Cannot Restore from Time Machine on Time Capsule 10.8.4

See section E

Time Machine Troubleshooting

What happens when you enter the Time Machine application?

Jcyc1218 wrote:

I installed a new hard drive and tried to restore from my time machine backup. However, the lastest backup shown was from last year, which is not the most recent back up that I have. I can see the latest backup in finder but I cannot see it in either migration assistant or disk utility restore screen.

That sounds like you may have been bitten by a bug we've just identified and are chasing.

See #D10 in Time Machine Troubleshooting to see if that's really the problem.

While you're there, see if the Users folder is listed along with the others.

Post back with your results, and we'll work out a recovery plan.

Jcyc1218 wrote:

Hi Pondini,

I don't see the application and system folder in the latest backup in time machine.

Then you probably have been bitten. 😟

Do you see the Library folder there (at the top level, not the one inside System, or in your home folder)?

To be sure, what, if anything, appears in the exclusions box when you go to Time Machine Preferences > Options?

Should I full reset the time machine and create a fresh backup?

No, not yet. That may make it harder to recover, and cloud the evidence.

How can I file a bug report to Apple?

There is a way to do that online, and submit logs, etc., but I'd like to ask you to go back to AppleCare first.

I called Apple Care and no one seems to know what they are doing.

I'll provide some ammunition!

The thing is, once you run the fix, that will destroy the evidence.

Also let me be sure just what you have on your Mac now -- sounds like just a new user account, with minimal data?

Does it have the exact same name as the one on your backups? Are there any other user accounts on the backups?

From the sound of things, you have lost any apps you installed since last year, and if the top-level Library folder is gone, too, system-wide settings, some Internet plug-ins, widgets installed for all users, files in support of some applications, some app serial numbers & purchase codes, etc.

But we can probably recover a recent copy of your home folder.

Please confirm the situation, and we'll get started.

Message was edited by: Pondini

I hope I haven't scared you off -- I'm not insisting that you call AppleCare again (I just hope to get them started on fixing the problem).

Either way, we should be able to get most of your stuff back.

I will help you recover, even if you don't want to fool with AppleCare-- from the sound of it, we should be able to get the stuff from your home folder out of the latest backup, even without the System, etc., folders.

Ok. There are two ways to do this, and I'm not sure which will be best for your circumstances:

• If you haven't installed very many extra apps, especially paid 3rd-party apps, your best bet may be to just recover the home folder(s) from the most recent backup (I'll show you how), then reinstall the apps, plus any printer drivers, Internet plug-ins, etc. If you do it that way, you'll also need the serial numbers/purchase keys for any paid apps.

• If you did have a number of apps, mostly installed before the date of the most recent backup shown when you tried to do a full restore, it may be better to restore that backup, then get the more recent version of your home folder(s). If you do it this way, you'll only need serial numbers/purchase keys for any apps bought since the date of that most recent backup; and to reinstall any recent printer drivers, etc.

Let me know which sounds better.

Also, let me know:

Ok. You'll need to restore each of the home folders from the most recent backup.

But you can't restore the home folder of the account you're logged-on to, since it's in use. So log on to one account to restore the other one's home folder, then reverse the process.

I don't know how familiar you are with the setup of a Mac, so forgive me if you already know this:

With the Finder in List view, press Shift+Cmd+C to display your Computer. It should look something like this:

Now Enter Time Machine, navigate to the most recent backup in the TimeLine on the right, then select your internal HD in the center of the screen.

Normally, that will look something like this:

In your case, of course, you won't see the Applications, Library, and System folders.

Click the "disclosure triangle" in front of the Users folder to show your home folders (plus the special Shared folder).

Select the home folder for the account you're not logged-on to and click the Restore button at the lower right of the screen. You'll get a prompt about keeping both or replacing -- choose Replace.

Then log on to that account, make sure everything's there and working. If so, repeat for the other account.

EDIT: when this is done, and everything seems to be working, but before you do another backup, you need to know that Time Machine will treat the new hard drive as a different one -- it will do a full backup of it, and the earlier backups won't be as easily accessible. There is a way around that, but it's rather techie and tedious. You'd need to do the "associatedisk" operation in the pink box of #B6 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

Message was edited by: Pondini