. How can I retrieve that app again? I found it in my Time Machine back up, but the files won't work. Please help.

Nope. I do the same exact thing. If you have DVD's and blu-rays you can't download a free application called Handbrake. You can set it to Apple TV2 automatic format and they will come out as playable m4v's that can play I'm iTunes. All you have to do is turn on Home Sharing in both iTunes and your Apple RV and you'll be good to go!

Time Machine backs up but backs not up

Time Machine is running normally under SL.
But when I check by entering Time Machine,
I can see that in my last backup dated today
19:43 (7:43 p.m.), the Dekstop is not up to
date : it's still the items of my desktop
date 9/24/2009.
When checking individual files, they're all
old versions, none is updated today.
Nice !
A solution ?
Thanks
Message was edited by: Hellstan

Hellstan wrote:
Not so anymore : when I check "Option" in Pref, I see the disk
I choose for TM backup in the list of EXCLUDED disks, appearing in
full (black lettering) while the disk I normally exclude that day
appears normally in gray.
That just means that TM is not going to back-up it's backups. Not a problem.
Now there is more ANNOYING : while typing this, I left "Options"
dialog open to be sure I'm not daydreaming. And I SAW automatically
my third external disk, called Archimages, which is NEVER chosen
for TM backup, but only for Images copy I do manually, launch
a backup.
Which one is selected in TM Preferences > Change Disk?
Which is a big mess, because I dont' want my HD to copy on this
3-d disk, but only on disk 1 or 2.
Am I clear ?
About what you want, yes. About what you've done and what's happened, no
All this since I installed SL 10.6 in a clean install and update to 10.6.1
PS : Now I forced TM to stop any backup on Archimages 1, and it launched automatically the initial backup I've asked, namely on TM 1 disk. Currently,
it's "calculating modifications" since 10 minutes. Bloody mess, and I guess the culprit in SL.
Your posts are a bit hard to follow (perhaps the language difference).
If you're saying that TM is not backing-up changed items, then:
1. Are you running File Vault?
2. Is there anything in the +Do not back up+ box that's excluding them?
If both of those are "no," your preferences file may be corrupted. Do a "full reset" per item #B3 in the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip,* and Restart your Mac.
From your previous post:
Backing up to: /Volumes/A-Time Machine 1/Backups.backupdb
Node requires deep traversal:/Volumes/A-Time Machine 2 reason:must scan subdirs|
That indicates that the exclusion for +A-Time Machine 2+ was removed somehow.
Copied 3 files (228 KB) from volume A-Time Machine 2.
But since TM won't copy TM backups, those are probably some of the hidden files not included in the backups.
You might want to do a +*Repair Disk+* (not permissions) on both your TM drives, via Disk Utility in your Applications/Utilities folder.
That, plus the things above, including the Restart, may re-set whatever's wrong with your setup.

Time Machine Backs Up, But Can't Do Anything Within Interface

I'm on a newish Macbook Pro, OS 10.6.3, and Time Machine backs up to a OWC Mercury Elite AL Pro drive via Firewire 800.
Time Machine backs up correctly, but I can only access the backed up files via Finder. "Enter Time Machine" shows me the proper interface, but absolutely nothing therein is clickable.
There is no "sparsebundle" file on the drive.
Option clicking to "browse other time machine disks" shows me no options.
Help...?

james a Leff wrote:
Thanks (though I've found that genius bar guys, if you hit the right one, are better than applecare guys; the latter follow scripts and flowcharts, but the former are freer to think on their feet, not assume you're a newbie, etc etc).
In most cases, that may be true. But the folks at the Apple Stores rarely know much about Time Machine, since they don't actually use it. It's worth a try (and cheaper if you don't have AppleCare), but we get many reports here of wrong advice from the Genius Bar about Time Machine.
I guess one option is to wipe the disk, wipe my time machine and finder plists, and start again.
I'd lose all previous backups, but I'm pretty sure (knock formica) I haven't suffered any data loss recently.
That's always an option. Do you have another drive? I always recommend secondary backups, on separate hardware, anyway, but especially if you're thinking of doing that. Once you hit Erase, you have no backups.
Just to be sure we're on the same plane......I'm talking about going to the TM icon in menu bar with option held down, and choosing "browse other time machine disks". I get no choices. But with the wording of "other", should I see my main TM disk there?
Yes. It should list all TM backups that OSX can find, for any Mac, including yours. The only exception is, if they've been marked as corrupted. See #E2 in Troubleshooting.

