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I have a MacBook Pro 16 with the latest Mac OS 11.0.1 My external Time Machine disk goes back about a year. But when I open Time Machine in Big Sur, it doesn't see the "old" backups I did with Catalina and Mojave. Is that "normal" that Time Machine doesn't look back before Big Sur was installed?
Thank you,
Larry
MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 10.15
Hello Larry Cohen,
The short answer: yes, it is "normal" that Time Machine doesn't look back before Big Sur was installed.
The reason why you cannot see your Catalina backups from your Time Machine drive, is because Apple changed the file format for Time Machine backups to APFS (Apple File System), so it is the same filing system used in Catalina and Mojave, and continues with Big Sur.
At any rate, prior to the update to Big Sur, Time Machine backups could only be kept on external drives formatted as HFS+ Extended Journaled (MacOS Extended Journaled). Big Sur is not capable of reading those files, since it and the Time Machine backups it creates are APFS.
What I had done prior to updating to Big Sur, was to make a copy of my very last Catalina backup, just in case my update to Big Sur did not go so well, and I would be able to go back to Catalina if need be.
So far, I have not had an issue with the update. So, after finding that everything was still working properly, I erased my Time Machine drive and reformatted it to APFS, just so I could have more room for the Big Sur backups, plus I no longer needed the older Catalina backups, since Big Sur had made them obsolete.
Here is an article which you might like to see: Back up your files with Time Machine on Mac - Apple Support
I hope this helps.
Good luck to you!
Hello Larry Cohen,
The short answer: yes, it is "normal" that Time Machine doesn't look back before Big Sur was installed.
The reason why you cannot see your Catalina backups from your Time Machine drive, is because Apple changed the file format for Time Machine backups to APFS (Apple File System), so it is the same filing system used in Catalina and Mojave, and continues with Big Sur.
At any rate, prior to the update to Big Sur, Time Machine backups could only be kept on external drives formatted as HFS+ Extended Journaled (MacOS Extended Journaled). Big Sur is not capable of reading those files, since it and the Time Machine backups it creates are APFS.
What I had done prior to updating to Big Sur, was to make a copy of my very last Catalina backup, just in case my update to Big Sur did not go so well, and I would be able to go back to Catalina if need be.
So far, I have not had an issue with the update. So, after finding that everything was still working properly, I erased my Time Machine drive and reformatted it to APFS, just so I could have more room for the Big Sur backups, plus I no longer needed the older Catalina backups, since Big Sur had made them obsolete.
Here is an article which you might like to see: Back up your files with Time Machine on Mac - Apple Support
I hope this helps.
Good luck to you!
It may have started a new backup for Big Sur.
I don't know if what you see is normal, though.
You might try selecting "Browse other Backup Disks" from the Time Machine Status Menu. Hold down Option key and select the Time Machine menu to see that command.
Thank you for your response, Barney. It didn't start a new Backup! It upgraded my older backups (so the menu said!) So I still just see one backup icon.
Actually, I did try holding down the Option key when entering the drive. That didn't change things at all.
But thank you for trying :)
Larry
Actually, I did try holding down the Option key when entering the drive.
I don't think that is what I said, but perhaps.
Hold down Option key.
Click on Time Machine Status Menu item.
Select "Browse Other Backup Disks" and then see if there is an option to open a previous backup.
If you boot into Recovery and choose Restore from backup, does it offer a restore prior to installing Big Sur?
Hmmm . . . when I clicked on the Time Machine icon in the Dock, it did allow me to see the 4 backups I had done with Big Sur in my Mac. It just wouldn't go back to the 50 or so Catalina Backups. I'd be a little nervous clicking the 'Restore from backup' option as I'm NOT looking to restore anything! I just wanted to look back on my older backups as TM has always allowed!
Time Machine now just seems to "see" the Big Sur backups, and not anything backed up before that. Hopefully I'm making this clear :)
I surely thank you for your input, but my only question is the Old backups from Catalina aren't coming up with TM as I look back with my Mac upgraded to Big Sur. They just don't come up! That's all I'm looking to know.
But thank you for trying :)
Thank you VERY MUCH! You have confirmed what I was finding. It gets a little confusing . . . as Big Sur will TM to a General Journaled drive which I continued Time Machining to. BUT with Big Sur, it won't let me "see" the older time machine backups I had made on the drive. (I think this is correct.) My wife's Mac (2018) still has Catalina and oddly, I cannot see my "old" Catalina backups I made with mine back when I had Catalina? (When I Option click Catalina and look at "old" backups :(
It's all a bit confusing . . . but it does seem to work - just not cross platforming. But thank you again for confirming what I was finding.
Hmmm . . . when I clicked on the Time Machine icon in the Dock
The Status Menu is the right-hand side of the menu bar.
That is what I’m trying to help you do. I don’t have any way to test as I don’t have any Catalina backups. I’m trying to provide a way to see if they are there.
Hello Larry Cohen,
I apologize for the late response, but you are welcome, and glad I could help!
Kind Regards,
AntBee
Big sur look at old time machine saves made from Catalina?
