Transferring iTunes Library to another system, from a Time Machine backup

Transferring iTunes Library to another system, from a Time Machine backup
I have a large iTunes library that is backed up via Time Machine on an external drive.  I would like to hook up that drive to another mac and just transfer the music that is saved in the backup.  I don't want to restore anything else, simply transfer the whole iTunes library.  Is this possible?  If not, what is the best way to do something like this?
Thanks!

You should be able to restore iTunes and iPhoto files if the Lion system was running the same version of those applications that you'll have on the Snow Leopard system.  However, you won't be able to restore files for applications like Mail, Address Book, or Safari, as the versions of those won't match.

Similar Messages

  • I had to restore my system from a time machine backup. It Failed...

    I had to restore my system from a time machine backup. It seemed to go alright up to it asking me to resart to complete the installation, but it would not boot. It forced a panic screen that told me to force quit my computer and resart which did not resolve anything.
    Now I have installed the original Leopard 10.5 but I used to have 10.6.8 on it. How can I get it back to 10.6.8? or do I have to buy it again?
    Any ideas why the restore failed?
    thanks,
    R.

    It seems you had a kernel panic (see attached link):
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3742
    Regarding upgrade to Snow Leopard (10.6.8), you will have to install the disk you used originally.  If you have lost it, then you will have to get a new one.  The Apple online store sells them for about $29.  When you install Snow  Leopard, you should then do a Software update.
    Ciao.

  • I need to create a new iPhoto library and import 'ORIGINALS' from a time machine backup on an external hard drive.

    I made the mistake of installing OS 10.9 on my older MacBook Air and the machine has become horribly slow and unpredictable. I visited the Apple store and questioned a 'Genius' about getting rid of 10.9 and reinstalling the previous OS 10.6 for which I have the disks. He advised that I should reformat the Air, reinstall 10.6 and then restore from the Time Machine backup that I have.
    He explained that of course, after I reinsatll 10.6,  I couldn't import the iPhoto Library from the backup drive complete because it had been recreated using the OS 10.9 and wouldn't work with 10.6.  I would have to create a new 10.6 iPhoto Library and move the actual ORIGINALS, from the backup into it.   He actually had the path to the iPhoto library shown on my Air to the point of >Pictures >iPhoto Library > ORIGINALS.
    I didn't question how he got the path to the point of > ORIGINALS and figured that it wouldn't take too much to do what he suggested. Now I can't find how to get to point of seeing the ORIGINALS in the path. When I go through the path >Pictures >iPhoto Library, the next column shows me the iPhoto Library icon and the info re size, creation date etc.
    Can anyone advise how to get to the 'ORIGINALS' in order to import them and does anyone have any further suggestions that might help in completing this procedure ?
    Thanks, in advance, for any assistance available.
    p.s. is there any way of looking at a Time Machine backup and finding what O.S. was present when the backup was produced ?

    Rather than do that, which means starting over from scratch, losing all your edits, organisation and so on, why not simply use iPhoto Library Manager to revert the Library to the older version? Easier, less destructive.
    The instructions on that are here
    If you really want to start over: you can access the Originals folder simply by going to your Pictures Folder and finding the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.

  • HT201250 Can i restore the entire system from a time machine backup to a new hard drive ?

    If yes... does it restore EVERYTHING like it was before the crash... including Applications, emails, etc. OR i am better with a disk image to restore EVERYTHING ?

    You need to install Lion on the new drive first, and then use Setup assistant.
    After you've chosen a language and your network settings, it will take you into migration assistant, from which you can choose to tranfer information from Time Machine.
    You can choose to migrate all users and apps or just some, according to your preference.

  • Restore data (iTunes Library, Photo's, files etc.) to Snow Leopard from a Time Machine backup made on OSX Lion?

    Hi,
    I have OSX Lion and have been backing up to Time Machine, I now want to do a clean install of Snow Leopard (not from backup), but can I restore my data (iTunes Library, Photo's, files etc.) to Snow Leopard from a Time Machine backup made on OSX Lion?
    Thanks.

    You should be able to restore iTunes and iPhoto files if the Lion system was running the same version of those applications that you'll have on the Snow Leopard system.  However, you won't be able to restore files for applications like Mail, Address Book, or Safari, as the versions of those won't match.

  • How do i import an iPhoto library from a time machine backup?

    how do i import an iPhoto library from a time machine backup? I did a back up and i formatted my machine. How do i get iphoto to be the same?

    This screenshot shows how to restore a library from Time Machine.
    There is NO importing necessary.  One should never import one library into another.  Just restore it to your Pictures folder and launch iPhoto.
    OT

  • Any way to restore iTunes and iPhoto libraries from failed Time Machine backup?

