Transferring Old Backups to a New Time Machine Disk

I just bought a nice new big external HD and was wondering if it was possible to keep all my old backups from the smaller disk before (granted the oldest ones are long gone as I ran out of room). When I try directly copying the dated files from one backup folder to the new one, the copy keeps preparing endlessly, never actually moving the files. Help anyone?

The answer is sort of Yes and No depending on what you really want to do.
If you want to simply make a physical copy of the old backups to the Time Capsule you should be able to simply Copy/Drag-n-Drop the files to the Time Capsule disk.
However, the form of Time Machines backups are different between the locally attached drives and the Time Capsule drive. On a locally attached drive Time machine places the backups in a folder named Backups.backupd. On the Time Capsule the backups (the Backups.backupd folder) is encapsulated "inside" something called a sparse bundle.
Because of this, I don't think Time machine will recognize the old backups as valid backups, if they are simply copied to the Time Capsule disk.
Perhaps if you could a little more precise of what you wish to accomplish we could give a better targeted answer.

Similar Messages

Does Time Machine backup items on the time machine disk?

If I designate disk B as my Time Machine disk, are items on disk B, that aren't part of what Time Machine puts there, backed up? In other words, can I use a disk for both storage and Time Machine backups and have those stored items backed up too?

If you intend to use disk B as both a Time Machine Backup Disk and a Data disk to hold your files, the only way to do that would be to partion the Disk B volume.
How do I partition an external hard drive ?
When an external is connected to a mac, the computer sees that Hard Drive as a Volume. Paritioning the volume is the ability to "Split" the volume in more parts that are limited by size. Time Machine will use the entire partition of a volume if the whole volume is used as a single partition. If you use the right tools and "Split" the external hard drive in smaller logical volumes then you can comfortably use the external hard drive for both your Time Machine Backups and your Data that you want to carry on an external drive.
The easiest way to partition a volume in more the one partition or logical volumes is to use the Disk Utility application that comes with every mac. Use the Finder to go to your Utilities folder and open Disk Utility, or search for it in Spotlight. Whit Disk Utility you can select your external Hard Drive and either change the partition to add a second one or erase all data on the existing external hard drive and create 2 Partitions that you can adjust in size. Remember Make sure you understand that if you choose to erase the existing external drive to make room for a new partition , that all data present on the external drive will be deleted.
Now that you have your two new partitions you can assign one to Time Machine and use the second one for Data. And with Time Machine Options you will be able to exclude or include your new external data partition to backup to your new Time Machine Backup Partition !

New Time Machine Disk

I've been having trouble with failed backups. My external hard disk was old so I bought a new one. Is there anything I need to delete before using the new one. I would like to name it Time Machine which was also the name I used for the old one. I will disconnect or rename the old. Will I be causing any confusion such as using old preference files? I guess I just plug it in and and select it from "change disk"?
thanks

Nothing to delete however it probably should be formatted to work as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) unless of course it already is. If you are not sure then select the new disk in Finder and type Command I (I as Ivan) to see what it is formatted as. If it isn't formatted correctly then open Disk Utility and format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

Backups Recovery from Failed Time Machine Disk

Hello;
I have been experiencing a serious problem since this April, tried everything I can do with no sign of success. So I though to ask you guys, hopefully you will be able to help or at least guide me to whom can help.
Well, it is a long story, but not to bother you with it and since I know you are not willing to go to bed now, I will just give you a timeline and if you feel like want to know more about a scene, tell me and I will narrate...
- I have MBA 256GB and 1.5TB Seagate GoFlex for Mac, which was used mainly for Time Machine, according to "backups.backupdb" it contains 75 backups.
- Due to accidental unplugging, it failed. First I was seeing error that I have to backup this drive, then it was totally unreadable on Mac but works on Win and Linux, then after a while it stooped working even on Win, but still working on Linux.
- I tried many solutions to fix the drive/disk without formatting, since I had no alternative media to backup the drive to before formatting. None worked.
- A month ago, I bought the new 2TB Time Capsule. Then using Linux terminal I managed to copy the whole "backups.backupdb" folder to another disk; however, after copying I found its size 65.5GB And obviously when Time Machine was used to browse these bacups, it did not find any!
- Used Data Rescue 3 to clone an image for the whole Seagate disk, it is 1.5TB.
- While the Seagate is not yet formatted, I used Data Rescue 3 to scan it for the lost files inside, and it found everything already there; but the "backups.backupdb" was 14.1TB! I do know why or how!!
- I tried to format the Seagate, they reused Data Rescue 3 to scan it, and the result was the same.
- I tried to mount the cloned image, of course the drive was not mounted since it is corrupted but the disk was attached, and reused Data Rescue 3 to scan it, and the result was the same for the third time. No wonders for me, I know the three cases maybe identical.
Finally, here is what I have now:
- Formatted and readable 1.5TB Seagate disk.
- Cloned 1.5TB image from the Seagate disk, before formatting.
- 2TB Time Capsule, 1.5TB of it is occupied by the cloned image file.
- Additional 500GB and 1TB extrenal disks.
- I also have an iPhone, new wallet, and other irrelevant stuff!
And all what I think about is way to browse the cloned DMG so that I can extract my REAL "backups.backupdb" folder.
Does any of you have a clue how to do that?
Or any other method to recover my backups?
Once more, there is details for every part, just tell me if you want to know more.
Many thanks in advance.
Kind Ragards.
-MHD

