liswmiller
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Q: Need to restore applications and files from WD Passport after hard drive crash with Mac Mini

My Mac mini was having some problems that indicated the drive was failing. I purchased and used a WD Passport with Time Machine to backup everything. Then as I was doing a diagnostic with a computer repair guy, my mini hard drive crashed. We replaced the drive but now I cannot figure out how to recover and restore the applications and files from before the crash. Time Machine only has what is now on my computer after the fix and when I click on My Passport it won't actually let me open any applications and I can't find anything that looks like my data files.

 

How can I fix this and get my stuff back?

Posted on Aug 5, 2015 10:41 AM

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liswmiller

Q: Need to restore applications and files from WD Passport after hard drive crash with Mac Mini

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  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Aug 5, 2015 10:53 AM in response to liswmiller
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    Desktops
    Aug 5, 2015 10:53 AM in response to liswmiller

    See:

    Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac - Apple Support

    and

    http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html

    Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions

  • by liswmiller,

    liswmiller liswmiller Aug 5, 2015 2:41 PM in response to lllaass
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    Aug 5, 2015 2:41 PM in response to lllaass

    I'm sorry, I am really technically challenged. As far as I could tell, everything on the pondini sight was telling me to just find the restore information on Time Machine. My Time Machine is only showing me backup information from the time I replugged in my Passport after I got the hard drive in my Mini repaired, nothing from before. I need the stuff from before. Any help? Did I miss something?

  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Aug 5, 2015 3:08 PM in response to liswmiller
    Level 10 (189,849 points)
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    Aug 5, 2015 3:08 PM in response to liswmiller

    - Are you saying that when you right click on the Time Machine (TM) icon in the Menu bar and select Enter TM there is no data before when you pluged  your HD in AFTER the repair?

    - That there is nothing listed before the time on the right hand side?

    - if you view the contents of the backup HD in Finder is there only one folder with the .backupdb extension?

    - If only one click on the folder and is there only one unhidden folder?

    - When you first backed up after the repair what specifically did you do? You should have been asked some questions and I do not remember the specific questions

  • by liswmiller,

    liswmiller liswmiller Aug 5, 2015 3:40 PM in response to lllaass
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    Aug 5, 2015 3:40 PM in response to lllaass

    Yes to all of your questions.

     

    I remember formatting? the Passport and answering a few Time Machine questions. I manually moved all my personal documents and folders and pictures to the Passport, but let Time Machine do it's thing. Now I can't find any of those documents, folders or pictures.

  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Aug 5, 2015 3:50 PM in response to liswmiller
    Level 10 (189,849 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 5, 2015 3:50 PM in response to liswmiller

    - I am confused. When you first setup TM you likely have to format the HD to be compatible with TM.

    - How many times did you format the HD? initially and then again when you connected the HD after the Mac was repaired?

     

    - If you manually copied files to the HD the it is not part of the TM backup.

     

    - Open Finder and click on the backup HD. Take a screen shot of what Finder shows.

    How to take a screenshot on your Mac


    The camera icon at the top of the reply window for this forum allows you to insert images.

  • by liswmiller,

    liswmiller liswmiller Aug 5, 2015 6:36 PM in response to lllaass
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    Aug 5, 2015 6:36 PM in response to lllaass

    Screen Shot 2015-08-05 at 7.35.31 PM.png

  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Aug 6, 2015 1:04 AM in response to liswmiller
    Level 10 (189,849 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 6, 2015 1:04 AM in response to liswmiller

    Change Finder disply to list view vice icon view. Then click on backup folder and post the results here

    If only one folder then click on that and post the results here