Restoring to a drive that is smaller than the time machine backup disk

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Restoring to a drive that is smaller than the time machine backup disk

I have a back that was for a disk that was larger than the disk i am trying to restore to, is there a way I can get into the time machine backup and delete files that are not crucial so I can do the restore?

macbook, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Feb 16, 2011 11:30 AM

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Answer 1

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Pondini

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Feb 16, 2011 11:42 AM in response to qquinn

It's not the size of the disk that's important, it's the amount of data.

So a 1 TB disk with 400 GB of data can be restored to a 500 GB dive with no problem.

EDIT: That's assuming the backup is for the startup volume of the same Mac you're restoring to. If not, use +Setup Assistant+ as noted below.

But yes, if you need to, you can delete all backups of selected items. See #12 in [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

But that data is lost forever. 😟 If you have another disk somewhere, you could selectively restore that data to it, before deleting.

Another option would be to erase the disk you're restoring to, install OSX on it, then use +Setup Assistant+ to transfer your stuff from the most recent backup. That allows omitting some broad categories of data, particularly the top-level sub folders in one or more home folders (Photos, Movies, Music, etc.). That way, the omitted data in your backups won't be deleted until the Time Machine drive gets full.

See [Using Setup Assistant|http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/SetupAsst.html] for details.

The above is assuming you're talking about your startup volume. If it's a data-only drive, just select what you want to restore via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 in the FAQ.

Message was edited by: Pondini

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Answer 2

qquinn Author

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Feb 16, 2011 12:00 PM in response to Pondini

Pondini, thank you, that was super helpful. Unfortunately the backup disk is no longer tied to any particular computer so I don't think i can access the "star wars" view as you called it. What I could do is mount the backup drive onto a different laptop and selectively remove files using the terminal or through the file browser but I want to make sure this activity won't somehow "corrupt" my backup making it unusable when I restore using the OS X disk from boot.

Also, If there was a way to get to the "star wars" view from a different computer that was not using it for backup that would work too. Thanks in advance!!

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Answer 3

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Feb 16, 2011 12:11 PM in response to qquinn

qquinn wrote:
Pondini, thank you, that was super helpful. Unfortunately the backup disk is no longer tied to any particular computer so I don't think i can access the "star wars" view as you called it. What I could do is mount the backup drive onto a different laptop and selectively remove files using the terminal or through the file browser but I want to make sure this activity won't somehow "corrupt" my backup making it unusable when I restore using the OS X disk from boot.

Yes, it may well do exactly that. 😟

Also, If there was a way to get to the "star wars" view from a different computer that was not using it for backup that would work too. Thanks in advance!!

There is: the +*Browse Other Time Machine Disks+* option, per #17 in the FAQ. If the user account there is the same as on the backups (short name and UID number), it will have permission to view and delete the files. If not, it probably won't.

Just what is your situation, and what/where is the data you want to omit/erase?

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Answer 4

qquinn Author

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Feb 16, 2011 12:53 PM in response to Pondini

large amounts of media files that aren't absolutely needed but were backed up automatically. I think what I will do is use backup assistent to restore the user accounts and settings (which should create a matching uid) and then use the process you just described to restore the rest of the files. The backup has has two user accounts on it, will this work with this process?

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Answer 5

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Feb 16, 2011 1:02 PM in response to qquinn

qquinn wrote:
large amounts of media files that aren't absolutely needed but were backed up automatically. I think what I will do is use backup assistent to restore the user accounts and settings (which should create a matching uid) and then use the process you just described to restore the rest of the files. The backup has has two user accounts on it, will this work with this process?

Assuming you mean +Setup Assistant,+ yes. Let it restore everything but the contents of the folder(s) in question. That will preserve the UID and permissions, all your apps and supporting files, etc. (If you don't let it transfer your apps, you'll have to reinstall some 3rd-party apps from the original disks. See [Transferring Applications|http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/TransferApps.html]).

But don't overfill the new drive; keep at least 15% free at all times, or you'll start having performance problems, or worse.

But keep in mind that everything you restore is considered as new, and will be backed-up again on the next backup, taking a lot of space on your TM drive.

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Answer 6

qquinn Author

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Feb 16, 2011 1:05 PM in response to qquinn

Excuse me, yes "Setup Assistent". This will work, thank you so much for the help!

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Answer 7

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Feb 16, 2011 1:26 PM in response to qquinn

Cool. Keep us posted.

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Answer 8

Nov 28, 2015 10:51 AM in response to qquinn

I have a Mac Mini (Mid 2011) with a 750GB drive. I am not backing up my VM folder, so my Time Machine backup is only 350GB (reported by Time Machine). I am trying to restore to a 480GB SSD. It keeps insisting there is not enough room. What are my options?

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