Using time machine instead of setup assistant

My G5 running Leopard is nearly dead, and it only boots using the so-called "hair dryer trick". Even then it only runs for a few hours before dying again. Fortunately, the G5s two internal hard drives are still OK, and they are backed up via Time Machine, to a big external USB drive used only for that purpose.   I'm on the verge of buying a new imac with a 1 tB HD and a 256 gB solid state drive. I'm not sure yet whether this imac will come loaded with Lion or Snow Leopard. I do realize that it matters, because, for instance, my Adobe software is CS1.
Reading other posts here about how much time it actually takes setup or migration assistant to suck all my old programs onto the new machine,  I don't think i can keep my old G5 running long enough to use either one successfully. Plus, I'm OK, re-installing MOST of my apps from scratch (especially Adobe stuff, Native Instruments stuff, and Protools), because I believe that in the long run, that's probably the most hassle free way to get them running on a new OS. I don't expect either Protools or this old Adobe stuff to work at all if the machine comes loaded with Lion. So I primarily need to "setup" or "migrate" 10 or 15 smaller apps, plus all my document folders.
I'd like to get really clear how to set up the new imac to "see" this time-machine backed up disc, so i can quickly get all my backed up documents uncompressed and onto the new machine. For some reason, i suspect this is not going to be as straightforward a process as it ought to be, since I am trying to reconstitute files to a new machine using a different OS.  Is that true? If so, can someone here tell me how to do this, and/or what i need to be careful about. I'd hate to push the worng button, and have all my backed up files be erased.
My other alternative, is to take the two IDE HDs out of the G5, and put them, one at a time, into a box that lets me use them externally. I'm wondering if that may actually be the easiest way to get my files onto my new imac. Doing it that way, will also let me boot up what's already there, just to see if the apps boot in Lion. Hopefully, someone can give me some more savvy guidance than i have right now.

Will Time Machine work in it's place for my back Up?
I don't understand this question.
Time Machine is a backup application, so it can certainly backup data for you. Whether or not it suits your needs depends on your backup policies.
In many cases Time Machine is far more efficient that Super Duper due to the way it manages backups of unchanged files, but you might prefer the whole-disk approach of SuperDuper (which, for example, will allow you to boot from a SuperDuper clone of your drive, which is something you can't do with Time Machine).

Similar Messages

  • How To Properly Use Time Machine...Please Assist

    Hi,
    I am new to Time Machine and am trying to figure out the best way to use it. I understand that Time Machine is a back up solution and not an archive solution. However, when the drive gets full am I able to control which files it begins to erase?
    If the answer to this is no, then I need to find another place to store these files ie; dvd, tape back up for a long term archive.
    Am I right to say that the best way to use Time Machine is as a redundant copy of your data so I can restore it any time and if I want to remove stuff off my hard drive that I want to keep I need to find another place to put it.
    I am just confused as the way it was marketed was if you accidentally delete something, than you can go back in time to restore, but what if time machine decides to erase it arbitrarily?
    Any assistance would be grateful
    Thanks,

    Elli Raynai1 wrote:
    I am new to Time Machine and am trying to figure out the best way to use it. I understand that Time Machine is a back up solution and not an archive solution. However, when the drive gets full am I able to control which files it begins to erase?
    No, it deletes the oldest monthly back ups first. It will warn you before it starts deleting anything. You have a choice at that time to use a different location to start a new Time Machine thus preserving all your old Time Machine Files.
    If the answer to this is no, then I need to find another place to store these files ie; dvd, tape back up for a long term archive.
    I think this is prudent. I make a disk image of my system the day I start a new time machine.
    Am I right to say that the best way to use Time Machine is as a redundant copy of your data so I can restore it any time and if I want to remove stuff off my hard drive that I want to keep I need to find another place to put it.
    This is what I do. I have one hard drive marked storage just for this purpose.
    I am just confused as the way it was marketed was if you accidentally delete something, than you can go back in time to restore, but what if time machine decides to erase it arbitrarily?
    For me it works as marketed. It does not atbitraingly delete stuff. It deletes the oldest monthly back up first and asks for permission before it does that. As long as you understand how it works you should not have a problem. I have never relied on one back up of anything even before time machine.
    The bigger your Time Machine drive the longer back in time you can go.

