Transfer to time machine\, transfer to time machine

Question How can I transfer my imovie projects to Time Capsule to free up hard disk space on my iMac? The Time Capsule is not showing up in iMovie as a drive.

Unfortunately, no. Time Machine will save your Time Machine backups to NAS devices (e.g. Time Capsule) as a sparsebundle vs. your present folder structure with your USB HDD. The task of converting your TM backup to a sparsebundle is possible, but not worth the extreme effort. Here are some links as to why:
[http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7860904&#7860904]
[http://rolf.haynberg.de/?p=83]
You can start a new backup to Time Capsule (initial via ethernet is highly recommended) and still be able to +Browse Other Time Machine disks+ (i.e. your old backup) if you truly want to keep the old TM backup for a little while. Remember, TM is NOT an archival utility, so restore anything off the old TM backup and archive it another way.

Similar Messages

I have a time machine backup file on a USB hard drive. I bought a time capsule / airport extreme, flat 3TB. I wish to transfer the backup file from the usb hard drive to the time capsule hard drive. 10.6.8

I have a time machine backup file on a USB hard drive. I bought a time capsule / airport extreme, flat 3TB. I wish to transfer the backup file from the usb hard drive to the time capsule hard drive. 10.6.8

Unfortunately, Time Machine backups that are stored on a drive that has been connected directly to a Mac are completely different than Time Machine backups that are stored on a Time Capsule.
Frankly, it is not worth the effort and trouble to try to transfer the old backups to the new Time Capsule.....my opinion....having done this in the past.
It is possible though, but I would not recommend it due to the complexity and downsides involved with this. To give you an idea of how to do this, check out this support article.
http://pondini.org/TM/18.html
Even if you transfer the "old" backups over to the Time Capsule successfully, Time Machine will not simply "add on" to the old backups.
Time Machine will make a new complete backup of your Mac and then add incremental backups from that point.
My advice.....start a new backup on the Time Capsule and move forward. Keep the USB hard drive around for a month, maybe 2 or 3 in case you need to go back to an old backup for some reason. At that time, you will not likely need the old backups at all since you will have a current 2-3 month history of new backups. At that point, you can erase the USB drive and use it for another purpose.

I am trying to download lion with the thumb drive how do i back up my files is time machine good enough or must i transfer everything to my hard drive

I am trying to download lion with the thumb drive how do i back up my files is time machine good enough or must i transfer everything to my hard drive

A erase of the drive or boot partition is not always necessary.
Flashing question mark at boot could be a easy fix, sometimes it's the firmware that simply forgot what bootable volume to boot from.
Try holding the Option key down while booting the machine, a choice of bootable options appears, select your OS X and boot up.
When you get in, head to System Preferences > Startup disk and set it again new. This will tell the firmware what to boot from. Test it to see.
Now if you don't have a selection of bootable options, it could be that the drive is dead, or OS X is erased or corrupted so it can't boot.
You'll have to run through this list of fixes to see what's going on, if you need a hardware fix or what, I've also included links if you can't fix it and need to recover your data etc.
(If it's not remmebering your boot selection then also run through the list to reset things.)
Step by Step to fix your Mac

I have a power pc (g5) computer that I will soon be replacing with a current i5 or i7 mini. How do I transfer the Time Machine files from the internal hard drive on the G5 to an external drive that I will later use with the Mini?

I have a Power PC G5 computer that I will soon be replacing with a current i5 or i7 Mini. How do I transfer the Time Machine files from the internal hard drive on the G5 to an external drive that I will later use with the Mini?

Hi, likely the easiest is to just poll the drive & get something like this...
Get MacScan...
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/networking_security/macscan.html
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/U3NVSPATA/
But if you have a good external drive already, just clone it.
Get carbon copy cloner to make an exact copy of your old HD to the New one...
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html
Or SuperDuper...
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/

How can i transfer data from old MacBook Pro, which is too old to update time machine, to the newest MacBook Pro?

I recently bought a new MacBook Pro, and wanted to transfer all the data from my old MacBook Pro, but I get the message saying I need to update time machine on my old one in order to use time machine. However, my old one is too old to update. So I decided to use the cable to transfer, because I heard I can do it that way even though it could take time. But I have no idea what to do...
Can someone help me?

