Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
Updated Mojave to Big Sur on Thursday and have spent DAYS trying to get files migrated to MacBook Air. Backups are on Time Capsule. Entire system was backed up prior to the update. I can see the last backup. When I click on it, however, it goes through the motions of loading and then suddenly greys out and stops. Suggestions on getting access to that backup?
MacBook Air
Finance software also on iPad Pro; backed it up to Dropbox and then transferred data to Macbook Air. Yay! All Microsoft 365 apps transferred via Migration Assistant but error message about corrupt file when opening Excel. Copied app from BFF's desktop and pasted to Macbook Air apps. Excel works great and spreadsheets found. All is right with the world once again, but I think it will be years before I upgrade iOS again. Thanks for all of your help, Bob!
Finance software also on iPad Pro; backed it up to Dropbox and then transferred data to Macbook Air. Yay! All Microsoft 365 apps transferred via Migration Assistant but error message about corrupt file when opening Excel. Copied app from BFF's desktop and pasted to Macbook Air apps. Excel works great and spreadsheets found. All is right with the world once again, but I think it will be years before I upgrade iOS again. Thanks for all of your help, Bob!
Sorry, I'm really confused. Can you help us out with some more information?
Updated Mojave to Big Sur on Thursday
Was this on the MacBook Air?
trying to get files migrated to MacBook Air
If you backed up the MacBook Air prior to "updating" to Big Sur, everything on the MacBook Air should have remained the same, except the operating system, which was updated. You should not need to "migrate" anything, since everything should already be on the MacBook Air, along with the updated operating system.
Why do you feel that you need to migrate files from a backup, when they should already be on the MacBook Air?
Take us through step-by-step how you are trying to "migrate" files. Please assume that we cannot see your Mac, so things that are very obvious to you are unknown to us. We'll only know as much as you can tell us.
After starting update, realized I did not have enough memory to complete upgrade. Called Apple Support who said the only thing to do was wipe memory (Control-R) and download Big Sur. Big Sur loaded and used Migrate Assistant thru Time Capsule and because of memory limitations, loaded segments one at a time (My files, Apps, System & Network, etc.). Apps are now loaded but without data. Trying to restore financial software but cannot get the last backup to open so that I can select that app and restore.
realized I did not have enough memory to complete upgrade. Called Apple Support who said the only thing to do was wipe memory
Not sure what "wipe memory" means. Are you saying that you erased the hard drive on the MacBook Air?
If not, how did you "wipe memory"?
After you "wiped memory", then what did you do step-by-step?
Please assume that we will only know as much as you can tell us.
Apple told me to depress and hold the Control and R keys for a sustained period of time which she said "wiped the memory"....I presumed erased hard drive. Through her instructions, I loaded Big Sur. Then she told me to use the Migration Assistant to transfer my backup files to the "new system". After completing Migration Assistant, I noticed some of my files are missing from the apps so I would like to go into my Time Capsule and 'cherry pick' the files that I'm missing. When I attempted to do that, I can locate the backup file. Time Capsule attempts to load that particular backup, I see the spinning wheel and it says it's loading and then all of the sudden it just quits and the Backup file (on time Capsule) now appears greyed out. The files visible on Time Capsule are those displayed on my desktop since the upgrade.
I would like to go into my Time Capsule and 'cherry pick' the files that I'm missing.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to to do this using either Migration Assistant or using Time Machine.
You might be able to use the Finder to manually go into the backup on the Time Capsule and manually copy files, then paste them on the MacBook Air.....and you might not.
I have not tried this , because there is a significant risk of corrupting the entire backup when you try to manually go into a Time Machine backup using the Finder and copy files that way.
I would strongly recommend that you get back with Apple Support to ask them about using the Finder to try to manually copy files from a backup over......before......you attempt this.
Another option would be to wait to see if another user who has done this will see this post and be able to help out.
Good luck.
Nice work!
If you are running any kind of non-Apple applications, then you should not even think about updating to a newer Mac operating system until you get the all clear from the support folks for the applications that you will be using.
Time Capsule greyed out when trying to upgrade Mohave to Big Sur