Then using Linux terminal I managed to copy the whole "backups.backupdb" folder to another disk
You can't copy Time Machine backups that way, unless you used asr(8), which I don't think you did.
The "GoFlex" device accounts for a disproportionate number of reports on this site of problems with Time Machine. I suggest you stop using it for backing up.
Delete whatever you copied to the Time Capsule and start a new backup. I strongly recommend that you also back up to a locally-attached hard drive (not the GoFlex) at least some of the time, as network backups are less reliable. You should have more than one backup anyway.

Backup from laptop to Time Machine disk attached to desktop?

Here's the scenario: I have my iMac, with a FireWire disk attached. A Time Machine partition on it is currently in use, backing up the iMac.
I also have an iBook, which is on the same wireless LAN as the iMac.
If I upgrade the iBook to 10.5, can I use Time Machine on the iBook to back it up - over the WLAN - to the Time Machine partition on the iMac (assuming the iMac is on and is sharing things appropriately)?

Please let me know if you get this working.
I'm not really liking Leopard much at the moment.
I have three Macs, a Mac mini that serves as a weather station so it's on 24/7. To this machine I attached a 1Tb external drive. Set up Time Machine and have no problems on this machine.
I have a PowerBook G4 and a new iMac 24" that are both connected to the Time Machine volume on the Mac mini. Both of them are configured in Time Machine to send their backups to the volume on the Mac mini, but neither of them will do a successful backup.
The PowerBook was originally backing up over a wireless Airport network and the iMac is wired (as is the mini), then I connected the PowerBook to the wired network, but I still have no joy.
If it doesn't give me a message about not being able to connect to the drive, then it does connect, backup 2.5Mb of 41.6Gb and then just sit there doing nothing.
Cheers
Craig

I wish to move time machine to a new HD, but keeping the old backups on the new HD. New HD format (mac os plus (with register)). please help?

I wish to move my time machine copies to a new HD, but keeping the old backups in the new time machine HD. The new HD format is Mac OS Plus (with register). When I dragg the backups.backuodb file to the new HD I got an error message "The uppercase and lowercas of the volume....".
Please help

See Pondini's TM FAQs, for details.

Time Machine Disk Permissions Problem

I had a malware infection which resulted in hundreds of "users" sharing my iMac. I immediately changed my password just in case. I could not get rid of the issue so I decided to restore my hard drive from a Time Machine backup disk. Now when I try to use the Time Machine it indicates that I don't have the proper permissions to access the disk. I have tried to repair the disk with Disk Utility but it doesn't find any problems with permissions.
I have tried to change the permission settings using the "Get Info" but it indicates that all read/write permissions are "custom". I try to change them but nothing is accepted. So, I can't access my old Time Machine backups at all.
I don't know how to resolve this problem. Any ideas?

Update - The backup to the new Time Machine - that I named 'Time Machine 2' - share was around 91GB worked fine.
Some additional info was that when I was having problems with Time Machine backup my macbook was connected to the network over a Toshiba Dynadock U3.0 docking station that periodically freezes. I've stopped using it and connect wirelessly until I can afford a more expensive solution like getting a Thunderbolt display to use for 'docking'.