Time Machine Backs Up but doesn't retrieve

I use to have Time Machine back up to an external disk that was connected to a shared computer on my network. It worked great. It kept a disk image on the external disk which it mounted each time Time Machine would back up or when I entered Time Machine. Recently I have connected that external disk directly to my computer by USB. Time Machine is still backing up to this drive, it still knows that my oldest back up is from November 2007 and keeps track of it's latest backups. BUT, when I open Time Machine it no longer mounts that disk image and there is no backup history.
What have I done wrong? Do I need to delete my disk image and start over?

james a Leff wrote:
Thanks (though I've found that genius bar guys, if you hit the right one, are better than applecare guys; the latter follow scripts and flowcharts, but the former are freer to think on their feet, not assume you're a newbie, etc etc).
In most cases, that may be true. But the folks at the Apple Stores rarely know much about Time Machine, since they don't actually use it. It's worth a try (and cheaper if you don't have AppleCare), but we get many reports here of wrong advice from the Genius Bar about Time Machine.
I guess one option is to wipe the disk, wipe my time machine and finder plists, and start again.
I'd lose all previous backups, but I'm pretty sure (knock formica) I haven't suffered any data loss recently.
That's always an option. Do you have another drive? I always recommend secondary backups, on separate hardware, anyway, but especially if you're thinking of doing that. Once you hit Erase, you have no backups.
Just to be sure we're on the same plane......I'm talking about going to the TM icon in menu bar with option held down, and choosing "browse other time machine disks". I get no choices. But with the wording of "other", should I see my main TM disk there?
Yes. It should list all TM backups that OSX can find, for any Mac, including yours. The only exception is, if they've been marked as corrupted. See #E2 in Troubleshooting.

Trying to copy folders from a time machine back up but the operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access certain files

Good morning,
I am trying to compy some folder from my time machine back up onto my desktop and I have changed the privilige for my back up to read and write...but it;s still not letting my copy the files. How come?

See Pondini's TM FAQs for starters.

Time Machine Back Up Disk Location Options?

I have a few nOOb questions;
1. Can time machine back up to Mobile Me's i disk?
2. Is there a fix/work around for time machine not being able to back up to an Air Port Extreme's
USB connected hard drive?
3. What does "mounting a disk" mean?
4. Can time machine back up to an external disk connected by Lan cable to the Air Port Extreme?
5. What is HFS+ formatted?
6. What is an Air Disk?
Thanks in advance -Paul
Message was edited by: not-a-mac-user

"Well, not wanting to be a smart a$$, it was because it was the answer to your second question, not the first. I guess I wasn't smart enough to assume you might have read the entire post before you did anything. Guess I was wrong."
Captain,
First of all, your reply doesn't even make sense. If you are going to flame a nOOb on the interweb - make sure you do it right! I believe you meant to say, "I guess it was pretty stupid of me to assume you might have read the entire post before you did anything." Even when corrected your flame response doesn't hold water. Why would reading the entire post before I did anything, invalidate your instructions to enter "script/code" into the terminal? By the way how do you now what I did first, second, etc.?
You said, to fix the Time Machine's incapability to back up to any HD connected to an AEBS then input the code provided into the terminal. The previous instruction was not invalidated by anything you responded to after that.
Also, by answering my second question, you indeed by defacto changed your response to question number 1. Lastly, who responds to questions numbered 1-6 with answers labeled A-F?
Thanks for the links.

Very sick Macbook Pro OS v 10.6.8 - initially running slow so I tried backing up to Time Machine and reloading the OS but the install disk failed. I was able to recover from the Time Machine back up but many applications are not working properly. Help!

I am also no longer able to back up using Time Machine (backups fail), can't access iPhoto (which was a problem before attempting to reload OS) and I suspect other apps are no longer working. The computer is however running faster in Safari and Mail...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

If there are any files you can transfer to a regular storage drive do that first and then disconenct all drives.
Hold c boot off the 10.6.8 disk and use Disk Utility to Erase with Zero option the hard drive, takes some time, let it complete as it's mapping off any bad or failing sectors.
Then install 10.6. log in and update to 10.6.8 (important!)
Now use Migration Assistant to transfer over just your user files, we need to rescue those first out of TimeMachine's EVIL clutches, once you've got that, transfer them to the regular storage drive and disconnect.
Note: if your 10.6 disk fails, call Apple for a replacement, you need the machine specific version, the 10.6.3 retial doesn't have iLife and only works for machines pre 10.6.3 release, not afterwards. Factory installed 10.6.4 machines and afterwards need machine specific disks.
Then either:
Log into the admin/first set up user on the machine and delete the Migrated user, then reboot and use Migration assistant again to TM everything this time
Or
Just install all your programs again from fresh sources.
If your TM drive is really hosed, then you'll need Data Rescue $99 to read the TM files directly and transfer the results to another regular storage drive (not the first one just in case), then pick through the debris and locate your files and transfer them to another drive.
I don't like TimeMachine, but for newbies it's better than nothing.
(I prefer cloning my entire OS X parititon instead, I can access it from any computer (Linux, Mac or PC) and I also can boot my Mac from it. I use Carbon Copy Cloner, but that's for later once your all better. )

