Restore only system from time machine, but keep all the rest?

Question

Level 1

9 points

Restore only system from time machine, but keep all the rest?

I was very happy with my Mac-Book Pro mid 2013, with 10.7.5 until some days ago.

It started sporadicaly, but now nothing goes anymore: it takes several minutes for every click to respond (in the end, I tried it with much patience, it does respond, but obviously something broken).

What I have done: repair permissions, checked HD with disk utility (everything OK), cleared PRAM, cleared the other thing (sorry, forgot now what was the name). When I start my computer with the option key and then tell him to make a new install of the system, it only allows me to install Yosemite, but I don't want Yosemite, I want my Lion back. This is because I have some applications that will not work with Yosemite, and I don't want to change too much.

I have Time machine, unfortunately the last save was a few months ago, in the meantime I have on my computer new software and also some files which I need, so I don't want to try a clean install.

I also have a bootable copy done with Carbon copy cloner, it works, the computer starts and waw!, works wonderful. This is a sign for me that it is not the hardware, but the software (the system). But unfortunately this copy is over one year old...

Unfortunately, I cannot copy anything from it on an external hard disk, it says "the file could not be read or written", error -36 and -43. Of course, I have tried a Time machine backup first, it does not work.

Now my question is: can I use Time machine for installing only the system files from a few months ago, but *not* change anything else, like the application folder and the desktop with the files I need there? I am afraid that if I let Time Machine do the job, I will lose all the work from the last few months and also the new application I installed in the meantime.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2008), Mac OS X (10.7.5), null

Posted on Sep 8, 2015 2:44 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Sep 8, 2015 10:34 PM in response to cosmopolit3

You don't need Time Machine for this.

Reinstalling OS X Without Erasing the Drive

Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears.

Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.

When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility and press the Continue button. After Disk Utility loads select the indented Macintosh HD entry from the the left side list. Click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If Disk Utility reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit Disk Utility and return to the main menu.

Reinstall OS X: Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.

Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless and more reliable.

Alternatively, see:

Reinstall OS X Without Erasing the Drive

Choose the version you have installed now:

OS X Yosemite- Reinstall OS X

OS X Mavericks- Reinstall OS X

OS X Mountain Lion- Reinstall OS X

OS X Lion- Reinstall Mac OS X

Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet

if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

Reply

Answer 2

cosmopolit3 Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 8, 2015 3:08 PM in response to Kappy

Thank you for your answer. I have tried "Reinstall OSX" from the recovery HD. It wants to install Yosemite, but I don't want Yosemite, I want my old 10.7.5 back. There is no option for installing the OS which I have now.

Greetings from Berlin

Reply

Answer 3

MrHoffman

Level 10

146,203 points

Sep 8, 2015 10:33 PM in response to cosmopolit3

Download an OS X 10.7 Lion installer via the Mac App Store — it should still be available in your previous purchases — and use the directions posted around the 'net (e.g. here) to create a bootable USB installer from the downloaded installer. You may need to use another Mac to build the bootable USB disk, based on the problems you're reporting. Boot that USB device on your problematic Mac (hold the option key at boot), make a backup of your disk to external storage — this might be a disk hardware problem, and best to get a backup before the disk goes bad — and then follow what Kappy wrote to reinstall Lion.

Reply

Answer 4

Sep 8, 2015 8:13 PM in response to Kappy

I work in a printing press and now thinking of buying an I Mac.

do I need a 1 gb graphics card to get the true colors as they appear on screen.

which configuration of I Mac will best suit for printing press.

Reply

Answer 5

cosmopolit3 Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 8, 2015 10:33 PM in response to MrHoffman

Thank you MrHoffmann, problem is solved, albeit not exactly like I wanted.

I will report now how it was solved, for those that may have the same problem in the future. Yes, I should have a bootable USB of my system, definitely, this would have solved my problem. The stupid thing were two issues at the same time:

- Mac app store does has this Lion installer, but it does not work, it is broken, they kept writing "there is a problem, try later". This was the situation some months ago, I have tried it over a period of some weeks, keeps telling "try later" and then I gave up. At that time I did not have the problem, but just wanted to be secured when this happens...I should have tried this now again and probably look for someone else with an USB installer for my Lion, yes, but I was in panic...

- the second stupid thing is that I did not know exactly how this USB installer works. I *had* an USB installer for 10.6., which I did sometime ago and kept it with me all the time. Just a few weeks ago I pluged it in to check it, and it would not appear on the desktop. I tried it with another computer, again did not appear- then, in my stupidity, I thought that the USB was broken and threw it away- only to understand now, after reading a lot of directions, that it only appears as an alternative startup disk when you start the computer with the option key pressed, otherwise it would not appear.

Anyway, I have used Time Machine, it worked good but it restored the previous state and deleted all of my last few months. Now my computer is in the state of few months ago, without the apps that I have installed in the meantime and, sigh, without the latest work- but it works, everything is fine. I am half relieved and will work now on making an USB boot, for sure. It seems like it is not a hardware problem, I did the repair HD from the disk utility several times and it says always OK. I shall now use the Time Machine backup more often and after I do important changed to my computer, yes. One gets wise only after something happens...

Thank you all for helping and greetings from Berlin.

Reply

Answer 6

MrHoffman

Level 10

146,203 points

Sep 9, 2015 9:23 AM in response to cosmopolit3

FWIW, I suspect there might either be a corrupt Lion installer on that local system, or whatever was happening with the system also effected the installer or the fresh installer download. App Store downloads can occasionally get hosed or can get stuck in odd states, and Apple does have troubleshooting and restart sequences published via support articles. Or another local Mac, either for the boot or for Target Disk Mode. (The bootable USB device or Target Disk Mode can be used for backups, as well.)

Reply