How To Restore Mac From Time Machine Backup



Click on “restore from Time Machine Backup” and click Continue to move ahead. Click on Continue again. Select your hard drive of choice and click the restore tab at the top of the Disk Utility window. Select the external hard drive having the cloned backup next to ‘restore from.’. Time Machine backup then helps to transfer data between separate Mac computers and restore the software when you need to replace the hard disk. Time Machine backup stores data on external storage and works with all possible connections like USB and FireWire. So you can easily restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup.

  • Updated on 2019-07-29 to Mac Recovery

If you use Time Machine to back up the files on your Mac, you can easily get back lost items or recover older versions of files. You can use Time Machine within many apps. On your Mac, open a window for the item you want to restore. For example, to recover a file you accidentally deleted from your Documents folder, open the Documents folder. A Time Machine backup also allows you to transfer files, settings, and preferences from an old Mac to a new one, using a tool available in your new Mac called Migration Assistant. To begin restoring from Time Machine backup, one must ensure a Time Machine backup.

Time Machine backups Mac hard drive and maintains a record of how your system looked on any given day, so you can easily put everything back the way it was by restoring Mac from Time Machine if your Mac crashes.

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Time Machine restore is as simple as backup process. It can be used to restore Mac OS X 10.9 or macOS 10.12 Sierra, Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite from Time Machine as well. The following guide tells you how to restore time machine backup specifically.

Part I: Restore a Single File or Folder from Backup

If you have mistakenly deleted a single file or folder and would like to restore them, the following tutorial could help you.
1. Choose Enter Time Machine from the Time Machine menu. And you will see the restore interface with all backups listed with chronological order.
2. You can use the timeline on the right side of the window to reach a certain point back in time. If you don't know when you have changed the file, you can let Time Machine to show you when the file and folder has last changed.
3. When you have indentified what files to be restored, you can select the file or folder and click 'Restore' button. The file or folder will automatically be restored.

Part II: Restore the Entire Mac Operating System from Backup

When the Mac hard drive crashed and you need to restore Mac from Time Machine backup, please do the following:
1. Connect backup hard drive to Mac. Start up your Mac from the Recovery system (Command-R at startup) or Mac OS X v10.6 installation disc.
2. Then use the 'Restore from Time Machine Backup' utility. Choose Restore from Time Machine Backup and click 'Continue' until you see the Select a Backup Source window. Here, select the Time Machine drive and click 'Continue'.
3. In the Select a Destination window, choose your Mac's hard drive. Once the whole process got finished, you can use your Mac as normal.

Part III: Transfer a Time Machine Backup to a New Mac

Get a new Mac and would like to transfer old data to the new hard drive? Or want to transfer data from one Mac to another? In that case, you need to ask the help of Migration Assistant, which can easily restore Time machine and help you migrate data between Macs.
1. Go to Finder > Application > Utilities. And open Migration Assistant.
2. Here you will be asked about how to transfer your information. Click 'From another Mac, PC, Time Machine backup, or other disk' and click 'Continue' button to process with copying process.

Note: If you don't have enough space on your disk for new backup, check the post How to Delete Old Time Machine Backup.

Additional Tips:Having no Time Machine backup file or time machine backup fails, you can also rescue Mac data with Mac data recovery software. However, you are highly suggested to backup Mac at any time.

Nov 12, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

It could take hours to completely restore from Time Machine after a macOS update or reinstalling the macOS, but sometimes the process is stuck at 'searching for Time Machine backups' and the searching will never get finished. For example: Uninstallpkg 1 0 16 (790) download free.

'Last night I was promoted to update to Mac OS High Sierra. My MacBook Pro has not been right since! I have received the message that the disk is locked, not sure what that means. I also tried to restore my MacBook from my Time Machine and cannot get past the 'searching for time machine backups' screen for hours now'.

'I installed the new SSD and it started up and got to the Utilities menu. I backed up my computer to an external HD yesterday, so I selected 'restore from a time machine backup.' I found my backup from yesterday, but then the next screen just says 'searching for disks' forever'.