  • Can i use time machine instead of restore discs

    alright so i bought a g4 imac 1.25 ghz 1 gb ram, and it has leopard on it right now from the previous owner. i have the panther restore discs but id rather have leopard. so my question is if i use the restore discs on my mac mini(new 09 model, leopard) and restore it to new then can i use time machine on my external hard drive and then plug it into my imac and use that data and make the imac with a fresh install of leopard? sorry if its hard to understand it is hard for me to describe. please help! thanks

    John.Kitzmiller wrote:
    Time Machine backups are not necessarily computer specific, however TM does not back up the OS
    Yes, it does, unless you've specifically told it not to. That's how you can do a full restore of an entire system from a TM backup, even if it's a previous version of Leopard.
    , so there's really no way to do what you're trying to accomplish.
    That's not the practical issue. As pointed out earlier, the practical issue is, the TM backup for one type/model of Mac won't run on another, as the hardware drivers, etc., are different. Worse, the 2009 Mac Mini has an Intel processor; a G4 has a PPC processor.
    Plus as already pointed out, it would be a violation of the EULA.
    Correct.

  • Default admin user when restoring from time machine backup in setup assistant

    Hello,
    Apologies if this has already been answered elsewhere.
    I will soon take delivery of a new iMac running Mac OS Mountain Lion, and I will want to restore my full Time Machine backup which was made on a MacBook Pro (which was my main machine, but is now faulty - it was running Snow Leopard).
    On the MacBook Pro I had 2 user accounts.  Mine which was the default admin account (named Ian Johnson), and my wife's which was a standard user account.
    Now, I know that I should use SetUp Assistant to restore user accounts etc from the Time Machine backup, but I'm wondering whether during that process I will be asked to create another admin user account when I first run SetUp Assistant.  Ideally I would like to end up with exactly the same user accounts as on my old MacBook Pro.
    The reason I'm asking in advance is that I believe it's hard to "undo" whatever default admin user account you set up on first use of a new Mac, so want to be prepared.
    Any help appreciated, thanks.
    Ian

    I'm wondering whether during that process I will be asked to create another admin user account when I first run SetUp Assistant.
    You won't be, provided you go straight into Setup Assistant the first time you boot the new machine.

  • 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!

  • Using Time Machine to setup new Mac

    I have just bought a new Mac and need to take all the data for 3 users from the old one. The old Mac is backed up using Time Machine to an external 500Gb Firewire drive.
    The problem is that I can't do all the data transfer in one go and due to space and time restrictions I will need to take a couple of sessions to complete all this. This is what I was thinking of doing ...
    Backup old Mac using Time Machine
    Create a Root account on new Mac
    Log in as root and run Migration Assistant and restore user1 and user 2 and user3 from FW drive
    Pack away new Mac and plug Time Machine drive back onto old Mac
    Old Mac continues updating this Time Machine drive until a few days later ...
    I can either just plug in the Time Machine drive to the new Mac and restore back to just after the point I was on the first installation or I could just repeat the whole thing again. There is over 300Gb of data to transfer which is why I would prefer to not have to run the whole restore again and just pick up the changes.
    Thanks

