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Time Machine backdate from Big Sur issue

Hi All!

My 13in Macbook Pro, 2017 was running Mojave 10.14.latest. I wanted to take a look at Big Sur, so I updated my Time Machine and then D?L'd and ran the install.BigSur app. Went on just fine, but it broke too many things (and things that the Mojave install reported as being 64bit, too), so after a couple of days playing with it, I decided to ride the Time Machine back to Mojave.

It started the restore as usual, but about 90% thru the process, it rebooted, looked like it rebooted a couple of times, and ended up back at the Recovery screen. I tried again, with the same result.

I suspected a bad backup dataset, but it "restored" just fine onto my iMac, so the Time Machine data is OK.

About the only weirdness I see is that the Recovery system "Disk Utility" reports the "Base System" (I assume this is the recovery?) partition/volume as being macOS 11.1, and there are some extra volumes, in the "container disk". (Probably artifacts from the failed recoveries?)

Any ideas as to what is going on, and how I might get my Mojave MBP back?

TIA! Steve


MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jan 11, 2021 10:46 AM

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Posted on Jan 11, 2021 4:33 PM

First you need to go to recovery, use disk utilities and erase your internal drive completely. Then use TM to restore Mojave. In the future it is best to test a new OS by installing on an external SSD so if you do not like it you can just continue with the internal drive.

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2 replies

Jan 11, 2021 7:28 PM in response to tbirdvet

The first thing I did. That's why I was surprised to see the 11.1 "base system" still listed.

Someone elsewhere on-line suggested doing a clean install of Mojave and _then_ trying Time Machine. I'll give that a whirl the next time I feel like mucking with it. I have the worlds slowest home internet, and need to go into town to someplace with open wireless to download the install in something less than a century :-P

Time Machine backdate from Big Sur issue

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