A Basic Guide for Migrating to Intel-Macs
The Knowledgebase article Intel-based Mac: Some migrated applications may need to be updated refers to methods of dealing with migrating from PowerPC chips to Intel with the Migration Assistant safely. The authors of this tip have not had a chance to verify this works in all instances, or that it avoids the 10.6.1 and earlier Guest Account bug that caused account information to get deleted upon use of the Migration/Setup Assistant. However, a well backed up source that includes at least two backups of all the data that are not connected to your machine will help you avoid potential issues, should they arise. In event it does not work, follow the steps below.
If you are migrating a PowerPC system (G3, G4, or G5) to an Intel-Mac be careful what you migrate. Keep in mind that some items that may get transferred will not work on Intel machines and may end up causing your computer's operating system to malfunction.
Rosetta supports "software that runs on the PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor that are built for Mac OS X". This excludes the items that are not universal binaries or simply will not work in Rosetta:
Classic Environment, and subsequently any Mac OS 9 or earlier applications
Screensavers written for the PowerPC System Preference add-ons
All Unsanity Haxies Browser and other plug-ins
Contextual Menu Items
Applications which specifically require the PowerPC G5 Kernel extensions
Java applications with JNI (PowerPC) libraries
See also What Can Be Translated by Rosetta.
In addition to the above you could also have problems with migrated cache files and/or cache files containing code that is incompatible.
If you migrate a user folder that contains any of these items, you may find that your Intel-Mac is malfunctioning. It would be wise to take care when migrating your systems from a PowerPC platform to an Intel-Mac platform to assure that you do not migrate these incompatible items.
If you have problems with applications not working, then completely uninstall said application and reinstall it from scratch. Take great care with Java applications and Java-based Peer-to-Peer applications. Many Java apps will not work on Intel-Macs as they are currently compiled. As of this time Limewire, Cabos, and Acquisition are available as universal binaries. Do not install browser plug-ins such as Flash or Shockwave from downloaded installers unless they are universal binaries. The version of OS X installed on your Intel-Mac comes with special compatible versions of Flash and Shockwave plug-ins for use with your browser.
The same problem will exist for any hardware drivers such as mouse software unless the drivers have been compiled as universal binaries. For third-party mice the current choices are USB Overdrive or SteerMouse. Contact the developer or manufacturer of your third-party mouse software to find out when a universal binary version will be available.
Also be careful with some backup utilities and third-party disk repair utilities. Disk Warrior, TechTool Pro , SuperDuper , and Drive Genius work properly on Intel-Macs with Leopard. The same caution may apply to the many "maintenance" utilities that have not yet been converted to universal binaries. Leopard Cache Cleaner, Onyx, TinkerTool System, and Cocktail are now compatible with Leopard.
Before migrating or installing software on your Intel-Mac check MacFixit's Rosetta Compatibility Index.
Additional links that will be helpful to new Intel-Mac users:
Intel In Macs
Apple Guide to Universal Applications
MacInTouch List of Compatible Universal Binaries
MacInTouch List of Rosetta Compatible Applications
MacUpdate List of Intel-Compatible Software
Transferring data with Setup Assistant - Migration Assistant FAQ
OS X Lion: How to use Migration Assistant to transfer files from another Mac
Because Migration Assistant isn't the ideal way to migrate from PowerPC to Intel Macs, using Target Disk Mode, copying the critical contents to CD and DVD, an external hard drive, or networking will work better when moving from PowerPC to Intel Macs. The initial section below discusses Target Disk Mode. It is then followed by a section which discusses networking with Macs that lack Firewire.
If both computers support the use of Firewire then you can use the following instructions:
Repair the hard drive and permissions using Disk Utility.
Backup your data. This is vitally important in case you make a mistake or there's some other problem.
Connect a Firewire cable between your old Mac and your new Intel Mac.
Startup your old Mac in Transferring files between two computers using FireWire.
Startup your new Mac for the first time, go through the setup and registration screens, but do NOT migrate data over. Get to your desktop on the new Mac without migrating any new data over.
If you are not able to use a Firewire connection (for example you have a Late 2008 MacBook that only supports USB:)
1. Set up a local home network: Creating a small Ethernet Network.
2. If you have a MacBook Air or Late 2008 MacBook see the following:
MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008) and MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)- What to do if migration is unsuccessful;
MacBook Air- Migration Tips and Tricks;
MacBook Air- Remote Disc, Migration, or Remote Install Mac OS X and wireless 802.11n networks.
Copy the following items from your old Mac to the new Mac:
In your /Home/ folder: Documents, Movies, Music, Pictures, and Sites folders.
In your /Home/Library/ folder:
/Home/Library/Application Support/AddressBook (copy the whole folder) /Home/Library/Application Support/iCal (copy the whole folder)
Also in /Home/Library/Application Support (copy whatever else you need including folders for any third-party applications)
/Home/Library/Keychains (copy the whole folder) /Home/Library/Mail (copy the whole folder) /Home/Library/Preferences/ (copy the whole folder) /Home /Library/Calendars (copy the whole folder) /Home /Library/iTunes (copy the whole folder) /Home /Library/Safari (copy the whole folder)
If you want cookies:
/Home/Library/Cookies/Cookies.plist /Home/Library/Application Support/WebFoundation/HTTPCookies.plist
For Entourage users:
Entourage is in /Home/Documents/Microsoft User Data Also in /Home/Library/Preferences/Microsoft.
Credit goes to Macjack for this information.
If you need to transfer data for other applications please ask the vendor or ask in the Discussions where specific applications store their data.
5. Once you have transferred what you need restart the new Mac and test to make sure the contents are there for each of the applications.
Written by Kappy with additional contributions from a brody.Revised 5/21/2011

