When I restore a time machine backup do I have any control over what gets restored and what not?
For example if something was screwed up in the operating system and that was the reason to wipe the system can you still restore most of your stuff but have a "fresh" operating system?
Thanks.
MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), Retina
Restore will work but Time Machine doesn't restore memory of the backup history and writes out everything anew from that point forward, thereby effectively doubling the disk occupancy until the disk fills up entirely and then the older backups start to be erased.
Of course, but to do it, you have to restore the Time Machine backup with Migration Assistant or after erasing the hard drive and installing OS X. I tell you this because you can also restore the Time Machine backup through OS X Recovery, but in this case, you can only restore the whole backup.
After reinstalling OS X and erasing the hard drive, Setup Assistant will ask you to restore the backup, and if so, it will let you choose what you want to restore to the new Mac OS X. Migration Assistant does the same, but it creates a new account
OK so I just do a time machine backup... Then I wipe the drive.... Then I re-install OSX... Then I can either open time machin and restore OR open migration assistant and restore?
You are right. Setup Assistant will ask you to restore the backup, so it's better to restore the backup here. If you miss this step at Setup Assistant, use Migration Assistant
Thanks! 😉
You are welcome
One last question... Do I have the option to restore just some of my apps/programs or is it all or nothing?
Thanks.
Setup Assistant and Migration Assistant will let you restore your files by folders, for example, all the Applications folder or your Documents folder. It won't let you choose only subfolders or some files from a folder
Can I assume that it is safe to restore the applications folder without messing up the OS?
I am afraid that I somehow messed up the stock python implimentation and may be causing me problems. My objective is to restore OS X to a factory condition but get as much of programs/apps and docs back as possible.
Thanks.
Always that you restore a Time Machine backup created with the same or older OS X version that the one you have. If you restore a Time Machine backup created with a newer Mac OS X version, all Apple apps will stop working
Sorry I don't quite understand that but in any event my backup is going to be from the current version of OS X made just hours before I wipe the system.
What I am wondering if is if we assume my OS is currently messed up, some system files and/or the system python implimentation and I restore the apps will it still leave me with a clean OS?
I know you can get a signal file from TM. I've gone back a few weeks with in TM. Found the file, happened to be a MS Word document, right clicked it and copied it. Pressed Canceled in the lower left of the screen. Then was able to paste the MS Word document.
As far as other files that are important to Mac OS X and/or 3rd party Apps. I have no idea how that would work, if it does.
KOT
brsm1990 wrote:
What I am wondering if is if we assume my OS is currently messed up, some system files and/or the system python implimentation and I restore the apps will it still leave me with a clean OS?
No. More data will be transferred, including settings from the backup, so if the operating system you have on the backup is damaged, OS X will be damaged if you transfer apps from the backup.
What Kingoftypos says is correct, but it only works in the Time Machine interface without using Migration Assistant or Setup Assistant. That doesn't apply to this case
Do I have choices on what to restore with time machine backups?
