cindyjj
Level 1 (4 points)
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Q: time machine back up

I purchased a Seagate Backup Plus Slim back up 1 TB for windows and Mac. I have a Macbook Pro late 2011 10.8.5. I plugged it in and went to time machine to begin the backup and it indicated that the disk was not usable because it needed to be formated? How do I do this?

MacBook Pro, iOS 9

Posted on Dec 30, 2015 4:23 PM

by Grant Bennet-Alder,Solvedanswer
Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder
Level 9 (61,373 points)
Desktops
A:

A slightly different approach would be to get a USB thumb drive at least 8GB,

Using "regular" Mac OS X, not Recovery:

Download DiskMakerX

Download the version of Mac OS X you want, BUT ...

It waits for your input before proceeding with the Install. Stop it at that point.

Before it installs, use DiskMakerX to create an Installer onto the Thumb drive.

Boot to the Thumb drive.

 

Then use the Utilities on the thumb drive to erase your drive and re-Install.

 

Since you now have the Installer in hand, you can move forward with confidence knowing that the Internet connection and the Mac App Store will not leave you stranded.

Posted on Jan 2, 2016 8:59 AM

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cindyjj

Q: time machine back up

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  • by DrJJWMac,

    DrJJWMac DrJJWMac Dec 30, 2015 4:56 PM in response to cindyjj
    Level 1 (83 points)
    Dec 30, 2015 4:56 PM in response to cindyjj

    The application Disk Utility will reformat the hard drive. It is in your Utilities folder not your Applications folder.

     

    See the information here for details.

     

    http://osxdaily.com/2013/05/01/use-single-hard-drive-time-machine-and-file-stora ge/

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ThE70UN9_c

     

    --
    JJW

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 30, 2015 5:23 PM in response to cindyjj
    Level 9 (61,373 points)
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    Dec 30, 2015 5:23 PM in response to cindyjj

    Time Machine can call Disk Utility and initialize the drive if you allow it to.

     

    Restart your Mac without that drive. Then re-connect the drive. One of the choices will be to use this Disk as a Time Machine disk. Proceed down that path and initialize the drive.

  • by cindyjj,

    cindyjj cindyjj Dec 30, 2015 5:24 PM in response to DrJJWMac
    Level 1 (4 points)
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    Dec 30, 2015 5:24 PM in response to DrJJWMac

    I had at first tried the instructions that said to partition via disk utilities with mac journalled selection - it said error the disk could not be unmounted.  Then I unplugged the disk and plugged back in and slid time machine on and it automatically told me I had to erase the disk because it wasn't compatible.  I clicked erase, it took a few seconds then began the countdown to the backup-about two minutes, the backup is now in progress so I hope it is backing up properly.  It has just under 500 gb to back up and is going at a rate of about 60 gb/hour.

  • by cindyjj,

    cindyjj cindyjj Dec 30, 2015 5:25 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (4 points)
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    Dec 30, 2015 5:25 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Thanks, as per my last reply, I think that's what it did - I hope.

  • by cindyjj,

    cindyjj cindyjj Dec 30, 2015 11:52 PM in response to cindyjj
    Level 1 (4 points)
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    Dec 30, 2015 11:52 PM in response to cindyjj

    So I did the backup and all went well. Then I went to reinstall os x which was the reason for the back up and hit control r as it was restarting and got to the page with button to install os x to Macintosh hd. It said the recovery hd was locked. I want a fresh reinstall anyway. So I clicked install Mac hd and it prompted me for username and password. Then it said "This item is temporarily unavailable."  i don't want Yosemite or El Capitan. I want mountain lion again. I should be able to reinstall mountIn lion?  it was the default option - the screen says "OS X Mountain Lion will be installed on the disk "Macintosh He" then says after I click that it is unavailable

  • by cindyjj,

    cindyjj cindyjj Dec 30, 2015 11:55 PM in response to cindyjj
    Level 1 (4 points)
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    Dec 30, 2015 11:55 PM in response to cindyjj

    AAfter unavailable it says "Try again later."

  • by DrJJWMac,

    DrJJWMac DrJJWMac Dec 31, 2015 5:20 AM in response to cindyjj
    Level 1 (83 points)
    Dec 31, 2015 5:20 AM in response to cindyjj

    > Then it said "This item is temporarily unavailable."   ... I want mountain lion again.

     

    I suspect that Mountain Lion is no longer available as an option for a restore over the internet. I suspect this restore will only be possible using an installation DVD.

     

    --

    JJW

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 31, 2015 10:13 AM in response to DrJJWMac
    Level 9 (61,373 points)
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    Dec 31, 2015 10:13 AM in response to DrJJWMac

    Any version of Mac OS X you "Purchased" (even for $0) should be available on your "Purchases" page in the Mac App Store and available for RE-download. If you never purchased a version, it will not be available on "Purchases"

     

    If your Mac shipped with 10.8 Mountain Lion, but you never "Purchased" it separately, 10.8 Mountain Lion should be available for re-Install using Recovery_HD.