    Trying to mate a TM backup to a new computer is an exercise in futility, IMO. See http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1872713 for caveats upgrading a PPC (your G5) to an ICBM (Intel-chip-based Mac). SuperDuper!, Carbon Copy Cloner, Disk Utility, etc. can create a bootable backup/clone of your existing system to an external, bootable FireWire (recommended)/USB 2 external HD (usable with the new machine, but won't boot the old one, and is about 40% slower than FW). Once that's finished and tested to ensure it looks and acts as the original, just walk it over to the new machine, boot it up, and use the Migration Assistant to move your stuff, as described in the above link.
    What I just did with a new 24"iMac and transfer stuff from a G4 (which was running Leopard) was to initially boot the machine, enter the same username/password combo, internet settings, and finish up. When the machine pops up the Desktop, Software Update will run an offer a host of updates. DON'T install them, but go to System Preferences, launch SU, and disable its auto-check and install option. That comes later. Then, I manually transferred my G4's user folder to the iMac's Desktop. Next, I started moving stuff from that folder into its appropriate places in the new user's folder. For instance, I replaced the current login.keychain with the former (thus bringing over all previously saved username/password combos), replaced the new Safari folder with the old (preserving all bookmarks, history, etc.), replaced the cookies.plist in Cookies, all preference files (except those in the ByHosts subfolder), merged everything in the other Library folders, mergee\d the Documents, Desktop, Music,Movies, and Pictures folders.
    Launched System Preferences and opened each prefPane, checking and modifying as necessary. Note that one significant change is the mouse—the iMac ships with a Mighty Mouse, which has many new functions over the previous single-button mouse. Once that was finished, I restarted, repaired permissions, launched Safari to ensure it workedjust like the old versioni, checked e-mail (I use Eudora), and when I was satisfied everything was working as intended, I made another clone, so I could forego the previous if something went wrong. Note that many Dock icons will showup as plain files with a question mark (since you haven't installed the missing 3rd-party items—just ignore that—but they will identify what they should be pointing to.
    After recloning, launched Software Update and let it install everything, except the Time Machine and Airport updates, since I don't use them, and repaired permissions. After ensuring that everything worked as expected, I updated the second clone, launched the Migration Assistant.app, only selected applications, and migrated them. Next, I replaced the ? Dock icons with their real aliases, launched each to ensrure they worked, restarted, and did one more permissions repair.
    The only complication I ran across was that QuickTime lost its Pro registration information, so I had to putit back in. About the only thing that ran on my old machine under Tiger runs under Leopard, but I've been updating them for the past 20 months while beta-testing Leopard. AppleWorks 6.2.9, Quicken 2005-07, Eudoira 5.2.1, MS Office 2004, TurboTax 07, and just about everything except Unsanity's haxies (nonbetas) runs under Leopard.

  • How to use Time Machine/Migration Assistant

    I have a 2008 Mac Pro that died.  I now have a 2010 Mac Pro.  The 2010 Mac Pro only has the original Apple software installed so far (updated to 10.6.8). 
    I have a Time Machine backup drive from the 2008 Mac, as well as an additional hard drive that may contain all or most of the data from the now dead 2008 machine. 
    Presently, I must use OS 10.6.8 because of my need to run some legacy software.  How do I use Time Machine from my 2008 Mac Pro to get my items on the 2010 Mac Pro? 

    Here is another point of view:
    Setting-up a new Mac from an old one, its backups, or a PC
    And another speedup to consider at this juncture:
    User Tip: Creating a lean, fast Boot Drive

  • Restoring itunes using time machine

    Hi everyone,
    I'm not hugely computer literate so please be gentle.
    I managed to delete my ENTIRE itunes folder... apps, music, playlists, etc. Is it possible to restore itunes exactly as it was? I have a time machine back up from yesterday that would work.
    So far I've managed to use TM to get all the music, apps and video back so I'm not stressed but it was basic and messy and not as organised as itunes was before I deleted everything.
    So can you help? Can I restore itunes using time machine or not?

    TheShield wrote:
    Hi, im actually in the same boat here, im in the process of re installing my OS and i want to restore Iphoto and itunes as it was. So correct me if im wrong, all i have to do is on my Mac go to this folder (<MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music )and than jump into time machine ? That would take me directly to the folder i have in view on my mac ? Once i hit restore, will this restore all my apps, songs, iphone and ipod back ups etc ? Thanks for your help all.
    Probably not.
    How and why are you reinstalling OSX?
    Assuming you erased your internal HD before installing OSX, your best bet is to use +Setup Assistant+ when it reboots to transfer your apps, users, and data from your backups. See #19 in [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
    If you don't do that, but set up a user account instead, that account probably won't be recognized as the same one on your backups, so you won't have permission to restore from them.

  • HT201250 I use Time Machine to back up my entire computer with my external hard drive. I am getting a brand new iMac this month and was wondering what is the process of using this back up to restore my new computer exactly how my old computer was?

    I use Time Machine to back up my entire computer with my external hard drive. I am getting a brand new iMac this month and was wondering what is the process of using this back up to restore my new computer exactly how my old computer was? I want to make sure I will still have various important files on my new computer, like my songs in iTunes, my photos in iPhoto, etc, etc. Thanks so much in advance!