    Is there a way to restore iTunes and iPhoto libraries from an unmountable Time Machine backup?
    Background: I received an update alert on my iMac (mid-2010, 1TB) from Time Machine (wirelessly connected to a Time Capsule, 2TB 2013)  that it required an update and required rebooting, of course, it happened when I was in the middle of a project and I postponed the restart for later.  That evening I turned off the computer and coincidentally the next morning, the iMac would not start; it loaded to the Apple logo and about an 1/8 of the progress bar would load before the iMac would turn off.
    The iMac had been fine to that day (OS upgrades and all since 2010) so I was assuming something misfired when I declined the Time Machine update. I tried the PRAM and SMC resets mentioned in the forums but no dice. I then went into Disk Utility to try repairs and there were errors on the hard drive that could not be fixed. My next step was to erase the drive and restore from my Time Machine backup. Before doing that I checked Disk Utility and to my horror,  it told me that my Time Machine backups were unmountable so of course my first thought was that all my files were gone.
    The TC was under warranty so I called support and they referred me to the local Genius Bar. The Genius was great and showed me that my files weren't lost even though the Time Machine backup was unmountable. They recommended I erase the partitions, starting from scratch and I would have to transfer the Time Machine backup files manually by directly connecting an ethernet cable from the TC to the computer. If that didn't work, the hard drive was bad and needed replacement which they could take care of.
    I followed their recommendation and the hard drive is fine. I was so relieved to hear that my files were safe that I forgot to ask about all of the metadata that was lost in iTunes (de-selected songs, playlists, rankings, play counts) and iPhoto (geotags, names, etc). Any ideas / help? I sank considerable time into my music and photos and would love to have that time back.
    FWIW, I'm in the process of buying an external hard drive as a secondary backup to the TC as my confidence is a little shaken on the product line - the first time I ever actually need a backup and the backup is unmountable. My whole point of spending a little more and buying into the Apple ecosystem for a backup solution was to streamline the backup process and avoid these types of issues.

    Thank you for the reply. I tried the Disk Utility to repair my TC's Time Machine backup disk with no luck, it stopped with the message:
    Disk utility stopped repairing "iMac"
    Disk Utility can't repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.
    It took a night but I was able to copy all the TC Time Machine files to the external hard drive as a backup to a backup just in case. I'm still pretty bummed the TC's backup didn't allow for Disk Utility's restore functionality. Fortunately, the iPhoto library backup I dragged to the iMac from the Time Capsule backup worked without a hitch. On the downside, the "iTunes Library.itl" backup I dragged over is locked so now I'm checking out the forums for any ways to fix that. I temporarily created a new iTunes library with all my apps and music but plan on reverting to the old iTunes library if possible so I can start syncing my iOS devices again.

  • How to merge two iTunes libraries, one from a Time Machine backup.  Help!

    Hey there,
    Here´s the backstory, my laptop was stolen (along with my older iPod which had ALL of my music on it) in February.  I am from Minnesota, and I now live in New York, but my backup from December was in Minnesota at that time.  On me at the time my laptop got stolen was my 32 gig iPod Touch, which had ~80% of my music on it, but not all of it due to capacity issues.  I bought a new Macbook and loaded all of my music that I HAD onto my new laptop, and of course have downloaded a bunch of stuff since then.  I really like my new Macbook so I want to just pull and merge my old iTunes library onto my new computer, without duplicates and without having to manually go and delete things.   Since my iPod Touch was loaded randomly, I have a lot of albums that have something like 11 out of the 12 songs or whathaveyou.  I tried restoring from my old Time Machine backup, but I have realized that I really liked the cleanness and functionality of my new computer without three years of detrius in it, so I am going to restore from my NEW Time Machine backup, and would like to get my old music back onto my new computer.  If this is confusing at all please let me know and I will try to clarify.  Please help me with this, there has to be a program or something!!!

    You have some choices. Obvioiusly the easiest thing to do will be to restore the entire library from the Time Machine backup. You can also use the new iTunes in the Cloud feature built into the latest iTunes to download any music and TV shows you might have purchased from the iTunes Store.
    So what you could do is first, download your purchases from the iTunes Store, then restore everything else from the TM backup.

  • HT201250 I had to replace the hard drive in my old MacBook. I replaced it. Installed OSX10.6. Then using the system software I reinstalled data from my Time Machine backup. On completion it asked for my password. It is not accepted. I am locked out how I

    I had to replace the hard drive in my old MacBook. I replaced it. Installed OSX10.6. Then using the system software I reinstalled data from my Time Machine backup. On completion it asked for my password. It is not accepted. I am locked out how I overcome this?
    I was already using 10.7. But only had the disc for 10.6.

    Sorry I am new to this. Am I in the right area? I am using my iPhone to make contact. I am worried.

  • Trouble with restoring an iPhoto library from a time machine backup.

    I'm having trouble restoring my iPhoto library from a time machine backup.
    I have created a new library in my pictures file.
    When I try to restore the library the restore process is trying to copy it to an external drive that no longer exists - it failed and I had to have it recovered and all the recovery (including backups) data is now on a different external hard drive.
    iPhoto had been using that old external drive location to start. iPhoto is now pointed to the newly created iPhoto library in my pictures file on my MacBook Air.
    Is there a way to have the restoration process point to that new iPhoto library that is now empty and not to the old external drive?

