Time Machine error message while restoring..."an error occurred while adding a recovery system to the destination disk

This was very helpful, but trying again after the first reboot still produced the error. I need to do a complete install of the original operating system. I could then restart - use cmd-R - to restore from my backup.

Hi,

Just a note I'm leaving because I had this problem too, and this seems to be the only result when Googling the error message.

I got this error when attempting to restore a Time Machine backup to a new drive, and what worked for me was: firstly, boot to your USB key and do a clean install of Mac OS X. That creates the recovery partition. You don't need to go through the whole process, just get up to the first reboot. Then reboot, hold down the option key and boot from the USB key again. Now you should be able to restore the Time Machine backup just fine.

Hope this helps.

Add me too! Same error trying to reinstate my system from a full TM backup.

I haven't tried the "reinstall OS-X" option from the recovery drive because I don't want to wait 6 hours on the download again. I save the installer last time, so will use it to reinstall from another system by target disk mode.

I'm hoping I don't get the same error with that approach or my MBP is a brick.

Any suggestions anyone?

I had this problem, and for me the problem was that when I partitioned my new drive, i forgot to click the "options" and select "GUID Partition Table" (under the 1 partition map picture). As soon as I went back to disk utility and repartitioned with a "GUID Partition Table", the Time Machine backup restore worked!

See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

See the What to do if the installer warns that no Recovery HD can be created section.

I am having the same issue as the original poster. I tried installing OSX but got another error "An error occurred while preparing the installation. Try running this application again." Ran it again same problem.

My drive is partitioned correctly and is verified.

What now?

Spoon Monkey wrote:

Hi,

Just a note I'm leaving because I had this problem too, and this seems to be the only result when Googling the error message.

I got this error when attempting to restore a Time Machine backup to a new drive, and what worked for me was: firstly, boot to your USB key and do a clean install of Mac OS X. That creates the recovery partition. You don't need to go through the whole process, just get up to the first reboot. Then reboot, hold down the option key and boot from the USB key again. Now you should be able to restore the Time Machine backup just fine.

Hope this helps.

Thank you, this saved my day!

That was the solution to #1. Thank you very much.

Thanks Spoon Monkey - this helped me out. You're correct. I had erased my HD (for reasons I won't go into) and had re-installed ML OS X. Was unable to use migration assisstant to restore files but could re-install from the OS X installer (after restarting with command=R).

However (again due to reasons I wont go into) I ended up erasing the HD again and tried immediately restoring time mahiine back up files from the installer again (without 1st installing the full ML OS). Got the above error message.

Read your post and realised why it worked the first time and not the second but instead of re-installing entire ML OSfrom internet download (takes ages) I booted from a USB with ML installation files on it. From the initial OS X installer page was able to restore from time machine back up.

I can verify that you are correct in your solution and hope it helps someone else

I backed up all my data on ATC, and could not retrieve it. A friend told me to perform a full restore during OS X setup, and I tried, but got the same error as everyone else. Your solution fixed my problem and I was able to restore all of my files. I was about to give up and just delete the backup on my ATC until I found this discussion on Apple forums. Now everything is as it was back in September. Thank you very much for posting this. If you are ever in Tokyo, I owe you and ice cold Sapporro Beer!!!

Many thanks again!!! I am so relieved and happy to have my files back. So scarey to think how close I came to permanently deleting everything.

I've encountered this issue when the Time Machine was encrypted with FileVault.

Article: HT4718

Additional Information

Please note that OS X Recovery must be present on the computer's startup volume in order to use FileVault 2. Using RAID partitions or a non-standard Boot Camp partition on the startup disk may prevent OS X from installing a local Recovery system. See "OS X: Some features of Mac OS X are not supported for the disk (volume name)" for more information.

What seems to work, is reinstalling the OSX from the internet, and then using migration assistant to pull the user from the time machine backup external when logged into a temporary administrator user to move the original user back over.

Perhaps if you're stubborn, what would work is the following from the same article:

What to do if the installer warns that no Recovery System can be created

Some disk partition configurations may result in the OS X installer reporting that it could not create a Recovery System. In these situations, even if you are permitted to continue the install, you may want to quit the installation and create an external, bootable OS X hard drive with a Recovery System, first. You can continue your OS X upgrade on your computer's startup drive after creating an external Recovery System.

• Your storage device must have at least 13 GB available (after formatting) to install OS X Lion or later and a Recovery partition.
• These steps erase and reformat the storage device. This article instructs you on setting up a storage device to use the GUID partition scheme and the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format, which are required to install OS X and a Recovery partition on your external storage device. You should back up any important files that are on the device to a different drive.
• This procedure installs a version of OS X that is compatible with the Mac it was created with. Using this OS X system with a different Mac model may produce unpredictable results.
• Your computer's serial number is sent to Apple as part of this process to help authenticate your request to download and install OS X Lion.

All of this information was collected by browsing through the public articles on the Apple Support website. 🙂

I had the same problems as you have:

Restore from Time Machine backup on USB disk

Booted from USB recovery stick created just few minutes on the same computer

Partion created with GUID

Restored started from USB disk

Failed with "can't create recovery partition"

=> I manage to start a clean install

I then copies for 1h hour files to your drive

After this it restarts and starts to install OS X

=> just reboot the machine here and boot from the recovery USB stick

Not your able to restore from the time machine backup (at least it did work for me)

In this last attempt I as well removed the recovery USB stick before clicking to start the time machine restore. So not sure if the "first try install" thing solve the issue or to remove the USB stick before proceding to the restore.

Hope this helps anybody

Cheers

Petr

Well said good sir. This post was helpful to me and any thanks to you!

I was installing a new HDD into my MacBook Pro Model 6,2 to replace a crashed drive (that had 10.8) I also ran into the same problem as many of the above posters. The solution for me was to follow the 'Spoon Monkey' procedure and the restore process now appears to be working like a charm.

I now await the enduring process of watching my mac minutes tick down until completion. Looks like I will have to wait until morning to use my MacBook Pro again.

Thanks so much!!

thank you