     

    BUT -- Mac OS X does not want to Install an older version over a newer version, unless you can provide a drive that does not have a newer version on it.

  • by cindyjj,

    cindyjj cindyjj Dec 31, 2015 11:22 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (4 points)
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    Dec 31, 2015 11:22 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    My computer came with Lion but I downloaded Mountain Lion awhile ago.  When I go to system reinstall Mountain Lion is the default prompt to reinstall.  When I tried another entry via the internet (option-command-r rather than command-r) Lion was the prompt to reinstall - but that "connection failed" (rather than "temporarily unavailable").  I could request the download as you say, but it still has to be done from the command-r screen and thus won't be available from there, as far as I know.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jan 1, 2016 8:50 AM in response to DrJJWMac
    Level 9 (61,373 points)
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    Jan 1, 2016 8:50 AM in response to DrJJWMac

    I suspect this restore will only be possible using an installation DVD.

    I bought 10.8 Mountain Lion when it was available, and it shows on my "Purchases" page.

     

    I just tried downloading it, and it put up a message asking if I really wanted to download, as I already had a later version installed. I said yes and it began the download. I waited until it had sent a tangible portion the data, and it seemed to be working just fine.

     

    Do you have a problem with the wrong AppleID being used?

  • by cindyjj,

    cindyjj cindyjj Jan 1, 2016 4:34 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (4 points)
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    Jan 1, 2016 4:34 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    No problem with the apple ID - I even had to use it to login to this forum.  I know I can also download it as you did, the issue is that when I am in system reinstall mode (control r, whatever that does) my computer will not connect to Mountain Lion even though the prompts and buttons are all there.  I've been told it is a router port issue, which seems likely.  Does anyone know how to configure the router port (Linksys Cisco Model E1000) for this?  I know how to get into the configuration page (192.168.1.1 in address bar), but have no idea how to configure the ports. 

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jan 1, 2016 4:42 PM in response to cindyjj
    Level 9 (61,373 points)
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    Jan 1, 2016 4:42 PM in response to cindyjj

    when I am in system reinstall mode (control r, whatever that does) my computer will not connect to Mountain Lion even though the prompts and buttons are all there.

    You were running Mountain Lion, and you want to re-install Mountain Lion?

     

    You do not need to use Recovery to do that. Just go the the Mac App store, download Mountain Lion, and when it is done, tell it to proceed to install. It will then boot to the Installer you just downloaded, copy some files around, and do the re-install, without messing up what is already there.

  • by cindyjj,

    cindyjj cindyjj Jan 1, 2016 6:27 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (4 points)
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    Jan 1, 2016 6:27 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Is what you are describing the same thing as an operating system reinstall?

     

    At the moment, I am working at my computer with Mountain Lion on the go.  I was thinking that when I do the reinstall I was describing above that it would do a clean wipe of everything except my data, files etc.  It sounds like you are saying if I do a simply download that the same thing will occur.  Is there a difference between the two?  I'm trying to fix a sound issue on my computer - I have tried everything else and someone suggested an operating system reinstall.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jan 2, 2016 8:11 AM in response to cindyjj
    Level 9 (61,373 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 2, 2016 8:11 AM in response to cindyjj

    There are two slightly different versions of Recovery you could be invoking. One boots (with Command-R at startup) from the Recovery_HD  on your drive, and becomes immediately available.

     

    The other (with Command-Option-R at startup) boots from the Internet, and takes several minutes to get ready before you can do anything. It shows a globe Icon in the center of the screen while loading.

     

    The two options allow recovery, but of different versions:

    Which version of OS X is installed by OS X Recovery?

    • If you use the Recovery System stored on your startup drive to reinstall OS X, it installs the most recent version of OS X previously installed on this computer.
    • If you use Internet Recovery to reinstall OS X, it installs the version of OS X that originally came with your computer. After installation is finished, use the Mac App Store to install related updates or later versions of OS X that you have previously purchased.

    from:

    OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support

     

    There are also requirements for how your Wi-Fi is set up, including that you MUST get your IP Address using DHCP (otherwise you will not get connected.) If your Wi-Fi is giving you trouble on a Mac that has an Ethernet port, you can move your Mac to the location of the Router and connect it with an Ethernet cable, which is much faster.

     

    You SHOULD be able to boot into Recovery (the one on your drive, NOT the one with the Globe) Use its Disk Utility to erase your drive, and re-install the last-running version of Mac OS X via download. But this has been giving you trouble -- I am not sure why.

     

    Given the difficulty this approach has been giving you, you may not want to proceed to erase your drive in this fashion, without a readily-available re-Installer at hand.

     

    Procedure in my next post ...

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