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
    When you turn on the new iMac for the first time, Setup Assistant will ask you to restore a backup, so connect the external disk and follow steps to restore all your files to your new iMac. Your new Mac will have the same settings and programs as your old computer.
    In other cases, I would recommend to restore the whole backup without using Migration Assistant or Setup Assistant, but a Late 2012 iMac uses a special OS X build, so the OS X version that you're using on your old Mac won't work on the new one. For more information, see > http://pondini.org/OSX/Home.html

  • Using TIME MACHINE with a TIME CAPSULE

    There's often a bit of confusion about this terminology: +*Time Machine+* vs. +*Time Capsule:+*
    _*Time Machine*_ is Apple software that performs backups, to an external HD, a Time Capsule, etc.; and also allows you to browse and restore from them. It comes with Leopard and Snow Leopard, but cannot run on any previous versions of OSX.
    A _*Time Capsule*_ is a piece of Apple hardware that combines a wireless router and hard drive, that can be used for Time Machine backups and/or other data.
    Most Time Machine questions & problems are not unique to Time Capsules. For those, or if you don't find what you need here, try one of these:
    Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions
    Time Machine - Troubleshooting
    They can also be found in the *User Contributed Tips* section of both +Time Machine+ forums:
    Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard > Time Machine
    Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard > Time Machine
    Contents
    |
    QUESTIONS
    *Q1. How do I set up Time Machine to back up to my Time Capsule?*
    *Q2. How do I set up Time Machine to back up to a USB drive connected to my Time Capsule?*
    *Q3. Can I use my Time Capsule for Time Machine backups AND other data?*
    *Q4. My Time Capsule is too small to back-up my Mac(s). Now what?*
    *Q5. Should I delete backups? If so, how?*
    *Q6. How do I back-up my Time Capsule and/or USB drive(s) connected to it?*
    If you don't see your question here, try the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
    |
    PROBLEMS
    *P1. The Backup disk image could not be created.*
    *P2. Time Machine could not complete the backup . . sparsebundle could not be accessed. (Error 109).*
    If you don't see your problem here, try the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
    QUESTIONS
    |
    _*Q1. How do I set up Time Machine to back up to my Time Capsule?*_
    |
    First, set up your Time Capsule via +Airport Utility.+ Keep the name you assign to it, your Computer, and your network short (under 25 characters), and avoid embedded spaces, special characters, and punctuation (see item #P1 below for details). Make sure your Mac can connect via an Ethernet cable, if at all possible, as well as wirelessly.
    The setup and first backup (of your entire system) will be much faster if you connect via Ethernet.
    |
    a. If the +Time Machine+ icon isn't already in your Dock, drag it there from your Applications folder. See below for more about it's use.
    b. Right-click it and select +Open Time Machine Preferences,+ click the +Show Time Machine status in the menu bar+ box (see below), then click +Select Disk+ (on Leopard, this button will be either +Choose Backup Disk+ or +Change Disk).+
    c. A list of possible destinations will appear. It should include your Time Capsule (with the name you gave it via Airport Utility), and may show other internal or external drives as well. Select your Time Capsule and click the +Use for Backup+ button.
    d. A prompt for your name and password will appear. In some cases there won't be a Name field, but if there is, enter your short user name. Also enter the password you set up for the Time Capsule via Airport Utility, then click the Connect button.
    e. A 120-second countdown to the start of your first backup will appear in the +Next Backup+ area of the TM Preference panel.
    |
    Note that this first backup will copy the entire contents of your system, except for a few things that are skipped automatically, such as system work files, most caches, your logs, trash, etc., and anything else you may have excluded (see #10 and #11 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum). So it will be rather lengthy, depending on how much data is on your system, whether you're connected via Ethernet or WIFI, and if WIFI, how good the signal is.
    You can continue to use your Mac while TM is backing-up, and you can even cancel a backup if necessary, but to make this first full backup as fast as possible, try not to overload your Mac or cancel the backup.