This guide will provide you with every possible option to bypass the 'searching for time machine backups' process and help you successfully restore from a Time Machine backup.

Before, let's see what's happening when the Mac is searching for Time Machine backups and how long it usually takes to search for the backups.

How Long Does Searching for Time Machine Backups Take?

When it shows 'searching for Time Machine backup', the Mac is trying to recognize and communicate with the backup. There are mainly 2 factors that decide how long it takes to search for Time Machine backups.

  • The speed of the backup disk: It takes a shorter time to detect a Time Machine backup disk if the backup disk can read and write data fast.
  • The connection between the backup disk and Mac: It is quicker for Mac to find the Time Machine disk when the backup disk is communicating with your Mac on USB 3.0 connection.

It's normal to take several hours to finish a restore from Time Machine, however, if Time Machine shows 'searching for Time Machine backups' for more than 30 minutes or even an hour, obviously your Mac is getting stuck at the process and it will take forever to finish unless you apply some measures to tackle it.

1. Reconnect the Backup Drive to Mac

A good connection between the Time Machine backup disk and your Mac is the key to fix macOS recovery stuck at searching for Time Machine backup disk. Disconnecting and reconnecting the backup drive may be helpful.

If the backup disk is a physical hard drive, make sure it is powered on with enough charge. Then remove the backup disk to your Mac, after a while, reconnect the disk the Mac and start the recovery process all over again. Also, you can try a different USB port and cable.

If it is a network drive, make sure it is connected to a stable network connection.

2. Restart Your Mac

Go to Apple menu > Restart to reboot your Mac. Then turn on the Mac and press command and R. Release the keys when the screen appears.

To continue, enter your Mac's password.
After the completion of the device startup, the macOS Utilities window will appear. Select Restore from Time Machine Backup to continue.

3. Check Network Connection If the Disk Connected to AirPort Base Station

If your backup disk is connected to the AirPort base station, go to the Wi-Fi status menu. Check if both the disk and the Mac are connected to the same network. If not, the Mac will be unable to search for the backups.

Also, you can restart your base station to troubleshoot the problem. To restart, unplug the base station from its power source for 5 seconds, then plug it back in.

4. Run First Aid Feature in Disk Utility

If searching for Time Machine backups still takes forever, you may run First Aid to repair the backup disk to fix the problem.

Step 1Select Disk from the sidebar and click on the First Aid button.

Step 2Click on Run to continue.

Step 3If the Disk Utility reports things to be fine, it means that the device has been repaired successfully.

Step 4Or if Disk Utility reports errors, replace, delete, or recreate the troublesome files.

5. Partition the New Drive

If the Mac takes forever to search for Time Machine backups after you install a new drive, partition the new drive.

Step 1Go to the Utilities Folder and open Disk Utility.

Step 2After Disk Utility has been loaded, select the recently installed drive shown on the left side of the screen.

Step 3In the main window, click on the Partition tab. Set the partition number from the drop-down menu under the Volume Scheme.

Step 4Click on the Options button, change the partition scheme to GUID and save changes.

Step 5Change the format type to MacOS extended, apply, and wait until the process completes.

Step 6Select the volume that has just been created and click on the Erase tab.

Step 7Change the format type to Mac OS Extended. Select the Security button, click on Zero data, and OK.

Step 8By clicking on the erase button, the process will begin and it might take several hours to complete depending on the size of the drive.

6. Recover Files without Time Machine

If your Mac is unable to restore from a Time Machine backup, this is not the end of the day.

From

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Step 1Launch the Recovery software after downloading and installing it on the Mac.

Step 2Select the location of the files that you want to recover.

Step 3Start the scan of the selected partition to look at the files deleted. It also allows you to check files during the scan.

Step 4During the scan, preview the files to find those that need to be recovered. You can click on the Recover option to recover the files you need.

It is important to note that do not save the file on the same location again to protect the data overwriting on your Mac.