Can I transfer system from old macbook to new macbook using same OS with time machine?

I have a MacBook running snow Leopard. Thinking of getting a new Pro but want to just transfer my entire desktop and system to new MacBook using Time Machine restore. Is this possible? If not what are my other options so I do not have to rebuild desktop?
Thanks!

You can do it either directly from the older MacBook or from Time Machine. Your new MBP is unlikely to boot to the system on the MB as the newer Pro will have a later OS build and different hardware drivers among other things.
Just use Setup Assistant. When you boot the new MBP, after the welcome video you'll be taken into Setup Assistant; you'll be asked if you want to transfer your Applications, Home Folder and prefences from another source. Choose either 'from another Mac' or 'from a TM backup' as appropriate, and connect the Mac (by firewire) or the TM drive when prompted and let it do it's thing.
That will ensure you get one account with no permissions errors and all your stuff should work just as it did on the MB.

I have chosen to fil migrate from old ibook to new MacBook Pro using Time Machine after establishing admin account. I now have two admin. accounts and wish to delete the later one and transfer files manually. I am worried I will loose both accounts. ??

I have chosen to fil migrate from old ibook to new MacBook Pro using Time Machine after establishing admin account. I now have two admin. accounts and wish to delete the later one and transfer files manually. I am worried I will loose both accounts. ??

Use the Office for Mac and ignore using Parallels for that. If you have PC only apps you have to run that are MS Windows only then consider Parallels. Just transfer your main PC, using Migration Assistant. If you don't know how then simply read over Pondini's article called Lion or Mountain Lion Setup Assistant tips and look for the section on migrating from a PC. Millions have done what you are about to, it's far from leading edge these days, if you go to an Apple Store to purchase they will offer this as a service, something you might be interested in.

Can you transfer files using Time Machine back-up to a new computer?

I have an early 2006 iMac and would like to get a new one. Would I be able to copy the files that I want moved to the new computer by using my Time Machine back-up? I would only want to transfer a handful of items including my iTunes and iPhoto libraries as well as my iWork files.

