Help needed to recover the original time machine backup, after wrongly choosing inheritance for time machine of new mac

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Level 1

8 points

Help needed to recover the original time machine backup, after wrongly choosing inheritance for time machine of new mac

Hi

I want to go back to the original time machine backups corresponding to the original mac mini. Appreciate your help please.

I have two macs. The original mac mini and a new macbook pro. The original mac mini was backed up by time machine (Synology NAS drive) for as long as 5 years and the last OS was Catalina. Catalina gave lots of problems so I decided to do a clean wipe by installing OS Sierra and then restore with time machine.

While waiting, I connect the new mac book pro to the time machine used by the original mac mini. Time machine then gave 3 selections 1)don’t backup, 2)create new backup 3)inherit new backup. I accidentally hit "3)inherit new backup" and as fast as I knew something was wrong I stop the time machine and remove the drive.

When the Sierra installation was completed on the original Mac mini, I did a command-R and try to do "restore from time machine” and discovered that all the old mac mini backup could not be found.

I turned on the new macbook pro and connect to the time machine and it gives the 3 selection again "1)don’t backup, 2)create new backup 3)inherit new backup". This time I clicked 2) create new backup. I was hoping that this will reverse the "inheritance"

Then I went back to original Mac mini and do command-R and "restore from time machine” the old backups still could not be found. Please could you help find back the old backups to mac mini?

The screenshot of the time machine volume is attached below. Thank you in advance.

Regards

Simon

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Oct 15, 2019 8:38 AM

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Answer 1

dg2foto Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 15, 2019 8:27 PM in response to LaPastenague

Yes. I did saw it on another thread that I could just rename the .backupbundle to .sparsebundle

I should have no encryption. The time machine created the original .sparsebundle by default.

I’ll renaming. Thank you.

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Answer 2

Oct 15, 2019 3:05 PM in response to dg2foto

How big are each of the backups?

If the Simon's Mac Mini.sparsebundle is just your new sierra install you can discount that one as useful.

Macmini (2).sparsebundle seems more hopeful. It should still contain the backup assuming it was not destroyed by the new MBP.

The best backup to work on is likely the Macmini.backupbundle as long as Catalina did not destroy it.

Test from one of your computers if you can open Macmini.backupbundle in Finder.

If so I will assume it is just a name change of the sparsebundle to backupbundle and hopefully looks the same inside.

ie. Under Devices you will have Time Machine Backups appear.

Under this you will see the main backup.

If so copy the Backups.backupdb to a USB external drive plugged into your MacMini. This is going to be big and will take a long while.

Then try again to see if you can open it in Time Machine from Restore. If not see if you can fix its permissions.. you cannot do this on the Network drive but you might be able to do it in local drive setup from the Mini in Finder.

Not helpful now.. but please never do this again.

As a rule.. installing a new OS just a few days after a .0 release is a bad idea..

Never do that without CLONING your drive. Time Machine backups are much too fragile to trust.

I use CCC to create a bootable clone that I test before any install. It makes recovery as simple as 2min boot from alternative source.

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Answer 3

dg2foto Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 15, 2019 8:00 PM in response to LaPastenague

There is a very similar thread as follows but I’m unable to read the solution due to “Access Denied”.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8511479

Wonder how it was solved. Are you able to access from your end and let me know? Tks in advance.

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Answer 4

Oct 15, 2019 8:15 PM in response to dg2foto

I think it is ownership issue not just a name problem.

But it could stop you opening the sparsebundle in finder.. from the other thread here changing the name to sparsebundle did allow it to be opened at least in DiskImage.. or Finder.

Do you have an encryption issue as well? Did you leave out that the backup is encrypted??

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Answer 5

Oct 15, 2019 8:10 PM in response to dg2foto

This is the answer.. and as you can see it is just ending the discussion.

This was from fellow guru here Bob Timmons.

You are asking about the inner software workings of Time Machine.....which is part of the Mac operating system. While we can answer some basic questions about Time Machine, the focus of this forum is on hardware.....the AirPort Time Capsule.

If you have not already done so, you will likely receive a more prompt and informed answer if you post your question in the support forum for High Sierra......where the operating system gurus hang out.

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