Migration Assistant fails to recognize a Time Machine disk (itself migrated using Disk Utility)

So I outgrow my Time Machine disk. I listen to the advice (repeated in multiple places) that one can simply use Disk Utility's Restore tab, select the old time machine disk as source and the new one as destination, and click restore to copy block-by-block, then rename the disk.
This works very well. I have indeed been able to use Time Machine on the new disk without losing any of the history.
But now I am in trouble. I am also outgrowing my MacBook disk. I put a larger disk in and install Snow Leopard from scratch. Now Migration Assistant does not recognize the new Time Machine disk (perpetually spinning wheel). Renaming the disk to the old name does not help. M.A. does recognize the old Time Machine disk, but that means manually managing the changes (and giving up on the larger TM disk). I reinstall Snow Leopard and do not miss that time the option to restore from Time Machine, but it still does not see the new Time Machine disk.
How does one convince Migration Assistant to use a Time Machine disk that duly has Backups.backupdb as a root folder and where "ignore ownership on this volume" is not set?

Thanks, Pondini, but the Time Machine disk passes the Disk Utility repairs and only the spinning wheel was visible under both the Setup Assistant and the Migration Assistant.
I now have some good news, and some bad.
First the good news: Lion's Migration Assistant offers the option to copy user (and other) files from the previous OSX disk, not just the Time Machine disk. If this option was already in Snow Leopard, then I missed it.
Now the bad news..
I spent several hours reading (Pondini's and others') suggestions to ensure that my Time Machine is as seamless as possible, namely, for the next backup to be incremental. No luck: all user data are copied. Until the interface of Time Machine stops trying so hard to shield us naive users from making decisions on our own, one idea is to keep the iPod and pictures/video collection backed-up by the straight-forward rsync. Then whether Time Machine is really incremental will not matter, and in any case a spare copy of the documents you wrote by hand is nice in case the some blocks of the disk fail.
But I may have been the one who messed it. In Preferrences \ Time Machine \ Options... I excluded all users except the user "Admin" who restored the user accounts. The idea was to test first whether the mildest user will get a full backup. It may be that Time Machine does not look in the history to see if a given file or set of files already have some copy in the past. If a file does not exist in the very last backup, it is saved to the Time Machine disk.
If you're reading this and are keen on an incremental backup, try this: restore your user accounts using a user Admin, but do not start to backup until after the accounts are restored. Will the backup afterwards be incremental?

Due to NAS issues, when I started a new time machine backup it did not have the old backups available. My question is do I need to delete them or will time machine automatically reclaim the space? Only one Sparse Bundle, same name.

Due to NAS issues, when I started a new time machine backup it did not have the old backups available. My question is do I need to delete them or will time machine automatically reclaim the space? There is only one sparse bundle but when I enter time machine I don't see my historic backups. I use a synology DS212 for my time machine. Started a new backup which is 218gb but it says 618 gb is occupied therefore it looks like 2 or 3 backups are still on the disk. Before my NAS issues the last backup was in 2014. As you can see there is a second sparse bundle from 2012. Not sure what that is.

This is an old message now, but what happened to me similarly was:
I had a major computer crash and through complicated pathways ended up reinstalling (Mavericks) as a new user (long story).
At least I had good Time Machine backups on an NAS drive (Synology DS212j), or so I thought - when I started Time Machine up again, the old backup file was gone, replaced by a new one using my "new computer" name. The old file was gone both by directly mounting the NAS drive and by clicking "Enter Time Machine".
It's like I had {OldShareName}.sparsebundle and then it was replaced by {NewShareName}.sparsebundle, all of the old info vanished.
(I have spent a week finding old files elsewhere and have completed a satisfactory self-restore. It pays to "archive" [my own variation of] as well as "back-up".)
My belief is that if this were a wired-netword-drive, e.g. plugged right into my iMac with a USB cable, then the old file would have remained.
But this is an NAS drive, connected directly to my Airport wireless router, and I don't know the significance of the fact that it stores its Time Machine backups as "sparsebundle" files rather than simply as plain(er) files.
As usual when things get complicated with computers (not just Apple computers) there was never a warning message. Something like "YOU'RE ABOUT TO DELETE A TIME MACHINE BACK-UP FILE!!!" would have made my life a lot simpler.
BTW, I did try a "restore from Time Machine" option the first thing I had my "new computer" (old hardware, 2009 iMac) up and running, using Migration Assistant, and it ran for many hours and then failed in the wee hours - what that has to do with anything I'm not sure.
I'm not sure that I have a question about this other than "why do these things happen to me?", but it's a warning. Apart from that I've been very happy with the stability and reliability (but not the cost or set-up complexity) of NAS vs. directly-cabled external drives.
Charles

I have a mid2009 MacBook Pro for which I have been using a USB WD HD for Time Machine. I'd like to get a wireless HD and start a new Time Machine backup for this Mac and retire the 5 year old WD drive. Can I start over?