    You might try this with the restored library:
    Starting over from scratch with new library
    Start over with a new library and import the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from your original library as follows:
    1. Open the library package like this.
    2. Launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
    3. Drag the subfolders of the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from the open iPhoto Library package into the open iPhoto window a few at a time.
    This will create a new library with the same Events (but not necessarily the same Event names) as the original library but will not keep the metadata, albums, books slideshows and other projects.
    Note:  your current library will be left untouched for further attempts at a fix if so desired.

  • I accidentally deleted my media files from iTunes and Trash when I was trying to move the files to an external hard drive. Is there a way to restore the media files from a Time Machine backup or from iTunes Match? What are the steps to do this?

    I accidentally deleted my media files from iTunes and Trash when I was trying to move the files to an external hard drive. Is there a way to restore the media files from a Time Machine backup or from iTunes Match? What are the steps to do this?

    If you have been backing up on Timemachine.
    All you need to do is enter time machine... Then the rest is obvious.
    Find the iTunes folder and hit 'Restor'.
    If not the only way to get all your iTunes music back is to enter iTunes Store.
    On the right hand side you should see 'Purchased'.
    Click 'purchased' and there you have it.

  • Retrieving work files/data from a time machine backup off another computer

    If I create a time machine backup on one imac (imac 1) onto an external drive, I want to know if I can use this backup on another mac (imac 2) and restore or retrieve the old work files as and when required work from the external drive (time machine backup)? onto imac 2?

    You can't use Time Machine for Restoring on iMac 2 (if you made an TM Backup with iMac 1), but you can easily drag files from the "Time-machine-Backup-volume" in Finder on your iMac 2!

  • I need to access one folder in user library folder from my time machine backup......but it won't show a library folder

    I need to access one folder in user library folder from my time machine backup......but the backup disk won't show show a library folder.
    Pressing option-go only directs me to the current library folder in my hard drive. I have opened up the saved disk image and need to copy one folder and put it into my current library. Trying to restore using time capsule won't let me into the user library either......
    thanks in advance for any help
    christos

    The Saved Application State folder is where Lion stores all the information required for its resume feature to function as it does. As you are looking for a specific saved game folder it will not be in the Saved Application State folder. This folder was not present in Snow Leopard so wouldn't be present on your backup previous to the Lion install.
    The game saves you're looking for will most likely be located in the Application Support or Preferences folder.
    Hope this helps
    J.C

  • Can I manually recover files from a Time Machine backup?

    I'm just about to perform a fresh install of OS X Lion.  I plan to re-install the apps I need from scratch so only need my files backed up (iTunes/Aperture library, documents folder etc).  At the moment I have time machine backing up to an external USB disk. 
    Do I need to copy my Music/Pictures/Documents folders to another USB disk before doing a fresh install of Lion or can I just copy/paste them from my time machine backup disk (would save a lot of time)?  I don't want to do a time machine recovery, recover preferences or apps etc - just manually recover my data.
    Thanks.

    JBF80 wrote:
    I want to copy all of my files, but not settings or applications.  I'm happy to copy/paste the Documents, Pictures and Music directories from the TM disk.
    Well, that is what I said ("You can customize what to transfer")

  • Restoring a second hand MacBook from a time machine backup of a seperate second hand MacBook

    I just bought a second-hand macbook to replace the macbook my old employer took from me when I changed jobs. I have taken several time machine backups of my old system in the hope I can just setup the machine I just purchased to mirror the other one, including backing up my iPhone via iTunes.
    I have the snow leopard installation disk and can get copies of all the software I had installed if necessary. The old MacBook that was returned to my previous employer is being wiped of everything and setup new. Can anyone explain if / how I can setup my (new) second hand MacBook from another machines time-machine backup?
    Thanks,
    Peter

    Shouldn't be any problem.
    Boot from your SL installer DVD (hold down the C key on startup or hold down Alt/option on start and choose the installer disc).
    OK the language page (if present). From the installer screen, go to the menu bar and choose Disk Utility; depending on the OS version it may be in the Utilities menu or Tools menu.
    In DU, select your internal drive in the sidebar (the top item with the makers name and serial no.). Run Repair Disk. If that comes up as disk OK, click the partition tab. Select the partiton from the drop-down above the graphic; 1 partiton is all you need. Go to the options button and ensure that the partition scheme is GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for G5 and earlier) and the file system to Mac OS Extended (Journalled). Name the partiton (usually Macintosh HD), click Apply.
    When that's finished, select the new volume in the sidebar (indented to the right below the drive) and go to the Erase tab, select Security options and select zero data (one pass is more than sufficient). Click erase. That will take quite some time; probably measured in hours and dependant on the size of the drive.
    When that's completed, close DU and continue with the installation.
    Shortly into the installation process, you'll be asked if you want to migrate data from another source. Select 'from a Time Machine Backup' and follow the prompts.
    See Pondini's FAQs;
    http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/19.html
    http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/SetupAsst.html
    That should leave you with the same setup as you had on the previous MB.

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