Can't fully restore my Time Machine/Time Capsule Backup to my newly-wiped SSD/HDD

AkaraE wrote:

. . .

Time Machine backups etc were inaccessible after a normal re-install.

If you mean you installed OSX and created a user account, then couldn't find the backups, that's because they're treated as being from a different disk, until you either transfer your data or do a manual "associatedisk". See the blue box in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #19 for details.

Re-installing with file transfer at setup froze at the 10% mark, with an estimated 200 hrs to go

That sounds like damaged/corrupted backups. Try to Repair them, per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

The option to try a full-system restore via Time Machine is greyed-out.

You mean, on the Mac OS X Utilities menu on the Recovery HD? I've never heard of that. That should always be selectable, so you can specify where the backups you want are located. Nothing happens when you click it? Can you click the other options there?

Even the Migration Assistant failed at a similar point. On the occasions where it claimed to complete successful (most recent situation) it seemed to neglect files, etc., and I'm now stuck at this stage.

Also sounds like directory or file problems on the backups.

Time Machine isn't a flawless backup & restore process.

There has never been any such thing. 😉

Trash can: Empty

Correct. Time Machine (like most backup apps) don't back up trash.

All the rest should have been backed-up and restored. Do you see them in the backups? What, if anything, was excluded from being backed-up?

If repairing the backups finds and fixes things, you might want to try again.

If not, and if you can see the missing items via the Time Machine browser (the "Star Wars" display), you should be able to restore them selectively.

AkaraE wrote:

. . .

This is just when I go into Time Machine/Star Wars. I can't just go to the latest backup and click "Restore" (which I assume would just restore my whole computer/HDD, although I have no experience in this). I can only select files and restore them individually.

Apple doesn't make that clear. 😟

You can't restore OSX or apps to the disk/partition you're running from (kinda like a brain surgeon operating on him/herself!). That's what the Recovery HD is for.

I bought into the Time Machine 'hype' and thought it was an easy and reliable tool, but was a lot more difficult to do a full restore than I thought.

Ordinarily, it is quite easy and reliable, once you know where to look.

I'm not sure where all these things are stored

I can tell you where some of them are; let's see the results of the repair first.

Message was edited by: Pondini

AkaraE wrote:

Ah...forgot to add, Recovery HD is now gone, after my full-wipe. Only Internet recovery is possible.

Rats. 😟

Once you get this sorted out and a new one installed, you can make a copy of it on an external HD or even a USB Thumb drive. See OS X: About Recovery Disk Assistant, or if you use CarbonCopyCloner, it's Disk Center can do it, too.

By the way, it's always prudent to keep "secondary" backups, and especially so if your primaries are on a network. See Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #27 for an explantation and some suggestions.

AkaraE wrote:

. . .

HOWEVER...on trying 'one last time' the "restore from a Time Machine Backup" in Recovery HD, it failed at around 25%. Not sure why. Was forced to quit installation and reboot.

Drat. 😟 Must be a corrupted/damaged/missing file. Disk Utility can't detect that; it only verifies the various directories, not the content of files or completeness.

Any ideas? Should I just install from scratch and recover files on a bit by bit basis? Rather annoying but seems like the only option available to me...especially if the backup claims it's intact.

You might try Migration Assistant again. Depending on where the problem is, you may be able to get most of your stuff. You may have to run it several times, in a tedious trial-and-error mode, but it may get the best results.

Try migrating only part of one user account; the first time un-check all the sub-folders shown here:

That will transfer the account, home folder, the Library folder and contents (which you can't exclude), and the other standard sub-folders without contents.

If that works, instead of logging-on, delete the partial account and run it again, but bring in some of the sub-folders. Then try again with some more. Sooner or later, it will probably encounter the damage and faill. But with any luck, you should be able to get all but one of them. If so, we'll do a few gyrations to get as much of that one as possible.