I have a mid2009 MacBook Pro running Mavericks for which I have been using a USB WD HD for Time Machine. I'd like to get a wireless HD and start a new Time Machine backup for this Mac and retire the 5 year old WD drive. Can I start over?

no archive/ backup is perfect, HD clones can be set to make incremental additions, same as time machine however, though they are more time involved in doing so.
See the + and - of all data backup/ archives below and "spread it around".... or the "dont put your eggs all in one basket" philosophy.
Peace
Data Storage Platforms; their Drawbacks & Advantages
#1. Time Machine / Time Capsule
Drawbacks:
1. Time Machine is not bootable, if your internal drive fails, you cannot access files or boot from TM directly from the dead computer.
2. Time machine is controlled by complex software, and while you can delve into the TM backup database for specific file(s) extraction, this is not ideal or desirable.
3. Time machine can and does have the potential for many error codes in which data corruption can occur and your important backup files may not be saved correctly, at all, or even damaged. This extra link of failure in placing software between your data and its recovery is a point of risk and failure. A HD clone is not subject to these errors.
4. Time machine mirrors your internal HD, in which cases of data corruption, this corruption can immediately spread to the backup as the two are linked. TM is perpetually connected (or often) to your computer, and corruption spread to corruption, without isolation, which TM lacks (usually), migrating errors or corruption is either automatic or extremely easy to unwittingly do.
5. Time Machine does not keep endless copies of changed or deleted data, and you are often not notified when it deletes them; likewise you may accidently delete files off your computer and this accident is mirrored on TM.
6. Restoring from TM is quite time intensive.
7. TM is a backup and not a data archive, and therefore by definition a low-level security of vital/important data.
8. TM working premise is a “black box” backup of OS, APPS, settings, and vital data that nearly 100% of users never verify until an emergency hits or their computers internal SSD or HD that is corrupt or dead and this is an extremely bad working premise on vital data.
9. Given that data created and stored is growing exponentially, the fact that TM operates as a “store-it-all” backup nexus makes TM inherently incapable to easily backup massive amounts of data, nor is doing so a good idea.
10. TM working premise is a backup of a users system and active working data, and NOT massive amounts of static data, yet most users never take this into consideration, making TM a high-risk locus of data “bloat”.
11. In the case of Time Capsule, wifi data storage is a less than ideal premise given possible wireless data corruption.
12. TM like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
13. *Level-1 security of your vital data.
Advantages:
1. TM is very easy to use either in automatic mode or in 1-click backups.
2. TM is a perfect novice level simplex backup single-layer security save against internal HD failure or corruption.
3. TM can easily provide a seamless no-gap policy of active data that is often not easily capable in HD clones or HD archives (only if the user is lazy is making data saves).
#2. HD archives
Drawbacks:
1. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
2. Unless the user ritually copies working active data to HD external archives, then there is a time-gap of potential missing data; as such users must be proactive in archiving data that is being worked on or recently saved or created.
Advantages:
1. Fills the gap left in a week or 2-week-old HD clone, as an example.
2. Simplex no-software data storage that is isolated and autonomous from the computer (in most cases).
3. HD archives are the best idealized storage source for storing huge and multi-terabytes of data.
4. Best-idealized 1st platform redundancy for data protection.
5. *Perfect primary tier and level-2 security of your vital data.
#3. HD clones (see below for full advantages / drawbacks)
Drawbacks:
1. HD clones can be incrementally updated to hourly or daily, however this is time consuming and HD clones are, often, a week or more old, in which case data between today and the most fresh HD clone can and would be lost (however this gap is filled by use of HD archives listed above or by a TM backup).
2. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
Advantages:
1. HD clones are the best, quickest way to get back to 100% full operation in mere seconds.
2. Once a HD clone is created, the creation software (Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper) is no longer needed whatsoever, and unlike TM, which requires complex software for its operational transference of data, a HD clone is its own bootable entity.
3. HD clones are unconnected and isolated from recent corruption.
4. HD clones allow a “portable copy” of your computer that you can likewise connect to another same Mac and have all your APPS and data at hand, which is extremely useful.
5. Rather than, as many users do, thinking of a HD clone as a “complimentary backup” to the use of TM, a HD clone is superior to TM both in ease of returning to 100% quickly, and its autonomous nature; while each has its place, TM can and does fill the gap in, say, a 2 week old clone. As an analogy, the HD clone itself is the brick wall of protection, whereas TM can be thought of as the mortar, which will fill any cracks in data on a week, 2-week, or 1-month old HD clone.
6. Best-idealized 2nd platform redundancy for data protection, and 1st level for system restore of your computers internal HD. (Time machine being 2nd level for system restore of the computer’s internal HD).
7. *Level-2 security of your vital data.
HD cloning software options:
1. SuperDuper HD cloning software APP (free)
2. Carbon Copy Cloner APP (will copy the recovery partition as well)
3. Disk utility HD bootable clone.
#4. Online archives
Drawbacks:
1. Subject to server failure or due to non-payment of your hosting account, it can be suspended.
2. Subject, due to lack of security on your part, to being attacked and hacked/erased.
Advantages:
1. In case of house fire, etc. your data is safe.
2. In travels, and propagating files to friends and likewise, a mere link by email is all that is needed and no large media needs to be sent across the net.
3. Online archives are the perfect and best-idealized 3rd platform redundancy for data protection.
4. Supremely useful in data isolation from backups and local archives in being online and offsite for long-distance security in isolation.
5. *Level-1.5 security of your vital data.
#5. DVD professional archival media
Drawbacks:
1. DVD single-layer disks are limited to 4.7Gigabytes of data.
2. DVD media are, given rough handling, prone to scratches and light-degradation if not stored correctly.
Advantages:
1. Archival DVD professional blank media is rated for in excess of 100+ years.
2. DVD is not subject to mechanical breakdown.
3. DVD archival media is not subject to ferromagnetic degradation.
4. DVD archival media correctly sleeved and stored is currently a supreme storage method of archiving vital data.
5. DVD media is once written and therefore free of data corruption if the write is correct.
6. DVD media is the perfect ideal for “freezing” and isolating old copies of data for reference in case newer generations of data become corrupted and an older copy is needed to revert to.
7. Best-idealized 4th platform redundancy for data protection.
8. *Level-3 (highest) security of your vital data.
[*Level-4 data security under development as once-written metallic plates and synthetic sapphire and likewise ultra-long-term data storage]
#6. Cloud based storage
Drawbacks:
1. Cloud storage can only be quasi-possessed.
2. No genuine true security and privacy of data.
3. Should never be considered for vital data storage or especially long-term.
4. *Level-0 security of your vital data.
Advantages:
1. Quick, easy and cheap storage location for simplex files for transfer to keep on hand and yet off the computer.
2. Easy source for small-file data sharing.

