I had a HD crash on my MacBook Pro running OS Sierra. Had to re-format the HD and install a new OS High Sierra 10.13.3. Have a TM backup from before the crash but can't restore neither mail (Apple Mail 11.2) nor Firefox bookmarks or templates for Numbers & Pages. Where can I find them in the TM back-up?
I have been able to restore most other programs, documents and pictures.
MacBook Pro, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3)
Restoring the Mail folder from the Time Machine backup won't work, because Sierra's Mail database format needs to be upgraded for High Sierra.
The correct way to recover from the circumstance you describe is to use Setup Assistant, which is automatically invoked after installing macOS. That is the "Transfer Information to This Mac" screen. Choose "From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk" when asked for the location of the information to transfer.
Since you did not do that, the second best option is to use Migration Assistant, which is identical to Setup Assistant except for the fact you already created a User Account. The result of using Migration Assistant will be two separate and unique Accounts, so you will want to delete the redundant one when you're finished. That would result in transferring your Mail messages and converting its database to the new format.
However, it would be best to start over and do it right the first time.
To learn how to use Migration Assistant please read How to move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support.
Restoring the Mail folder from the Time Machine backup won't work, because Sierra's Mail database format needs to be upgraded for High Sierra.
The correct way to recover from the circumstance you describe is to use Setup Assistant, which is automatically invoked after installing macOS. That is the "Transfer Information to This Mac" screen. Choose "From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk" when asked for the location of the information to transfer.
Since you did not do that, the second best option is to use Migration Assistant, which is identical to Setup Assistant except for the fact you already created a User Account. The result of using Migration Assistant will be two separate and unique Accounts, so you will want to delete the redundant one when you're finished. That would result in transferring your Mail messages and converting its database to the new format.
However, it would be best to start over and do it right the first time.
To learn how to use Migration Assistant please read How to move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support.
First you have to get to the Mail folder in TM. The site is the same of the one on the Mac: Users->Home->Library->Mail.
Then follow fuzzymo's suggestion:
Restore Mail folder including Mailboxes On My Mac from Time Machine
Please note: it's based on a research, I did'n verify it will work.
Mail.app is in the Applications folder. It should be part of any Time Machine backup. Templates usually are in the /Home/Library/Applications Support/app_name/ folder. Firefox has its own separate folder: /Home/Library/Applications Support/Firefox/.
Everything you backed up should be in the backup itself. Locations in the backup should be the same as on the disk backed up by Time Machine.
How to recover mail from TM (Sierra) to High Sierra?