PS. Sidenote: During the the last 'ok' installation (which allowed me to migrate my settings but not much else) I could access Time Machine backups. Using 'star wars' to restore my 'Music' folder didn't work properly, however, as it said permissions were incorrect and I couldn't see the folder (or contents) until editing permissions on the restored folder.

Yeah, that's why we'll need some gyrations. See the pink box in Problems after using Migration Assistant for an explanation.

If you want, you might be able to avoid it entirely. After reading the pink box, see option #4 in the green one. You may be able to create some temporary accounts so the one you transfer keeps its UID and permission to the backups. If so, you'll be able to use the Time Machine browser (the "Star Wars" display) to restore as much of the damaged folder as possible (also tedious, but . . .)

AkaraE wrote:

Think I've figured the why: some garage band files have extremely long paths...especially when inside backups.

Was looking at the latest installation log in detail before I quit it on failure this morning.

I've never heard of that (and don't use Garage band so haven't seen it in testing), but I suppose it's possible. Also possible, of course, that the file in question is damaged.

Not figured the how of best way to restore using all the right permissions without transferring the Library at installation time though...

Might have to try the gyrations you mention !

You need a user account with the same UID as on the backups. That's what the other gyration, in the last paragraph of my previous post, will do.

Also , not sure I understand the logic of deleting the account in between 'gyrations?'

Won't that just delete the files I've copied so far?

Yup. 😟

Migration Assistant can't add to an existing account. Once you transfer part of it, you can't transfer it again because it will be a duplicate. The gyrations are just to find the sub-folder where the problem is, so you can transfer everything else, then go back and use the TM browser to get as much of the missing folder as possible.

Now that it appears to be a Garage Band file (or files), you might try it the first time leaving everything selected except the subfolder where they are. If that works, you're done with those gyrations, and can log on to the transferred account and use the TM browser for as much of that folder as will restore.

@Pondini

Answered your query.

Also if you are having continued troubles with TM backup.

Restore from Recovery HD

Migrate account info settings and keychain data

and then once logged into your account manually drag and drop from TM backup to their respective folders. ie. Music content to your ~/Music folder etc.Ta. 

I would also reformat the TM backup once ALL data is recovered and make a fresh TM backup.

sabatica wrote:

. . .

Restore from Recovery HD

Migrate account info settings and keychain data

Yes, that's what we're trying to do, but also get as much of the other data as possible. If the problem is in the Library sub-folder, the migration will fail.

and then once logged into your account manually drag and drop from TM backup to their respective folders. ie. Music content to your ~/Music folder etc.Ta. 

No. Much better to migrate as much as possible, then use the TM browser. Use drag & drop only as a last resort.

I would also reformat the TM backup once ALL data is recovered and make a fresh TM backup.

Also no, assuming the problem is limited to one or a few files (we already know it's not a directory problem on the TM drive), there's no reason to delete all the old backups.

Noted Already.

Rather than spend a huge time troubleshooting in this scenario I suggested the guaranteed solution. Sometimes its better to leave troubleshooting where things go wrong and find a solution quickly.

Over the years I have seen many backups go astray and I have been doing them since Apple Had the Backup App.

I chose the Manual method as it will get the result desired. 

Also the original post stated "As I produce music using software in both OSs," The guys I work with can't afford much downtime in studios. So I recommend a quicker solution. If related in Broadcasting even faster. Trust me I know.

sabatica wrote:

. . .

Rather than spend a huge time troubleshooting in this scenario I suggested the guaranteed solution.

But it's not a guaranteed solution, especially if the problem is in ~/Library.

If it's elsewhere, and we can determine where, using Migration Assistant is simpler, with fewer opportunities for error, especially for a user who's not accustomed to such things.

Over the years I have seen many backups go astray and I have been doing them since Apple Had the Backup App.

I've been doing them on Macs for that long too; on other hardware, a few decades longer.

I chose the Manual method as it will get the result desired. 

Not necessarily.