    |
    _*The Time Machine Icons in your Menubar and/or Dock*_
    |
    In the steps above, you dragged the TM Application's icon into your Dock, and clicked the +Show Time Machine status in the menu bar+ box.
    For detailed info about them, see question #24 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
    +Go to Top+
    _*Q2. How do I set up Time Machine to back up to a USB drive connected to my Time Capsule?*_
    |
    Mostly the way you set it up to use the Time Capsule's internal HD.
    But first, attach the drive directly to your Mac, and erase and format it per the instructions in #5 of the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum. Note, however, that it doesn't matter whether you use the +Mac OS Extended (Journaled)+ or +Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, journaled)+ Format, since Time Machine will put your backups in a sparse bundle that's case-sensitive. You cannot change that.
    Unlike the Time Capsule's disk, you can partition the USB drive. That's highly recommended if you're going to be putting other data there, so the backups don't completely fill the disk (but be aware that Time Machine cannot back that "other" data up. See question #Q6 below).
    If you're backing-up multiple Macs to the same drive, you can make one partition for each, but it's not as helpful on a network drive, because each Mac's backups will be in a separate sparse bundle. So you can let them share the disk or a partition.
    Also note that if you've been doing backups to an external disk connected directly to your Mac, you cannot continue the same set of backups when you connect it to your Time Capsule. They are stored differently, and Time Machine will put them in a sparse bundle, alongside but *completely separate from* the backups made locally, and the first backup will be a full backup of your entire system.
    Once the USB disk is set up the way you want it, use the setup procedure in question #Q1 above, but in step (c), select the USB drive/partition, not the Time Capsule's internal HD.
    *RAID Sets connected to a Time Capsule:*
    |
    Time Machine will back up to a +Hardware Mirrored RAID set,+ also called +RAID 1,+ (sold that way, with multiple drives in the same enclosure). However, if you partition the +Hardware Mirrored RAID set,+ once you start using it with TIme Machine, you cannot change the sizes later and continue to back up to the same set of backups.
    While you can connect multiple USB drives to a Time Capsule via a USB hub (a powered one is best), Time Machine +*will not+* back up to a +software Mirrored RAID+ set (where you combine the drives into a single volume via Disk Utility).
    +Go to Top+
    _*Q3. Can I use my Time Capsule for Time Machine backups and other data?*_
    |
    You can put other data on your Time Capsule's internal HD, but there are three major considerations:
    Especially for things like photos and videos, access may be too slow for convenient viewing, and worse for editing. So test this a bit before you decide what to put there.
    Time Machine cannot back-up that other data, so you'll need some other method. See question #Q6 below.
    Time Machine will, by design, fill up all the space available to it, so there may be a conflict between the sparse bundle it puts your backups in, and the other data. There is a workaround, to "reserve" some space there, by creating a disk image of the desired size and storing your data there, but it's a bit cumbersome, and two Macs can't share it at the same time.
    An alternative is to connect a USB drive to your Time Capsule. Then you can back up to the TC's disk and use the USB drive for other data, or vice-versa. But note that Time Machine cannot back-up the USB drive while it's connected to the TC (see question #Q6 below).
    If you want to reserve space on the TC's internal disk, here's how:
    |
    a. Start the +Disk Utility+ app (in your Applications/Utilities folder). Click the +New Image+ icon in the toolbar (or select +File > New > Blank Disk Image+ from the menubar). If the little arrow to the right of the "Save As" box points down, click it so it points up.
    b. Give it a name in the "Save as" box. This name will appear on the TC's disk, with ".dmg" appended. (Similar to the way the sparse bundle containing your Time Machine backups appears, with ".sparsebundle" appended).
    c. Click your TC in the sidebar. It may take a few moments for Disk Utility to recognize it, and show it in the center pane.
    d. In that center pane, select the blue Share folder for your +Time Capsule+ (you may need to scroll down, or enlarge the window, to see it). Once selected, you'll see any existing disk images in the right pane.
