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Time machine backup is not recognized in Setup Assistant

Hi, I went through lots of discussion but could not find answers to my case.


My Macbook pro crashed the other day and replaced HDD.

I had Time Machine Backup several days ago and was trying to restore.

I started with install CD and used utility to restore from backup.

It recoginzed the volume of Time Machine Backup and next step, it does not show any backups that I can choose.


I installed Mac OSX and tried "transfer from a Time Machine Backup" but it does not recognize my the backup.

I checked hard drive on other computers and can see backups and no issues with hard drive.


Can anyone help?


Mac OS X 10.6.3 (Snow Leopard)

Macbook pro 2.53 GHz Intel Core duo


Thanks.

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.2), iMac

Posted on Mar 26, 2013 9:58 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Mar 26, 2013 1:27 PM

See Pondini's TM FAQs, for starters.

22 replies

Apr 2, 2013 2:17 PM in response to baltwo

Thanks for the tip. I went through all the discussion in Pondini's TM. But I couldn't find the answer.


I just installed OS X (Snow Leopard) and tried to migrate files one by one but this was painful process and it does not copy my application settings (mail, calendar, etc.).


In the meantime, Time Machine created new backup as below (3/27). When I enter TM (Star Wars View), it only shows, now and 3/27 back up. Hence, I tried to go on "Browse Other TM Disks" (by Option + TM), then I can see backups of all other dates. Now, I restarted the computer with install disk and went to restore mode, and only thing I can see from TM was the new one (3/27 backup).


Is there any way to access 3/6 backup and restore those?


Please help.


Thanks.


User uploaded file

Apr 4, 2013 8:06 AM in response to orppaha

orppaha@gmail.com wrote:

. . .

I restarted the computer with install disk and went to restore mode, and only thing I can see from TM was the new one (3/27 backup).


Is there any way to access 3/6 backup and restore those?

Probably. When you erased your disk and reinstalled OSX, even though it has the same name as before, the erased disk is treated as a different one.


When you start from the install disc, and get to this window:


User uploaded file


See if the Restore From system and disk name at the top is actually a "pop-up" menu. If so, you'll see the same thing twice (since the names are the same). Try selecting the other one.

Apr 4, 2013 8:35 AM in response to Pondini

I did this as I read from some of your TM website but didn't have another choice. It only shows one backup in the popup menu. When I tried erasing the hard and reinstall OS X, and then another TM backup, it shows two choices one with previous one (only showing 3/27 backup) and the other with the most recent backup (showing only yesterday's backup). Please see below image that shows backup history. I can see all the backups in Star View but it simply doesn't show up during restore process. I also tried Migration assistance but no success.

What should I do? Thanks.

User uploaded file

Apr 5, 2013 8:00 AM in response to orppaha

Hi,


Sorry to be so long responding . . . I didn't get a notice that you'd posted back -- the e-mail notification system seems to be broken (again). 😟


The other possibility is, the "missing" backups didn't include OSX. You can exclude System folders via TM Preferences > Options; that sets an indicator in the preferences file. We have seen a few cases where that indicator got set in some other way -- some sort of corruption, apparently. Obviously, if TM doesn't back up OSX, you can't do a full system restore.


The way to tell is, "drill down" in one of the "missing" backups. Inside the date-stamped backup folder should be one folder for each drive/partition that was backed-up; inside that is the same folder structure as the drive.


At the top level of the OSX drive should be the Applications, Library, System, and User folders (and perhaps a couple of others). Look in the System folder -- see if it has contents -- there should be a single Library folder inside it, with a whole bunch of folders, sub-folders, etc.


See what you'e got there (and I'll check back periodically this time).

Apr 5, 2013 9:36 AM in response to Pondini

Dear Pondini,


Thanks for coming back for the comments. I already went through what you suggested, too because your TM website and other discussion suggested similar. All the old backups have OSX system backups, all the folders under library exist. Please see below image. All the time stamps have the same structure like this.

Thanks.User uploaded file

Apr 5, 2013 10:24 AM in response to orppaha

No, there's no System folder at the top level of the drive (second column of your screenprint). No Library or private folder there, either, oddly, and the Application folder should be Applications.


(The Library folder you selected is different -- it's in one of your user home folders; it contains all sorts of things for that individual user account.)


Here's what I mean:


User uploaded file


So a lot of things were not backed-up, for whatever reason. 😟


When you tried Setup Assistant (per "I installed Mac OSX and tried "transfer from a Time Machine Backup" but it does not recognize my the backup" in your first post), do you recall exactly what you saw on the Select the Source window? The reason I ask is, an external HD will show the disk and system name that were backed-up, not the name of the drive the backups are on. Sometimes folks think it's their internal HD, not an external HD. The drive should have a yellow or green icon, though, not they gray one from the backups. It's a little hard to see in the photo, but the first item here:


User uploaded file



However, that always uses the most recent completed backup, so you'd have to delete the April 3 backups first, to make the March 27 backup the most recent. But if that works, it would transfer whatever was backed-up from your home folders. (You'd have to erase the HD and reinstall OSX again to get back there.)



Your other option is to do it "piecemeal" -- copy what you need from the backups. That's very tedious and error-prone, of course, but can be done.

Apr 8, 2013 8:55 AM in response to Pondini

Dear Pondini,


You are right...all the backups before 3/6 does not have System and Library folder at the root and Library under users exist. So, I guess I am out of luck. I never touched exclude option in Time Machine. I don't know why it didn't back up the system. Anyway, it ends up with one of cases listed in your TM website. Thank you very much for patiently helping me.