You most certainly can. What you want to do is to go to System Preferences>Time Machine>Advanced> and exclude everything except the files you want to bring over. Then, plug the Time Machine Backup into the new machine and use Setup Assistant; It'll walk you through the rest.
Move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support

My new macbook pro retina recognizes, but can't transfer data from the Time Machine Volume

I back up my old 2008 MacBook Pro to a Time Machine volume sitting on a very new 2 TB drive that is connected to a Time capsule via USB. I got that new drive from OtherWorld Computing about 2 months ago.
I just received a brand new 2012 MBP (retina).
Pondini's page on setting up a new mac says that it's easiest just to transfer everything over the first itme you start up the new machine. (ref: http://pondini.org/OSX/Setup.html)
So, I took my new 2012 MBP, plugged it into the Time Capsule directly with ethernet (I have the Thunderbolt-to-USB connector).
Then turn it on.
The 3rd page into the startup sequence gives me a choice to "Transfer Information to this Mac". It offers 4 options
"From Another Mac"
"From a Windows PC"
"From Another Disk"
"Not Now"
I chose "From Another Disk"
Then it offers "Select the Source"
The sources are 4 blue icons. 2 of them are backups of other machines, ones that sit on the Time Capsule's internal drive. 1 is a small "media storage" space I saved on the internal drive of the Time Capsule.
The important one is "Macbook Pro backup ("StefanTimeCapsule")
This is the one physically parked in the external USB drive.
So.... I select it. It asks me to log on with user ID and password, and then says an endless "Connecting" message
It never gets to the next menu.
If I arrow "back" in the startup window sequence to the "Select the Source" windo, the 4 blue volumes are again displayed, with the word "Connecting" next to the backup I want, strongly suggesting that the "connection" is never fully established.
Just for fun I plugged that external USB drive directly into the USB port of the new Retina MBP, but it was not recognized at all.
I tried different ethernet cables.
At this point my thoughts are perhaps
(a) I need a powered USB hub
(b) I need to somehow have Apple service the Time Capsule (but for what? I don't know)
I could potentially just transfer from the Old 2008 Macbook Pro Directly, but it seems to me problematic not to be able to access the primary backup.
Any ideas out there?

A picture of a screen that suggests my new MBP Retina never connects to the "Macbook Pro backup ("StefanTimeCapsule")
This is the one that has the files for the backups procured by the Time Machine program. But it can't "connect"-- You 'll see int he sideways pic (sorry!) that the options STILL says "connecting"
Do i have to make these Time Machines more open to connection?

I uses Time Machine to transfer files and program from old to new MacBook Pro. Aperture doesn't work. Every time I open Aperture the computer need me to key in Serial number. How do I fix it.

Hi There,
I purchased a new MacBook Pro Retina 15". Since I am using MacBook Pro and I uses Time Machine for backup files and program. Store saleman tell me I can retore my existing program and files from old MacBook Pro to new MacBook Pro computer. After files transfer it seem to be OK. But only Aperture has a problem when every time I open Aperture to edit photos, MacBook Pro ask me to key in the Aperture Serial Number that made me so inconvinent. Did any one have meet this problem and can someone teach me how to fix it, Thanks.
Nelson

Either the license files were not transferred or it has to be relicensed.
Remove and then re-install aperture. On an rMBP this should take only a couple of minutes.

I want to transfer all my iPhoto, iTunes, contacts, etc. files from my MacBook, which I am selling to a MacBook Pro. What is the easiest and safest method of achieving this? Can the files backed up on Time Machine be transferred to the Pro?.

I want to transfer all my iPhoto, iTunes, contacts,documents, etc. files from my MacBook, which I am selling, to a MacBook Pro. What is the easiest and safest method of achieving this? Can the files backed up on Time Machine from the MacBook be transferred to the Pro in some way? I would like to capture the files as they appear on the MacBook, such as "Events" in iPhoto and the various song categories within iTunes without having to rename them all once saved on the Pro, which is the case with photos when I simply save them to thumb drive and import them to the Pro. Sny advice would be appreciated.
Best regards,
Rob.