    e. Give the Image a name. This name will appear on your desktop and/or Finder sidebar when you mount the .dmg by double-clicking it, if you have the +External Disks+ box checked in +Finder > Preferences > General+ or +Finder > Preferences > Sidebar.+
    f. Select the Size for the amount of space you want to reserve, either one of the pre-sets or Custom which allows any size. Avoid taking all the remaining space for the disk image, as Time Machine needs a bit of room to operate. Also note that if very little space is left, it will begin deleting old backups very soon, to make room for new ones.
    g. Select the desired Format, probably the default of +Mac OS Extended (Journaled).+
    h. If you want it encrypted, select the desired type.
    i. Select single partition, either GUID or +Apple Partition Map.+
    j. Select +Read/Write disk image+ for Image Format.
    k. Click the Create button. The larger the image size, the longer this will take.
    |
    When complete, the new disk image will be automatically mounted on your Mac's desktop, ready to receive the files you want to move into it. (When you first open a disk image, there may not be a sidebar and/or toolbar; if so, select +View > Show Toolbar+ from the Finder menubar.)
    To access this disk image from another computer, you must first eject it from this one, since only one can mount it at a time. Otherwise, the other one will see a message that the disk image is "Temporarily unavailable."
    Note that you may be able to change the size of the disk image later, via +Images > Resize+ from the Disk Utility menubar (while the disk image is not mounted or selected in Disk Utility's sidebar).
    +Go to Top+
    _*Q4. My Time Capsule is too small to back-up my Mac(s). Now what?*_
    |
    You can attach a USB drive to your Time Capsule. Then you can back up to the USB drive instead of the Time Capsule's internal HD. If you have multiple Macs, you can back some up to the TC's internal drive, and others to the USB drive.
    If you need even more space, you can connect multiple USB drives via a hub (a powered one is usually best), and back up different Macs to each. What you cannot do, however, is have one Mac's backups continue from the Time Capsule's internal HD to a USB drive connected to it, or have the backups for any one Mac "span" two drives.
    The exception is, you can connect two (or more) drives that are in a +concatenated RAID+ set (sometimes called +RAID 0).+ In that configuration, all the drives in the set are treated as a single volume (see +Concatenated RAID+ in the Help for Disk Utility for details). This configuration may cause some other difficulties; once they're in a RAID set, you cannot connect any drive to your Mac separately -- it's all or none. And if one drive fails, you risk losing everything on all the drives in the set.
    See question #Q2 above for setup instructions for backing-up to the USB drive.
    +Go to Top+
    _*Q5. Should I delete backups? If so, how?*_
    |
    It depends on exactly what you want to do, and why.
    Under normal circumstances, you shouldn't have to delete anything. TM automatically "thins" (deletes) backups every time it does a new backup, on the following schedule:
    "Hourly" backups after 24 hours (except the first of the day, which is a "Daily" backup).
    "Daily" backups after a month (except the first of each week, which is a "Weekly" backup.)
    "Weekly" backups are kept until TM needs the space for new backups; then one or more of the oldest weeklies will be deleted.
    However, TM will never delete the backup copy of anything that was on the disk being backed-up at the time of any remaining backup. So all that's actually deleted are copies of items whose originals were changed or deleted before the next remaining backup.
    But if you do need to delete backups, here's how:
    To delete individual backups, or all backups of selected item(s), see #12 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
    To delete everything on the Time Capsule's internal HD, use +*Airport Utility.+* Select +*Base Station > Manual Set-Up+* from the Menubar, then Disks in the tool Bar, then Erase.
    To delete everything on a connected USB drive/partition, you can delete via the Finder, but that may take a very long time. It may be faster to disconnect it from your Time Capsule, connect it directly to your Mac, and use Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utilities folder) to erase the disk/partition.
    To delete all the backups for one Mac, without disturbing anything else on the Time Capsule's internal disk, open the TC via the Finder and delete the sparse bundle associated with that Mac.