One last questions, then, would I be able to restore Apple Mail contents and setup? I also tried this by following on your instruction at your TM website but it only copies mailboxes with empty contents. When I checked mailbox size, it certainly has big contents. But when it was 1. copies into the library/mail/ or 2. restore from Time Machine 3. import mailbox...all resulted the same empty boxes.... Is this also out of luch because of system folder was not backed up?


Thanks again.


Backups on 3/6

User uploaded file

Backups on on 3/27


User uploaded file

Apr 8, 2013 9:20 AM in response to orppaha

orppaha@gmail.com wrote:

. . .

You are right...all the backups before 3/6 does not have System and Library folder at the root and Library under users exist. So, I guess I am out of luck. I never touched exclude option in Time Machine. I don't know why it didn't back up the system.

That's quite odd. We've seen a very few cases of that happening on Mountain Lion, but I don't recall it on Snow Leopard (but I don't read all the TM-related threads here anymore, so may have missed it).



One last questions, then, would I be able to restore Apple Mail contents and setup? I also tried this by following on your instruction at your TM website but it only copies mailboxes with empty contents. When I checked mailbox size, it certainly has big contents. But when it was 1. copies into the library/mail/ or 2. restore from Time Machine 3. import mailbox...all resulted the same empty boxes.... Is this also out of luch because of system folder was not backed up?

First, you need the mail setup. That's in the ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist file. That has all the account and mailbox names, server names, etc. Copy or restore that first.


Then delete the ~/Library/Mail folder and copy or restore it from the backup. Then select the mailbox in question via Mail, and from the Mail menubar, select Mailbox > Rebuild. to rebuild the index(es). You'll have to do each mailbox separately.

Apr 8, 2013 4:33 PM in response to Pondini

Dear Pondini,


Thanks again. Somehow, I don't have "com.apple.mail.plist" in "~/zzang/library/preference". I foundt it under "~/zzang/library/containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/".


1. I first deleted the current preferences files and copied the com.apple.mail.plist from the backup to ~/zzang/library/preference/ folder.

2. I also delted all the files under ~zzang/Library/Mail.

3. I copied contents under ~Library/Mail/ from backup.

4. I started Mail and saw basic account settings and different mail accounts were there. But all the contents (mail, signature, mailboxes under each accounts (sent, deleted, spam, etc.), mailboxes on my mac, are missing.

5. I rebuilt the root mailboxes and no effect.

6. Hence, I checked copied mailboxes and got information and it only has size of 8KB each. When I copied, it was copying 6.6GB. I don't know what is going on here.

7. Hence, I started again from the process 1 above. It is now copying 6.6GB again.

8. What I noticed when I started Apple Mail, it says it will import mail but it was very short and then went back to the same status. No contents....


I looked at more details...

Original backup has V2 directory and no other directories or files ~zzang/Library/Mail while my current Mac created bunch of other things over there. See below images.

Apr 8, 2013 4:52 PM in response to orppaha

Dear Pondini,


I found the .exclusions.plist file at the 3/6 backup and it has the bunch of exclusions list...I guess this was the reason. But I really didn't set this up.


User uploaded file



Thanks again. Somehow, I don't have "com.apple.mail.plist" in "~/zzang/library/preference". I foundt it under "~/zzang/library/containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/".


1. I first deleted the current preferences files and copied the com.apple.mail.plist from the backup to ~/zzang/library/preference/ folder.

2. I also delted all the files under ~zzang/Library/Mail.

3. I copied contents under ~Library/Mail/ from backup.

4. I started Mail and saw basic account settings and different mail accounts were there. But all the contents (mail, signature, mailboxes under each accounts (sent, deleted, spam, etc.), mailboxes on my mac, are missing.

User uploaded file


5. I rebuilt the root mailboxes and no effect.

6. Hence, I checked copied mailboxes and got information and it only has size of 8KB each. When I copied, it was copying 6.6GB. I don't know what is going on here.

7. Hence, I started again from the process 1 above. It is now copying 6.6GB again.

8. What I noticed when I started Apple Mail, it says it will import mail but it was very short and then went back to the same status. No contents....


I looked at more details...

Original backup has V2 directory and no other directories or files ~zzang/Library/Mail while my current Mac created bunch of other things over there. See below images.


3/6 backup

User uploaded file


Copied mail on the computer.

User uploaded file

Apr 8, 2013 7:59 PM in response to orppaha

orppaha@gmail.com wrote:

. . .

Thanks again. Somehow, I don't have "com.apple.mail.plist" in "~/zzang/library/preference". I foundt it under "~/zzang/library/containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/".

Then you're not running Snow Leopard, but either Lion or Mountain Lion. Snow Leopard does not have a Containers folder in ~/Library. That's for "sandboxed" apps, which started with Lion.



I found the .exclusions.plist file at the 3/6 backup and it has the bunch of exclusions list...I guess this was the reason. But I really didn't set this up.

All of those are the things Time Machine excludes automatically -- system work files, most caches and logs, trash, etc. And the ones shown don't explain all the other exclusions.


Some of the ones in the list are from Lion -- files that don't even exist on Snow Leopard.



So, what version of OSX are you really running? It does make a difference!


And, has that changed since you did the backups in question?

Apr 8, 2013 8:41 PM in response to Pondini

The installation CD is Snow Leopard and when I checked Mac OS X version, it says 10.6.8.


So, there is a chance that the backups made before 3/6 might be under Mountain Lion and the current OS X that I have on this computer is Snow Leopard and this mismatch causes a problem? This may be possible because I don't know what OS X version it had before as it was installed by someone else. Do you think if I can get Moutain Lion installation CD and tries to restore, it would work?


I am sorry to keep bothering you and sincerely thankful to your help.

Time machine backup is not recognized in Setup Assistant

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