Michael,
Thanks for all your assistance. There is no need for apologies, Migration Assistant did indeed create a second account for the MacBook data. It has just taken me some time to figure out how to access it. I now have all the MB data in one account and the MBP files in another, which suits me fine. In fact, it is an advantage in my case as it keeps the private and business aspects separated.
I will however try the fatcatsoftware to transfer all the iPhoto files to my iMac, where I keep my main photo library. and it will be of help to keep the events, etc in the transfer. As far as iTunes is concerned, I have HomeSharing on all my computers and this has obviated the need to worry about playlists being transferred successfully. However, HomeSharing did not appear to share the iPhone/iPod apps that were stored on the MB and although these have now come across with the new MacBook account on the MBP, I was wondering whether my iPhone and iPod will be recognised by the MBP and sync with it? Will I need to have the MB account open to achieve this or will the MBP recognise and sync with the iPhone/iPod automatically irrespective of which account is open?
Thanks for the tip on deauthorising my iTunes account from the MB before sellng. This I will do and I believe the best way to remove all of my data from the hard drive is to reinstall the MacOSX operating system software. Is this the right approach to securely delete everything?
Thanks again for sharing your expertise and your guidance through this exercise.
Best regards,
Rob.

How do you install CS5 onto a new computer without Time Machine/file transfer

I'm not getting a new computer, but my current one is getting a little old (Macbook Pro V. 10.6.8) and I'm afraid it might crash if I download the newest Maverick system, which is why I want to make absolutely sure I'm able to save and transfer all my old files and CS5 Creative Suite programs if this indeed happens. I don't trust Time Machine to do it; my boss had this happen and Time Machine did not transfer the Adobe programs. I also don't want to rely on Time Machine and any other file transfer (which all new Macs offer) because I've had brand new computers crash because of old corrupt files from my old computer converting over, and the Apple people said it's a bad idea (which would have been nice to know BEFORE the computer crashed and everything. . .) I've been told you can only use the CD to install CS5 onto your computer twice, which I've already done (thanks to my brand new computer crashing once already). So I would like to know how it's possible to install the program onto a new computer should this one crash, without the use of file transfer or Time Machine. I have no interest in upgrading to CC.
Thanks!

Avoid using Time Machine for re-installing Adobe software. It rarely works and usually breaks the activation mechanism.
I've been told you can only use the CD to install CS5 onto your computer twice,
Not quite.
You can install the software as many times as you like but you can only activate the software for use on a maximum of two computers at the same time.
To re-install you will need your CS5 serial number.
Download the installer from Download CS5 products
Install then enter your serial number when prompted.

Can I transfer Time Machine data from two separate hard drives into one new one?

I'm using a MacBook Pro as my primary computer. My 500 gig Time Capsule filled up a year or so ago, so I stopped using it with Time Machine for awhile so I could keep the data from those old back-ups. There were a number of things I deleted from my computer's very limited hard drive after they were backed up to the Time Capsule. I got a 1T external USB drive last year to use as my "filing Cabinet" to store files I didn't necessarily need all the time or that were filling up my small laptop hard drive--including my iTunes library--all organized in a way that made it relatively easy for me to find what I needed, even if I didn't remember exactly when I'd filed it or what I'd called it. I got another 1 terabyte external (portable) drive last July and dedicated it to TimeMachine backups and labeled it "TimeMachine".
Over the last couple of weeks, my friend has been helping me upgrade to Yosemite and clean up my laptop hard drive. Last week he cloned my laptop hard drive to a new 1T hard drive and I exchanged it for my old drive in my computer today. All good.
Here's the issue. We replaced my Time Capsule hard drive with a 1 terabyte drive with the idea of transferring the data from the old Time Capsule (500G) drive and the newer USB 1T "TimeMachine" compact drive to the new 1T Time Capsule drive and beginning using the latter for my Time Machine backups going forward. Originally he thought we could copy everything from each of my external drives (the old 500gig drive from my Time Capsule, the USB "TimeMachine" drive I've been using since July, and the "file cabinet" files) to my computer in their own folders and then start regular TimeMachine backups to the new Time Capsule drive, thus preserving all my old data and making regular backups going forward. The "file cabinet" data was no problem at all, but when I tried to copy my USB "TimeMachine" data to my computer, I was unable to. My friend found instructions for transferring old TimeMachine data to a new TimeCapsule, but I don't know if I can transfer the data from two separate disks to the new TimeCapsule drive. I'm afraid that one set of data will supersede the other and either my newer backups or my old ones will be lost if I try to transfer both.
Are my fears justified or is there a way to insure that no such problem will occur? Of course, my data will still be on those two older drives, but that won't do me a lot of good if I can't access it when I need to. Also, the 1T drive now belongs to my friend; he used a brand new drive he'd bought for himself for my new internal hard drive and plans to take my 1T "TimeCapsule" drive in exchange, once the data has been transferred, so he will, of course, erase that drive.