FAQs about Restoring from Time Machine Backups

How do I find my Time Machine backups?

Time Machine backups can be found on the external disk connected to your Mac. You can find Time Machine in the menu bar. If not, go to System Preferences > Time Machine, and select Show Time Machine in the menu bar. Here you can enter and view the Time Machine backup.

How do I restore an older Time Machine backup?

To restore the older backup of Time Machine, develop a secure connection between the external device and the computer. Open the location from where you wish to restore a file. Open Time Machine from the option available in the menu bar. Use the timeline to find the items on the Time Machine back up shown at the edge of the screen. The search field can be used to find the specific content or item on the timeline. To preview the selection, select an item, and press the space bar. Click on the restore button to restore the content.

What to do if Time Machine backup failed on Catalina?

How To Restore Mac From Time Machine Backup

Before you start to upgrade your system of Catalina, it is important to make a backup and then turn off the Time Machine. After the system upgrades, turn on the Time Machine and set Time Machine from new. If Time Machine keeps failing after Catalina update, remove the backup disk and start the backup all over again. If the issue continues, these tips may be helpful for you to fix backup failure on Catalina.

What does Time Machine back up?

The Time Machine backup is based on creating a backup of the entire system which includes system applications, files, documents, emails, photos, and music. Whenever the Mac is turned on, the Time Machine automatically creates a system backup on hour, per day, per week basis.

Does restoring from Time Machine restore applications?

The built-in Time Machine in the MacBook has the capability of restoring applications on the device system. Therefore, to restore the applications from Time Machine you only need to power on the Mac, press the command, and R key to enter the recovery partition of macOS. You will find an option that says macOS Utilities. Click on the restore button to restore any specific application found in the backup of Time Machine.

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It’s important to back your Mac up. Not only does it help create a backup of files and folders, backups provide a place you can reboot to if your Mac stops working, or you get a new Mac.

Time Machine is Apple’s method for backing your Mac up, and it’s a solid choice. It’s reliable, fairly easy to use, and can keep your Mac backed up on a routine schedule. Here, we’ll show you how to use Apple Time Machine, and showcase a few apps that you might prefer to Apple’s Time Machine.

What is Time Machine?

Time Machine is a service from Apple to backup your Mac. It creates a simple “image” or “snapshot” of your Mac, which simply means a compressed file containing everything on your Mac at the time of the backup that you can revert to when needed. Time Machine backups can also be used when you need to boot a new device, or refresh your Mac after returning it to factory settings.

Apple’s Time Machine is meant to run in the background, offering a simple, straightforward way to back your Mac up. When activated, it will periodically back your Mac up, keeping the last few versions in case you need to revert to a backup from a few weeks ago.

Most will use Time Machine when booting new Macs. On startup, a new Mac asks if you want to start fresh, or boot from a backup. Using Time Machine backups will make you feel like you picked up where you left off. Like most services Apple creates, Time Machine is in both your System Preferences menu and is available as an app for the Mac.

How to use Time Machine on Mac

For most of us, knowing how to use Time Machine means knowing how to activate it. Because it typically runs in the background, the service isn’t something you need to access often to create backups. But we’ll cover Time Machine to restore Mac computers, to backup your Mac, and how to use Time Machine to restore files as well.

Setting up Time Machine

Setting Time Machine up is really simple. Here’s how:

  1. From your Mac’s menu bar, select the Apple logo on the left side
  2. Select “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu
  3. Select “Time Machine”

Note: These directions will show you how to use Time Machine to set up automatic backups.

  1. Select “Automatic Backups” on the left side of the Time Machine window
  2. Choose the disk you want to use to store your backups

That’s all you need to do. Once you complete these steps. Time Machine will begin creating a backup to the disk you’ve designated on a schedule. Unfortunately, you’re unable to manage this schedule yourself.

Using Time Machine with an Apple AirPort Time Capsule

Apple used to make routers, and one of their best was the AirPort Time Capsule. You can still find Time Capsules for sale, and if you can source one, we highly recommend it. Not only are they excellent routers, the AirPort Time Capsule works perfectly with Time Machine.

