Restore from File-Vault back-up won't succeed

Question

Restore from File-Vault back-up won't succeed

Hello there!

Have a huge problem - recently my MacBook Pro (YR2009) approx 1.5 years old got damaged with no obvious reason. When I heard what got wrong from the repair center (as warranty doesn't cover it) I thought they want to make extra money on me. They said a BIOS IC is burnt and several circuits as well and BIOS IC + memory + HD need to be replaced with new ones. In the end they showed me my original parts are not working well and with other new parts it's all working well. So, it has been repaired and in addition to what I am not able to see I changed HD and memory.

I had 2 Time Machine back-ups made not so long ago and I was counting on them that I will be able to restore with no problem. I didn't worry much but I was wrong.

_Migration Assistant_
Using quite standard procedures I tried first migration assistant but it couldn't give me access to all my data because of File Vault was on. So, if you have FileVault on migration assistant won't help you to get access to the vast important part of your data.

_Complete restore_
Then I tried restoring from the latest back-up and failed. The process starts normally, after calculation counter shows about 15 hours till it's finished and after approx 2 hours gets well till 11 ~ 15 percent where then progress bar immediately gets to 100%, you see congratulations window and the only thing you can do is to press finish. Then I restarted the system and it, as usual, got me to account window, where it doesn't accept pair login/password.

I tried to restore from back-up more than 10 times, trying to restore from earlier back-ups, tried to use master password to change the login password (which has never been successful - window with error appeared each time I wanted to save new password). Never succeeded.

I tried to pull my data out file-by-file mounting sparsbundle volume, but none of the folders doesn't show me the vast majority of my files.

If there is anyone could help me I will indeed appreciate it.

Dmitriy

MacBook Pro 15", Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Apr 5, 2011 2:57 AM

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Answer 1

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Apr 5, 2011 3:20 AM in response to Dmitriy Yuriev

check for pointers [here_|http://web.me.com/pondini/TimeMachine/25.html].

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Answer 2

Apr 5, 2011 3:28 AM in response to Jolly Giant

Got that read earlier. Thanks anyway but that doesn't help me much. My point is about to be very simple - is there any way to restore my data?

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Answer 3

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Apr 5, 2011 11:55 AM in response to Dmitriy Yuriev

It sounds like you did manage to get inside the encrypted sparse bundle on your backups, right?

Had you been logging out with any frequency? That's the only time that Time Machine backs-up a File Vault sparse bundle. When you did, you should have seen the screens in the blue box of #25 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 the +Time Machine+ forum).

If not, or if you routinely cancelled the backup, that, unfortunately, may explain the missing data: it wasn't ever backed-up and is lost. 😟

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Answer 4

Apr 5, 2011 8:12 PM in response to Pondini

Yes, I've been able to mount the sparse bundle and look the content (and even copy some of useful), but the content shows only few folders and files of my data, keeping the original structure but missing the vast majority of data. For example I've picked out Desktop folder, but that was the only folder inside the home folder.

I've been logging out almost every week and has never cancelled back-up. But does that have a linkage to the fact I made 2 recent back-ups (on Feb 01 and Mar 14) and both are useless for restoring for a weird reason for me?

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Answer 5

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Apr 5, 2011 8:30 PM in response to Dmitriy Yuriev

I have no idea.

I've never seen anything like it -- several where folks never or rarely logged-off, so nothing got backed-up, but nothing like this.

One possible contributor is a long-standing problem affecting a few folks, where doing a +Verify Disk+ on your internal HD keeps Time Machine from backing-up any changes until the next Restart. At this point, though, there's just no way to tell.

Wish I had better news for you. 😟
|

Time Machine and File Vault have never been a very happy combination. Lion, the next version of OSX, due out "this summer," will have a much-improved version: full disk encryption. You'll be able to encrypt your internal HD and/or external HDs. See http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/

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Answer 6

Apr 5, 2011 9:59 PM in response to Pondini

James, thank you very much anyway. There is not the easiest dilemma in front of me - keep hope a good advice or help will come, wait for Lion - whatever or accept my data is lost.

Apple makes gorgeous products utilizing advantages from full-cycle product creation (ID design, hardware, firmware, software) which numbers are many but the most important issue for me is not yet here - data safety. I am not questioning that came of a sudden crash destroyed with no obvious reason (no liquid, no impact) - nothing.

I will not use FileVault on my current home folder (we have saying with approx translation like "after one's fingers burnt with hot milk he blows on cold water in a glass") and wait for Lion OS which would probably deal with issue well: keep private files protected along with reliable restore mechanism. This or that way there is no alternative available at the moment.

Does anyone else have an idea how to restore my data?

P.S. I am not sure if that is welcome or rules of Forum allow that (if so pls remove this sentence) but I would like to reward advice (which will lead to my data restored).

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Answer 7

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Apr 6, 2011 7:44 AM in response to Dmitriy Yuriev

Dmitriy Yuriev wrote:
James, thank you very much anyway. There is not the easiest dilemma in front of me - keep hope a good advice or help will come, wait for Lion - whatever or accept my data is lost.

Sorry, but your data is almost certainly gone. 😟 Lion won't get it back; all Lion will do is reduce the possibility of this happening again.

The disk it was on is gone; even if it wasn't, it would be impossible to recover any of it, since it was encrypted.

And it appears it wasn't ever backed-up.

I will not use FileVault on my current home folder (we have saying with approx translation like "after one's fingers burnt with hot milk he blows on cold water in a glass") and wait for Lion OS which would probably deal with issue well: keep private files protected along with reliable restore mechanism. This or that way there is no alternative available at the moment.

Many of us strongly advise keeping "secondary" backups at all times. See #27 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), for some suggestions.

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