    To delete all the backups for one Mac, without disturbing anything else on a connected USB drive, either open the USB drive via the Finder and delete the sparse bundle associated with that Mac, or disconnect the drive from the TC, connect it directly to your Mac, and delete the sparse bundle from there.
    +Go to Top+
    _*Q6. How do I back-up my Time Capsule and/or attached USB drive(s)?*_
    |
    That depends to some extent on what you want to back up, and where it is.
    It's generally not a good idea to try to back-up your Time Machine backups. If there's a problem with them, it will be copied to (and perhaps magnified on) the copy.
    A better solution is probably to use either Time Machine or a different application to make separate, independent backups of your Mac, to a different destination. A portable external hard drive is great for this; you can periodically connect it to your Mac, make a backup, then take it to a secure off-site location, so you're protected against fire, flood, theft, direct lightning strike on your power lines, etc. If you use Time Machine for this, you'll have to use the disk selection process each time you want to switch, via +Time Machine Preferences.+
    Many folks use the CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper! apps to make "bootable clones" of their internal HD to an external HD. While these usually don't have "archived" copies of previous versions of things you've changed or deleted, you can boot and run your Mac from them if your internal HD fails. Your Mac may run a bit slower, but it will be usable. Both are easily found via Google.
    Since Time Machine cannot back up your Time Capsule's internal hard drive, or a USB drive connected to it, if you have other data there, you'll need a different method to back up that other data.
    In a pinch, you can disconnect a USB drive from your Time Capsule, attach it to your Mac, and copy or back it up that way.
    |
    There is a procedure that will let you "archive" the TC's internal disk to a USB drive connected to it.
    But it's not quick, since since the data must be read from the TC's internal disk to your Mac, then sent *back through the Time Capsule* to the connected USB drive. And it's "all or nothing" -- you can only use this procedure to copy the entire contents.
    All users will be disconnected from both the internal HD and the connected USB disk (but the network will remain usable).
    Attach a USB drive with at least as much free space as the total amount of data on the TC's internal HD (see #5 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum, for formatting instructions).
    Turn Time Machine "Off" via +Time Machine Preferences.+ Stop all processes that may be accessing the Time Capsule's disk. If possible, connect your Mac to the Time Capsule with an Ethernet cable -- it will still be slow, but faster than WIFI.
    Then follow this Apple procedure: Using AirPort Utility 5.3.1 or later to make a copy of the Time Capsule disk.
    +Go to Top+
    PROBLEMS
    |
    _*P1. The Backup disk image could not be created.*_
    |
    Oddly enough, Time Machine can be rather picky about the way certain things are named.
    Check your +*Computer Name*+ at the top of the System Preferences > Sharing panel.
    It must not be blank; it should not be more than 25 characters long; and you should avoid punctuation, spaces, and special characters.
    After changing it, click the Edit button and make the corresponding change to the +*Local Hostname.+*
    If that doesn't help, apply the same rules to the name of your Time Capsule and Network, via +Airport Utility.+
    +Go to Top+
    _*P2. Time Machine could not complete the backup .. sparsebundle could not be accessed. (Error 109).*_
    |
    The sparsebundle containing your backups is corrupted.
    Try Repairing it, per #A5 in the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.
    If the sparsebundle is on your Time Capsule's internal HD, and Disk Utility can't fix it, your only option is to delete it (or erase the TC's disk), and let Time Machine start over. You may be able to prevent this from happening again by changing the names per problem #P1 above.
    If the sparsebundle is on a USB drive connected to your Time Capsule, and Disk Utility can't fix it, it's possible a heavy-duty 3rd-party +Disk Repair+ application, such as +Disk Warrior+ can. (You'll have to connect the drive directly to your Mac.) These are not cheap, and there's no guarantee they can fix it. Be certain whatever you use is compatible with your OS. For Disk Warrior, you need at least version 4.1.1 for Leopard, 4.2 for Snow Leopard.
    +Go to Top+