How to backup files from old time machine to new time machine

I have been using an external drive as my Time Machine for about a year. I just got a Time Capsule. Can I set up Time Machine to move all the backups from my old drive to my new Time Capsule? I assume it's not as simple as dragging the files from my old drive to the Time Capsule drive.
I have clicked Change Disk... in the Time Machine preferences to change my backup drive to the Time Capsule. However, I don't think that's going to move my old backup files to the Time Capsule.

boboosta wrote:
Unfortunately, I do not have enough spare disk space on a temporary disk. I've got 600 GB on my time machine drive. I went ahead and changed my Time Machine disk to the Time Capsule. I'll keep the backup files on my old time machine disk for a few weeks--in hopes a solution is found. After that, I'll erase the old time machine files to free up the disk space.
You might have been able to transfer the old Time Capsule contents to the new one by connecting the old Time Capsule to your computer with an Ethernet cable. If this gave you visibility of the disks of both Time Capsules, then you could use your computer to transfer the "sparsebundle" file(s) from the old to the new.
Now that you've started using your new Time Capsule, if you try once again to transfer those files, you'll lose any interim Time Machine backups, although that may not be a problem.
Edit: I knew I'd seen such a discussion somewhere: http://www.tidbits.com/Talk/2791

HT3275 My New Time Machine is saying 129 Days to BackUp!