Should we be able to bring up the old (500G) Time Capsule Drive to rename it using a SATA to FireWire harness and then copy the whole thing to the new Time Capsule drive?
You can copy a whole sparsebundle from one drive to another. That is not a problem. Whether you can access the sparsebundle is something you should test before you even start though.
If it's on the Desktop and I don't tell Time Machine to exclude it from backups, will it just automatically back it up?
All drives you plug into the Mac are excluded by default.. you must include them. So no problems there.. but I hope I am understanding the question.
Will both volumes or directories (which is the right term?) show up when I open Time Machine?
No, Time Machine will only open what it is told to open... or its backup default location.
You can force Time Machine to open alternative/old/no longer used backups by (now I have a problem as things have changed somewhat in Yosemite and I consider it alpha release software at this point in time). The old method was to right click on the TM icon and select a different TM backup. easy. Yosemite seems to have made easy stuff harder.
Here it is on my current computer.. clearly not Yosemite.. Right click on the TM icon in the dock.. select Browse Other Time Machine Disks.. And supply the info of where that is located. Easy. If you cannot figure it out one of the other posters here (with more patience than me for Yosemite) will help you.
Or will we have to partition the new drive somehow--is that even possible?
I am getting more lost as I go down the list.. but the TC disk cannot be partitioned.
If you have included all those USB drives in the new backup on a Time a Time Capsule.. you have made life rather hard because now your files are stored another layer deeper than they were.
So to open a file from a disk you need to open the sparsebundle.. then dig down to the drive in question and then dig down to the backup.. and all of this means Time Machine has to work perfectly which is Yosemite is a very big ask.
I thought you wanted to just backup your old drives to central location.. which means copying the files to a separate folder on the Time Capsule.
One correction I need to make to my post, which will make my strategy make a bit more sense: my new Time Capsule drive is 4T
It makes it much harder.. and I have to pose a real question of long term .. if you have put a 4TB drive in a Gen1 TC.. did you also replace its power supply because I can assure you the drive might be ok but the TC itself will not last forever.. and what happens when it dies. The Gen1 power supply is already well beyond its normal life span and the vast majority are dead. When the backup device is unreliable and the backups on it are made that much harder to get access to.. is this a great plan??
If you are going to consolidate all your old files on one disk.. a task I find understandable. I have done much the same albeit the usefulness of files made on emac running OS9 may be questioned. A disk lying in the bottom of a draw is a more appropriate place for them.
You want those files as easily accessible as possible (at the point of recovery) and not buried inside a sparsebundle.. particularly not a sparsebundle from the old TC disk buried inside a new sparsebundle.. keep files as accessible as possible as you can run searches.. and that is best done on a USB 3 (or faster ie thunderbolt) drive plugged into a new(ish) computer.. not network. And since the files are not being accessed on a daily/weekly or even monthly or yearly basis.. keeping them in actively running TC network storage.. I would say is a waste of space. That is only my opinion of course.. you might consider it highly important that files you will never look at are available any time of day or night when the urge comes to track down that elusive pimpernel email you sent 10 years ago... but I find it hard to justify. What the case.. the problem with TM and things like Mail is you cannot search it.. you must restore the whole library/files/program even before you can access it.. that makes file recovery out of a sparsebundle double step process.
So.. summary.
If you want to store files on the 4TB drive in the TC.. that is not a great strategy but it can work.. simply create a folder named.. OldFilesEMac for instance.. and do a simple copy and paste of all the file to that location. Do not use TM.. Since you have already used TM.. and from what I am reading you have already done the backup with the external drives included.. then you are going to end up needing to erase the TC and start over.. which you may not be prepared to do.. which is fair enough. (I am coming across as overbearing school master.. apologies).
TM is to backup your main OS and current files.. not files from 10-20years ago.
Please do read the issues involved in Pondini..
See his FAQ. I recommend you read through Q14-17 so you understand what is involved in recovery.
http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
I also recommend you read the first couple of articles here. http://pondini.org/TM/Home.html
Particularly so you understand the complexity of Time Machine.
And the articles here. http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html
Particularly Q3 on mixing data and backups on a TC.
I wish I could spend an hour or two face to face and work it out.. the whole strategy to do this.. !!

