Need help copying over keychain login files from previous hard drive

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Need help copying over keychain login files from previous hard drive

I've recently had to have my hard drive replaced on my iMac 😟

My new hard drive Mac is back up and running Yosemite 10.10.4 and now I'm trying to restore my system to its former state. My biggest error was failing to do Time Machine backups 😝 (I only did document and file backups, rather than some of the hidden stuff)

I've retained the old hard drive, which I can access via a USB caddy. I've been able to recover numerous files from this without issue. However, I cannot for the life of me access my previous User Library folder and hence my Keychain login files from this now remote volume. I can't see let alone access the User Library in the old disk (now a caddied remote volume). I've tried to make all hidden files visible in finder but this only seems to apply to my Mac Hard Drive, not the remote volume

I did come across a webpage that looked like it would help me to achieve this http://www.podfeet.com/blog/tutorials-5/how-to-show-user-library-on-remote-osx-v olumes/

So I duly typed the following into terminal:

Alexs-iMac:~ Alex$ chflags nohidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD\ 1/Users/Alex/Library

However, I've got the following read-only file system error report in terminal:

chflags: /Volumes/Macintosh HD 1/Users/Alex/Library: Read-only file system

Alexs-iMac:~ Alex$

Can anyone advise me whether there's any way for me to recover my keychain files from my old hard drive please ?

Thanks

Alex

Posted on Aug 6, 2015 2:01 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

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Aug 6, 2015 2:09 PM in response to Neon8

Precede the command with 'sudo.' Also, there are keychain files in two different locations:

/Home/Library/Keychains/ folder.

/Library/Keychains/ folder.

I would boot your computer from the external old drive then copy the two Keychains folders to your internal drive. Much safer copying them FROM the startup volume instead of copying them TO the startup volume.

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Answer 2

Neon8 Author

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Aug 6, 2015 2:15 PM in response to Kappy

Hi Kappy thanks for your reply

I'll give the the 'sudo.' prefix a go - so should the new command now read :

Alexs-iMac:~ Alex$ sudo. chflags nohidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD\ 1/Users/Alex/Library

I can't boot from the old drive - that was the problem - hence replacement. I am however able to browse it as a remote volume - will the sudo. prefix work OK on this ?

Thanks

Alex

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Answer 3

Neon8 Author

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Aug 6, 2015 2:29 PM in response to Neon8

Hi Kappy

I just tried the sudo command but the same read only report came up

Do you have any other suggestions please ?

Thanks

Alex

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Answer 4

Kappy

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361,741 points

Aug 6, 2015 2:39 PM in response to Neon8

You needed to omit the period. OK, so you are entering the command from the current startup volume but trying to apply it to your old drive:

sudo chflags nohidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD\ 1/Users/Alex/Library

Press RETURN. Enter your admin password as prompted. It will not echo back to the Terminal's window. The above assumes that the /Home/Library/ folder is located on "Macintosh HD 1/Users/Alex/." Is that correct?

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Answer 5

Neon8 Author

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Aug 6, 2015 2:54 PM in response to Kappy

Hi Kappy

Thanks for your further reply - I tried without the period after sudo, entered my admin password when prompted but it still returned the same read only message

I'm not sure what you mean when you say it won't echo back to the Terminal's window ?

I just got the Read-only file system message again !

Not sure how to crack this problem - any further ideas ?

Thanks

Alex

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Answer 6

Kappy

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361,741 points

Aug 6, 2015 3:02 PM in response to Neon8

Then I have to assume the problem is with the old drive. See the following:

C. Select Go To Folder from the Finder's Go menu. Paste the following in the path field:

/Volumes/Macintosh\ HD\ 1/Users/Alex/Library

Press the Go button.

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Answer 7

Neon8 Author

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Aug 6, 2015 3:11 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks just tried that - states folder can't be found !

Hmm

Odd because I seem to be able to access loads of stuff on the disk

Is there an issue in that both drives (my new internal one and the old internal one - now external volume) are call Macintosh HD ? I presume not as the path is different (we've specified Volumes) The info for the external volume says its name is Macintosh HD 1 (it makes no difference if I omit or include the 1)

Seems I'm a bit stuck !

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Answer 8

Neon8 Author

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Aug 6, 2015 3:16 PM in response to Neon8

The old external volume mounts fine and can be readily browsed by double clicking its desktop icon. However, I can't get access the hidden files - I can't even unhide them using various tricks I've seen recommended on various sites

Very odd !

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Answer 9

Kappy

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361,741 points

Aug 6, 2015 4:06 PM in response to Neon8

You need not enter it as shown. Try using: /Volumes/Macintosh HD 1/Users/Alex/Library/ and be sure your user folder is named "Alex" and not "alex".

I suppose it has something to do with the disk's permissions. Do you know what they are? As an alternative perhaps you can try booting into Single-user Mode.

I know you need to have the correct volume selected. With both named the same, then only the Volume designation will work to distinguish one from the other.

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