JDW1
Level 1 (18 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Use my same Time Machine backup but with a new Mac

Please know that before posting here I searched this forum for answers.  This thread sounds interesting, but the links are broken:

 

Re-associate new mac with Time Machine backup

 

I read that Pondini passed away, which is probably why his informative website is now defunct.

 

I then found the following thread about "inheriting":

 

Migrate from mac to mac and still be able to use the old external backups with time machine new mac?

 

Along with this Apple KB article on inheriting:

 

OS X Yosemite: If you want a new Mac to “inherit” your backup history

 

But I was never "asked" if I want to "inherit," hence my post here.

 

Simply put, I had an external 2TB FW800 drive attached to my old 2009 iMac9,1 and used Time Machine to make backups.  I didn't leave TM on all the time, which allowed me to keep many backups from as far back as 2009.  I could access them all perfectly from that iMac9,1.  But I now have a new late 2015 5K iMac17,1.  I used Migration Assistant (not my TM backup) to move data from the iMac9,1 to iMac17,1.  I now simply want to continue using my FW800 external HDD with this new iMac.  Yes, I have the Thunderbolt to  FW800 adapter, and I can mount the TM drive on my new iMac.  I can also dig down into the backups, although I see a red circle with bar, indicating permissions are such that I cannot open all the folders.  Anyway, when I click on a Finder window that I know is on the backup disk and then when I choose ENTER TIME MACHINE, I often get the following error message:

 

Cannot connect to a current Time Machine backup disk.

 

But when I OK that dialog, TM opens and shows me the stack of windows.  It's just that when I try to go back in time, it sits there telling me "waiting."

 

So could this be a permissions problem?

And what of that "inherit" talk?  Can I force it to happen?

 

Any advice you have would be appreciated.

 

Thank you.

Posted on Nov 20, 2015 12:56 AM

by JDW1,Solvedanswer
JDW1 JDW1
Level 1 (18 points)
Mac OS X
A:

For those who come across this thread looking for answers, please note that I solved my own problem, as I describe in the following thread:

 

Re: How to change permissions on external FW800 Time Machine backup drive.

Posted on Dec 7, 2015 4:15 PM

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Q: Use my same Time Machine backup but with a new Mac

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  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Nov 20, 2015 7:30 AM in response to JDW1
    Level 10 (207,963 points)
    Applications
    Nov 20, 2015 7:30 AM in response to JDW1

    You should not be using such an old drive to back up, especially if it's your only backup. Put the drive aside and start a new backup on a new drive—preferably, more than one new drive. When you're sure you'll no longer need the data on the old drive, erase it and start over, or just recycle it.

  • by JDW1,

    JDW1 JDW1 Nov 20, 2015 3:26 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (18 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 20, 2015 3:26 PM in response to Linc Davis

    The backup data is old but the drive is new, less than a year old.  Originally I used a 1TB Time Capsule for my TM backups, but when I perceived that HDD was failing, I purchased my current 2TB external FW800 drive, attached it directly to my Mac, and moved TC backups onto it.  TM has been working fine to continue those backups.  I could restore old data from the 2TB drive via Enter Time Machine just fine on my old iMac.  However, as I mention in my opening post, I have moved to a new iMac and now I am getting errors when trying to use Enter TM with that drive.  There errors are NOT because the 2TB drive is old and failing, but for some other reason unbeknownst to me.  Please also note that I have NOT yet made any TM backups to the 2TB drive while attached to my new iMac.  I merely have been trying to access the data on it via Enter Time Machine.

     

    Please know that I also make CCC clones to 1TB drives, so I always have a current backup.  I simply want to continue making TM backups to my 2TB drive.  Even if some may feel that isn't what they personally would do, what I want to know is how to achieve my aim.  What is the solution to this problem, such that I can continue accessing TM backups from my 2TB drive AND make new backups to it, WITHOUT formatting it and starting over.  Formatting it and starting over us NOT a solution for me.  The solution I seek is to CONTINUE accessing from and making backups to my 2TB drive, via my new iMac.  Since the Pondini site is down, I cannot check his excellent advice, hence my query here.

     

    Thank you.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Nov 20, 2015 6:08 PM in response to JDW1
    Level 10 (207,963 points)
    Applications
    Nov 20, 2015 6:08 PM in response to JDW1

    There is a way to force the backup history to be inherited, but I consider it too complicated for most users to carry out, and it won't do any good if you've already started using Time Machine with the new setup. If you're familiar with the shell and want to try it, search the tmutil(8) manual page for the terms "inheritbackup" and "associatedisk."

  • by JDW1,

    JDW1 JDW1 Nov 23, 2015 5:26 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (18 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 23, 2015 5:26 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Running the required Terminal commands was the easy part (thank you for telling me about that).  I did both an INHERIT and ASSOCIATE, as per this Pondini page on Archive.org (blue box, followed by the red box):

     

    https://web.archive.org/web/20150906111341/http://pondini.org/TM/B6.html

     

    But the problem is that when I use ENTER TIME MACHINE, I cannot go back in Time, just like before.  I believe what is wrong here is PERMISSIONS.  Sadly, we cannot repair permissions via Disk Utility anymore because "ElCap takes care of all that now," or so I am told.  But clearly that isn't helping my external drive, seeing most of its folders are blocked by permissions.  I tried these Terminal commands, but to no avail:

     

    sudo chown root:admin /Volumes/2TB\ Backup

    sudo chmod a+rwx /Volumes/2TB\ Backup

    killall Finder

     

    I then tried this command:

     

    sudo chmod 1777 /Volumes/2TB\ Backup

     

    But still, when I dig down inside the backups, going inside "/User/" I see all the folders (e.g., Documents, etc.) have the red round icon with bar inside, indicating "you have no permissions to access this folder."

     

    I tried to change the permissions on folders on that Backup drive via the Get Info box and the Sharing and Permissions section, but the changes won't stick.

     

    So my question now is this:

     

    HOW DO I CHANGE PERMISSIONS ON MY FW800 EXTERNAL DRIVE TO BE READ/WRITE?

     

    Thank you.

  • by JDW1,

    JDW1 JDW1 Nov 24, 2015 4:10 PM in response to JDW1
    Level 1 (18 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 24, 2015 4:10 PM in response to JDW1

    The eery silence after my previous post either means:

     

    (1) I have no idea who to change permissions on external hard disks, OR

     

    (2) I know but it's probably too difficult for you.

     

    If (2), then please fire away because I am up for the challenge.  If (1), please point me in the right direction.  Goodness knows I cannot possibly be the lone Mac user on the planet who has faced this problem.

     

    Thank you.

  • by JDW1,

    JDW1 JDW1 Nov 25, 2015 4:15 PM in response to JDW1
    Level 1 (18 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 25, 2015 4:15 PM in response to JDW1

    I cannot help but admit I am terribly disappointed that all feedback in this thread has ceased.

     

    Would anyone else be willing to advise how I can change permissions on my external FW800 TM backup drive?  (See my previous posts for details on the situation.)

     

    Thank you for your time.

  • by JDW1,Solvedanswer

    JDW1 JDW1 Dec 7, 2015 4:15 PM in response to JDW1
    Level 1 (18 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 7, 2015 4:15 PM in response to JDW1

    For those who come across this thread looking for answers, please note that I solved my own problem, as I describe in the following thread:

     

    Re: How to change permissions on external FW800 Time Machine backup drive.