Can I use my time machine hard drive to transfer files to a pc?

Hello everyone.
I recently broke my macbook, and had to replace it with a pc laptop. I have my data saved on a time machine enabled external hard drive.
How can I use that hard drive to put my files (music/word documents) to the pc?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.

YoHenYo wrote:
Hello everyone.
I recently broke my macbook, and had to replace it with a pc laptop. I have my data saved on a time machine enabled external hard drive.
How can I use that hard drive to put my files (music/word documents) to the pc?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Sadly, in your case, the TM backup is practically useless. TM provides a backup primarily for the machine to which it is connected, and then, only through the TM interface engine, never directly.
The files are not stored in a linear manner as would be in a regular backup - they are linked to each other and each "file" only represents a "delta" or incremental backup unit. The TM engine knows how to reconnect all the links to create the proper file.
What you need to do is get another Macbook similar to yours, and see if you can connect to the TM backup with TM. If you can, then you can restore the files and them copy them onto a FAT32 formatted external HD.
If you network the borrowed Mac with the PC, you can transfer the files over the network, but in any case, you have to use the TM engine to do so.
The only files on the TM backup that are most likely "normal" would be the original files created during the first backup.

Using Time Capsule to transfer data to a new machine

I have just taken possession of a new iMac. I need to transfer the data from my old one and wondered if Time Capsule was the most efficient way of doing this.
I understand that there is a transfer utility built into the Mac OS which allows you to transfer data from one machine to another via Firewire, but it occurred to me that my Time Machine might provide a quicker and easier way of doing it.
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.

Sir Leicester wrote:
I have just taken possession of a new iMac. I need to transfer the data from my old one and wondered if Time Capsule was the most efficient way of doing this.
I understand that there is a transfer utility built into the Mac OS which allows you to transfer data from one machine to another via Firewire, but it occurred to me that my Time Machine might provide a quicker and easier way of doing it.
I would go with FireWire. Boot the old Mac into "target disk mode" by holding down the "T" key while it is booting. Then connect the two Macs with a FireWire cable and launch the Migration Assistant utility.
If your Time Machine backup is on your network (rather than being directly connected), transferring the data from the other computer over FireWire is probably going to be a lot faster.

Using Time Machine HD, can I transfer applications to new iMac

I have been using time machine to an external drive for 3 years. I'm going to buy a new iMac in June. When I transfer data etc. using the TM external drive, will it transfer my applications? Many of my apps were downloaded and I don't have discs. Where can I get info on what will and won't transfer if needed.

Did you ask a sales person, or a Genius?
Even the Geniuses don't get a lot of training on such things, and/or may have misunderstood.
Your existing default and ILife Apple apps won't be transferred, unless you've moved them (bad idea).
Other apps you've bought from Apple, and 3rd-party apps will be transferred, but as noted, some "complex" apps may not have everything they need.
See these Apple articles:
[How to use Migration Assistant to transfer files from another Mac|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4413]. Note: there isn't a separate Apple article for Setup Assistant, but it's similar, and what you want to use, not Migration Assistant.
[Intel-based Mac: Some migrated applications may need to be updated|http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1963?viewlocale=en_US] applies to both Migration Assistant and Setup Assistant.
The web page in my earlier post links to this one for details: [Using Setup Assistant|http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/SetupAsst.html]. Note the screen shot where you can select or omit Applications.

Transfer to time machine\, transfer to time machine

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