I recently upgraded to Mountain Lion. The time machine disk was full after it's first backup, so I bought a new drive for Time Machine. First, I copied the BackUP's file to the new drive after reformatting correctly. When hooked up, it was just stuck in Preparing mode for a couple of days. So I ended that, thinking that can't be right. I decided to just just trash the old Backup's file and forget about the months of backups I kept. I reformatted the drive and then made it the main Time Machine back up starting from scratch. This things been running for 2 days and it's still saying 129 Days of time to back up. It's got like 5G of 620Gig backed up..
Anyway, this can't be right.. should back up overnight or even 1 day, correct? Why is it sooooooo slow, and only has 5G of the drive backed up after a full day?
Also, I bought a new iMac so that's coming in next week anyway.. but thought I'd get this backed up for now.

I need some clarification.
This discussion area is about Time Capsule..
When you say Time Machine disk was full do you mean Time Capsule?
But the prcess you describe of copying the backup from one disk to another is unlikely.. this is more likely an external drive.
How is this external drive plugged in? How is it formatted?
Please copy one very large file to it and get a peak transfer speed from Activity Monitor.. to make sure it is working ok.
If the internal drive of the computer is corrupt or low reading.. it can be extremely slow to copy files for TM.
Please run a verify of the main drive. To do it properly you should boot from original OS dvd so you can do full disk scan using disk utility.
See A5 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
Fill in the details and then we have some hope of understanding the issue.

How does one SUCCESSFULLY transfer Time-Machine backup to a new (larger) hard disk drive using OSX 10.5.8

I have read a number of articles about how to transfer a complete Time-Machine backup to a new (larger) hard disk-drive. Some of these articles are specifically for OSX10.6 users, which are not applicable to me since I am operating with OSX 10.5.8.
However, I have tried several times to use the Disk Utility 'Restore' function, dragging my old time-machine volume into the 'Source:' box and my new volume into the 'Destination:' box. This works, of sorts, BUT the newly created volume on the new larger hard disk-drive remains the same size as the original volume on the old Time-Machine HDD, with no apparent way of increasing the new volume's size. So I am not really any better off:
E.g. the total capacity of my new HDD is stated by 'Disk Utility' to be 465.8 GB, of which I'm told 228.2 GB is used for the Backups.backdb folder, but only 4.6 GB of free space is actually available. Yet under the 'Partition' tab of 'Disk Utility' it tells me that there is still 236.4 GB of available space.
Does anyone know how to resolve this issue without upgrading to OSX 10.6?

First, how did you prepare your new drive? See:
Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder. If you need to reformat your startup volume, then you must boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs) then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
If you plan to partition this new drive then be sure you create a larger partition for TM than your old volume.
Next, clone your old TM volume:
Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
1. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
4.Check the box labeled Erase destination.
5. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
6. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

I am trying to restore my old Macbook Pro data using Time Machine on a new Mackbook Air from external hard drive, but when I install I get two different loggin accounts and I only want one loggin account

I am trying to restore my old Macbook Pro data using Time Machine to a new Macbook Air from an external hard drive, but when I restore I get two diferrent loggin accounts and I only wnat one loggin account to access all my data/files?

This web site might answer all of your Time machine questions:
http://pondini.org/OSX/Home.html
Ciao.

I have a new macbook pro and want to transfer my Mail autofill from my old mac. Never used Time Machine or Migration Assistant -- looks complicated. Any easy way to do this?

I have a new macbook pro and want to transfer my Mail autofill from my old mac. Never used Time Machine or Migration Assistant -- looks complicated. Any easy way to do this?

caitlinfromcambridge wrote:
Thanks -- I would like to try this. I do not know how to reach hard drive from old mac to new. Can you help me with this?
There are two ways - you can boot your old Mac in Target Mode (reboot your Mac, and as soon as you hear the startup chime hold down the T key on the keyboard until you see the yellow/orange Firewire logo on screen). You can then use a FireWire cable to connect your new mac to your old one. The old Mac hard drive will appear on your new Mac as if it is an external hard drive.
Details on Target Disk Mode: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1661
If you don't have a firewire cable but you do have a home network (i.e. both computers can access the Internet at the same time), you can share the hard drive on your old Mac and then connect to it on your new Mac.
Good article on sharing your hard drive: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1549
Finally, if the above doesn't thrill you, you can hook an external drive to your old Mac, copy the mail folder over to it, then connect the external drive to your new Mac and copy it over. It's two steps, but if you don't have a firewire cable and aren't comfortable with sharing over a network it will work just as well - you just have to wait for the mail folder to copy twice instead of once.
If you get stuck post back!

Transferring Old Backups to a New Time Machine Disk

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