Locked Out of HD After Time Machine Restore Compatibility Issue related to OS

Question

Locked Out of HD After Time Machine Restore Compatibility Issue related to OS

AppleStore installed new HD onto my computer. Unbeknownst to me they put on Snow Leopard. Upon bootup at home I selected the "restore from time machine backup" option. After 4 hours, computer rebooted with all of my logins. Looks good, right?!

Passwords are ignored. Apparently, the issue relates to the fact that my data back up is based upon my "old" Mountain Lion OS from the previous HD.

Call into Applestore and they were clueless how to resolve and they had me contact AppleCare. Spoke with tech who ultimately put me on with a "senior tech" I have a single 10.6 disk as well as a single 10.6.2 disk. I think the HD is running 10.6.7or 10.6.8. I do NOT have a bootable disk (only the single install). She was stumped, put me on hold for atleast 10 minutes when the line went dead. (She verified my return number twice). I haven't heard back and am very frustrated.

I feel like I'm in an Apple Catch-22.

Please, any advice?

iMac (20-inch Mid 2007)

Posted on Oct 11, 2012 8:41 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Oct 11, 2012 2:46 PM in response to KeepingUpWithApple

Call AppleCare again and get them to ship you the SL install disc. Since they mucked things up at the Apple Store they should foot the $20 plus S&H cost. Don't have a bootable backup/clone? IMO, TM's useless unless the backup's been restored and validated.

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Answer 2

Oct 11, 2012 2:57 PM in response to baltwo

baltwo, I might have to do just that. Finding the time where I'm at home and not running around with kids and while applecare is open can be challenging.

I was hoping someone knows how to get into some other mode as this is built on UNIX or some more fundamental coding and then guide through how to treat the bootup as a new one so as to allow me to become an Adminstrator--->provide AppleID, then download Mt. Lion, then viola...too much to hope for, maybe.

Thanks.

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Answer 3

ds store

Level 7

30,725 points

Oct 11, 2012 3:14 PM in response to KeepingUpWithApple

Follow these instructions for reinstall 10.6, you will need to erase the ENTIRE drive by selecting the drive makers name and size on the left while booted from the 10.6 disk that came with your machine as this is the machine specific version with your free iLife included.

How to erase and install Snow Leopard 10.6

If you use the white 10.6 disk, (it's 10.6.3) then that doesn't have the free iLife, but if you later purchased it from AppStore it can be redownloaded when you get to 10.8 again.

(ideally that older machine should stick with 10.6.8, but you have your files already in 10.8 on the TM drive, so...)

Make sure you erase the entire drive with the Security Erase Zero All Data option, this will "pre-map" off any potentially failing sectors on the drive before they fail with your data on it, it makes your machine a lot more reliable.

Reducing bad sectors effect on hard drives

Once that's all done, log in and setup with your same user name as before (important) and Software Update to 10.6.8, log into AppStore and hold the option key down and click on Purchases, redownload 10.8 and install.

Revisit and redownload other software like iLife etc.

Use the TM drive to bring back copies of your files into their respective folders.

Reboot the Mac holding the command and r keys down, use Terminal and enter resetpassword, a window appears, select your boot volume and user, then reset ACL's, should fix your user permissions issue.

Note: What the AppleStore should have done is installed the 10.8 Recovery HD on your new drive, then you could have just reinstalled 10.8 from that.

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Answer 4

Oct 11, 2012 4:43 PM in response to ds store

OK, I'm off and running witht he install off the white disk. Let me ask you this..you instruct that once 10.6.3 is loaded that I Software Update to 10.6.8 before going direct to Mt Lion. WHY? Must it be at 10.6.8 before moving up? or, might 10.6.3 do? AppleStore customer service called as I was reading your instructions to thank me for my feedback (lol). I told them of what you suggested and they thought that was fine but that I could go direct from 10.6.3 to 10.8. I'm trusting you but just want to check it. Thoughts?

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Answer 5

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Oct 11, 2012 5:14 PM in response to KeepingUpWithApple

You need at least 10.6.6 to get the Mac Apple Store app, from whence you DL Mtn Lion. That's Apple's new, but IMO abysmal delivery system.😉

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Answer 6

Oct 12, 2012 10:06 AM in response to ds store

Thanks, this was the solution.

I want to make a couple of notes for anyone who tries to go through this process but does it somewhat in a foggy state. In "following" these instructions I made a couple mistakes...

I got hung up once or twice. Then after installing I still couldn't get in. The reason was I just kept installing SL onto SL but my MtLion TM restore was still there and I couldn't get in.

SUMMARY of WHAT WORKED for ME:

So, when booting from the SL install disk, make sure you go to the Utilities menu choice to bring up Disk Utility so as to ERASE the HD before trying to install again. THAT ALLOWED ME TO MOVE FORWARD. After booting up. I created another (e.g., first, since the HD had been erased) "dummy" Admin account just in case. Next, upt to Software Update to get the highest level of SL, finally bring in Mt. Lion (I didn't download since I had it on a disk I copied onto the desktop - given that I had the disk I wonder if I could have skipped the upgrade of the SL step). FINALLY, I used Migration Assistant to restore the TM backup!

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Answer 7

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Oct 12, 2012 11:26 PM in response to KeepingUpWithApple

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