HT201250 My hard drive had to be replaced. I am restoring it with my time machine back up, but it is still (after 30 minutes) "looking for other sources" is this normal?

My hard drive was replaced. I am using time machine to restore. It is about 40 minutes into the procedure and the computer is still "looking for other sources" is this normal?

First go to iPhoto Preferences, look in both General and Advanced tabs to make sure that things are set to import from camera into iPhoto.
Then if that doesn't help, connect the camera and open Image Capture in your Applications > Utilities folder and see if you can use Image Capture to reset the import path from the camera to iPhoto.
Image Capture: Free import tool on Mac OS X - Macgasm
Message was edited by: den.thed
Sorry John, I didn't see your post when I clicked the reply button. Dennis

Time Machine back-up, only restores application, how do I open it to retrieve the contents?

I have iWeb 3.0.3 with a large web site on it that I maintain each month - www.wworkshop.net - This has been running on a G5 Power PC Mac with 10.5.8. The G5 has just given up the ghost, luckily - I had hoped - I have been backing up regularly with ‘The Time Machine’ onto a ‘My Passport for the Mac’. We also have in the family a G4 Power PC Mac PowerBook with 10.5.8 on it, together with an iMac running 10.6.8.
On attempting to reinstall iWeb from the back-up, first it is not recognized by the Time Machine on the G4, it is however on the iMac, and on restoring iWeb appears to be loaded, such that the new size of iWeb on the iMac corresponds with the original - about 500MB as compared with about 30MB for the application with out the web site attached. My problem is, that when I open the back up copy of iWeb on the iMac, the web site is not there, it only wants to start from scratch. I also have a second back up machine that also has (an older copy) of the web site on it, with in a copy of iWeb, that did restore onto the G4, but again, the size would indicate that it contains the web site, but it also only opens to start a new one.
Question.1: How do I get iWeb to cough up my web site, instead of trying to start a new one when I open it?
I always save to a desk top folder from iWeb when updating my web site, then from there load it up to the WWW.
Question.2: Is there any way of using the saved data in the folder to get it back into iWeb to recreate it in the application, or do I have to recreate the complete web site from scratch, all 2500+ photos and text?

When you backed up the website, you should have backed up iWeb the application, but you also needed to back up your domain.sites file - your website in iWeb is not automatically part of iWeb the application, so there is no website for iWeb to "Cough up" - it is the application only, so you need your domain file.
Your domain.sites file is located and stored under your User Library/Application Support/iWeb/domain.sites. This is located under your User Library and NOT your System Library and if you wanted your website back again as well as iWeb the application, then it is this file that you should have baked up.
No, there is no way to get your data back from saved published files on your desktop because iWeb does not and never has had an import facility, so it cannot open these files. The only way is your domain.sites file and if you do not have access to these, then you are looking at re-building your site from scratch.
iWeb is no longer a supported product and has not been sold or supported by Apple for over 2 years now.
If you need to re-build your website from scratch, then do so with an application that is actually being actively developed and supported such as EverWeb.
Other alternatives are RapidWeaver, Sandvox, Freeway Pro/Epress 7, WebAcappella 4 and Flux V.
Also, your OS and your Macs generally seem to be old and at some stage you should consider updating. You should consider purchasing an Intel Mac rather than the Power PC, because you can then update your OS to the latest - you still appear to be running Snow Leopard, which is old now and does not support all the latest technologies. Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks and now Yosemite have gone before, so you should consider upgrading to an Intel Mac and keeping at least one Mac fully up-to-date. If you don't do this, it just means that you cannot run the latest software on your Mac and some iPhones, if you use them are incompatible with earlier versions of iTunes.
Technology moves very fast these days and you need to ensure that you keep at least one Mac up-to-date, even if this means buying a new one - you can get re-furbished Macs at cheaper prices.
Unfortunately, as you did not back up the right things, then you'll have to re-build your site from scratch, but don't use iWeb - it is not a supported product and has not been for over 2 years. Get something newer.

Time Machine backing up, but restore option not available

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for