    This tip is ready for consideration.
    It is an update to the current Tip at: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2296894
    Changes:
    Q1: replaced info about the TM icons with a link to the TM FAQ tip.
    Q2: added info about RAID sets attached to a TC
    Q6: reworded a bit and replaced last paragraph with a link to the Apple article.

  • 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 I Use Time Machine Restore Files to a New Computer?

    I use Time Machine to backup my data to an external drive. Let's say that my computer crashes and I buy a new computer with Leopard installed.
    Two Questions:
    If I plug my Time Machine drive into the new computer, will I be able to recreate the old files and settings? Or does Time Machine only work to restore information on a specific computer?
    If Time Machine WILL restore the documents onto a new computer, what happens if the first computer is Power PC and the new one is Intel?
    Thanks!
    Message was edited by: Dan D\'Errico

    Dan D'Errico wrote:
    I use Time Machine to backup my data to an external drive. Let's say that my computer crashes and I buy a new computer with Leopard installed.
    Two Questions:
    If I plug my Time Machine drive into the new computer, will I be able to recreate the old files and settings?
    Yes - see my comments below regarding "Migrating User Data From One Mac to Another".
    Or does Time Machine only work to restore information on a specific computer?
    No
    If Time Machine WILL restore the documents onto a new computer, what happens if the first computer is Power PC and the new one is Intel?
    Then you should choose to Migrate your personal data over but NOT Applications. They may likely not be compatible with the new system.
    *_Migrating User Data From One Mac to Another_*
    *Firewire Disk Mode*
    If you have a FireWire cable, you can connect one Mac to the other via FireWire Disk Mode. Then use Migration Assistant to transfer all of your files and applications over from the older Mac. It should result in a virtually identical setup as your previous Mac. Follow the instructions in this KB article:
    “How to use FireWire target disk mode”
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661
    *Using Time Machine Before Initial Launch of New Mac*
    Before starting the new Mac for the first time, attach the hard disk that contains the Time Machine backups from the old Mac.
    Start the new Mac and begin the setup process. At some point it will ask you if you would like to Migrate/Import user data from another computer or a Time Machine backup disk. Follow the prompts and select the date of the backup you would like to restore your user data from. Once the migration is complete use Disk Utility to repair any permissions issues.
    *Using Time Machine After Initial Launch of New Mac*
    If you have already created a User Account on the new Mac using a DIFFERENT Username and Password from the old Mac, then do the following:
    Attach the hard disk containing the previous Macs' Time Machine backups to the new computer.
    Go to Applications --> Utilities --> and launch Migration Assistant.
    At the welcome dialogue click "Continue." You may be required to enter your Admin password.
    For Migration Method chose "From a Time Machine backup or other disk".
    Select the hard disk containing the previous Time Machine backups. (Give Migration Assistant some time as it scans the disk for eligible data to migrate.)
    Now select which User Accounts you would like to migrate over.
    However, if you have already created a User Account on the new Mac using the SAME Username and Password as the old Mac, then you will need to do this:
    Create a new User Admin Account on the new Mac with a completely unique name.
    Now, delete the first User Account you created on the new Mac - The one that is identical to the old Mac. (Of course, backup any important files that were created using the new User Account before deleting it.)
    Finally, use Migration Assistant as described above to move the old User Account data over from the Time Machine backups.
    *Full Backup After Restore*
    Bear in mind that in all cases Time Machine will perform a full backup after a full restore. This is normal. Time Machine will resume incremental backups after the full backup has completed. To view previous backups, Control-click or right-click the Time Machine icon in your Dock or Option-click the Time Machine menu extra and Choose "Browse Other Time Machine Disks," then select your previous backup volume. You will enter Time Machine and be able to browse your previous back ups and restore files. (http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1338)
    Let us know if this was helpful.
    Cheers!

  • I just got a new MacBook Pro, and I tried to bring across my files from my last mac using time machine. After it was done copying I can't find my files anywhere but the space (about 130gb) has been used on my hard drive. Help please!!

    I just got a new MacBook Pro, and I tried to bring across my files from my last mac using time machine. After it was done copying I can't find my files anywhere but the space (about 130gb) has been used on my hard drive. Does anyone know how I can get to them? I did change my user name from 'user' while it was copying, could this have something to do with it?

    You don't want to do that by copying.
    Your best bet, by far, is to use Setup Assistant.  If your Mac is running Snow Leopard, see Using Setup Assistant on Snow Leopard or Leopard.
    If it came with Lion, it's a bit different: Using Setup Assistant on Lion

  • 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.

  • Using Time Machine to Backup an External Drive (RAID 1)

    Is it possible to backup an external drive to another external drive using Time Machine in Mountain Lion? 
    The following diagram describes what I want to do.  I am basically trying to use Time Machine as an external RAID 1 system.  However, I don't want to buy a RAID 1 box.  I want to have control of TWO OR MORE time machine setups.  I don't want to backup my OS every time.  I simply want to backup one external drive to another external drive.  The drives are 2TB each, so the advice to buy a big hard drive to back everything up on won't work.  Also, I am often swapping drives and would like to use this system for all of my projects and all of my drives.  Any help would be great.  Thanks for your time. 
    NOTE: I am on Lion and wanted to know if this was possible before upgrading. 

    To be clear, TM can back up your external drive perfectly well, provided it's in MacOS format. What it can't do is back up the external drive alone to one destination, and everything else to a different destination.
    As for what you should use instead of TM, I don't really have an opinion. SuperDuper and Carbon Copy Cloner are well regarded. You need to make some decisions about backup strategy before you choose a backup method. TM makes incremental backups, so you can revert to any of several earlier versions of a file. Those third-party products can do that too, though not as efficiently as TM. Also bear in my mind that a single backup is inadequate. You need more than one backup to be safe, and to be truly safe, at least one backup must be stored off-site at all times.

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