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Restore from Time Machine after installing a new system drive (with no OS X on it)

My 128 GB flash/ssd system drive failed and I got the "?" and blinking folder indicating that no system could be found. After a while understanding that the system drive was dead then I thought Ok, I need more space anyways so then I had a OWC 480 GB new ssd/flash drive installed.

There is no OS X on this new drive and I have av Time machine backup which are suppose to have taken backup of all (I would guess OS X Sierra also).

1.) I would like to restore from my Time Machine backup, preferably indeed to OS X High Sierra and my user files. How to do that without Apple having me to install a new OS X?

Can it be done from Rescue mode (starting from internet)?

2.) Would it be smart to do a backup of the Time Machine drive first (that is a spinning mechanical disk (not ssd/flash)?

3.) How long would it take approx. to restore the backup (about 100 GB) since I only had about 20 GB free space before it crashed.

4.) Any considerations to think of in regard to that OWC probably is not a original Apple disk?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Jul 18, 2022 5:31 AM

Top-ranking reply

WheelieNick

Level 8

39,987 points

Posted on Jul 18, 2022 6:58 AM

You can boot from recovery (cmd+R when booting) and do the time machine bakcup.

For me personally, I would install OSX first with an usb (if you have access to another Mac) and do only the documents via time machine. It can take a long time to set all that back

OWC Has very good disks, I should not worry about that

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Restore from Time Machine after installing a new system drive (with no OS X on it)

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