Time machine restore problems

gavw2272 wrote:

Unless I have inadvertently reconfigured something, which is always a possibility. Shortly after my first time machine backup, I erased my disk to take all my display settings to factory state. After I started again from scratch, I used time machine to restore my applications. Thank G that worked like a charm although I did it one app at a time because I didn't know how to do it all at once. Then I tried to restore recents and at the top it said searching recents. But nothing happened. And after waiting for about 5 hours as I worked on other things with a second computer I gave up . Nothing had apparently changed. As for Documents, Downloads etc. all the other sidebar items were grayed out. unavailable for restore.

Q -" After I started again from scratch, I used time machine to restore my applications. Thank G that worked like a charm although I did it one app at a time because I didn't know how to do it all at once. "

A - Based upon the above it appears the user may not have used the Restore Application from the First Image below. Should that had been used, all the applications would have been restored all at once. For future use next time.

Q - " Then I tried to restore recents and at the top it said searching recents. "

A - This is a function of Spotlight having indexed the entire System and all the files Previously Opened and Used , That intern would be passed to Finder >> Recent as per Second Image below

A - Did the User Choose the Resort your User Account which would a brought back ALL that was In your User Account Backed Up including Recent, Documents, Download etc.

Some information in below image is Redacted for Security Reasons ( Personal and Identifiable Information )

What do you have in the Options pane of Time Machine's settings?

Recents doesn’t contain anything. It is a search that shows files that have been opened.

To restore files from Time Machine, you use Migration Assistant to bring the whole user back, or enter Time Machine and restore individual files or folders.

Factually, not totally accurate unless the User Configured TM Utility to Only Backup Applications

Is that what was configured ?

Move content to a new Mac - Apple Support (CA)

If the user is implying you can not Restore the Operating System ( Ventura ) - That is very correct.

Since Catalina macOS 10.15 and above TM Backup will only backup the User Account ( Home Folder ) on the computer