Knowing how to use Time Machine with an AirPort Time Capsule is the same as knowing how to use Time Machine with external hard drive. The Time Capsule has a one or two terabyte hard drive inside it, making it both a router and external drive for Time Machine backups. As you see in the screenshot above, our Time Machine is backing up to a Time Capsule!

All you have to do setup your AirPort Time Capsule as the main router for your network and make sure your Mac is connecting to the network the AirPort is on. Then, choose the AirPort Time Capsule as the external drive you want to save backups to.

That’s it! The best part about using this method is when you reconnect a Mac reset to factory settings or buy a new Mac, and log into the same network, you know your backups are available.

How to restore Mac from Time Machine

Restoring a Mac from a Time Machine backup is straightforward, but not always the best option. Having done it, we can attest it can take days for your Mac to get back up and running when restoring from a backup. Consider whether or not you have time to devote to that process. We should also note since Apple has stopped making the AirPort Time Capsule there’s little chance Time Machine will improve in this area.

Consider why you’re trying to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup, too. Sometimes we restore to a backup because we believe we’ve lost a file that was crucial. If we go back in time, the file will be there, right? Maybe, but the process is time consuming, and not always accurate.

A better option may be Disk Drill. It recovers lost files with relative ease – or at least files you think you’d lost. With Disk Drill, you may be able to find those lost files without the trouble of diving through Time Machine backups and wasting hours (or days!) restoring your Mac for one file.

How to restore from Time Machine to a new Mac

Ready to learn how to use Time Machine on new Mac computers? We’ve got you covered. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Make sure your backup disk is connected to your new Mac (Note: if you’re using a Time Capsule, make sure your router is setup and your computer connects to the same network. This will automatically “connect” your backup disk to your Mac.)
  2. When signing into your new Mac, select “From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk” when asked how you’d like to transfer your information
  3. On the next screen, select your backup disk from the available options
  4. Select “Continue”
  5. Choose the data you’d like to transfer, and select “Continue”

That’s all you need to do. Your Mac will begin the process of transferring your data from the Time Machine backup.

Restore your Mac from a backup

Here’s how to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup:

  1. Make sure your backup disk is connected to your new Mac (Note: if you’re using a Time Capsule, make sure your router is setup and your computer connects to the same network. This will automatically “connect” your backup disk to your Mac.)
  2. Open the Migration Assistant app on your Mac
  3. Select “From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk” when asked how you’d like to transfer your information
  4. On the next screen, select your backup disk from the available options
  5. Select “Continue”
  6. Choose the data you’d like to transfer, and select “Continue”

This is Apple’s method for restoring from the most recent backup. If you need an earlier backup to restore, to, simply open the Time Machine app and choose the backup you want to boot from. You can scroll through a list, and the right side of the screen has a timeline feature in the event you’re trying to reboot to a more narrow timeframe.

A failing of Time Machine is you lack granular control. There’s no way to really define the files or folders you want to back up, and you can’t define a backup schedule that works for you. Instead, Get Backup Pro may be the better solution for you.

Get Backup Pro allows you to customize the backup schedule that works for you. If you’d rather have a weekly backup on Friday night after your work week is done, it can handle that. You’re also provided a lot more control over the files and folders included in your backup; maybe you aren’t worried about things backed up to iCloud, or Google Drive which are duplicated on your machine. Perhaps you would rather your important documents folders be what’s saved; Get Backup Pro can do it!

It also compresses backups to a really small size, which speeds up the backup process by quite a bit – especially if you define the items you want backed up.

Additional tip: How to Speed Up your Mac

In addition to files, folders, apps, and things you interact with daily, Mac backups also include things like settings for apps, the system, and even browser history. Those all add up to a whole bunch of garbage cluttering your system.

This is where CleanMyMac X shines. The app pokes through your Mac to ensure all of your settings are optimized, the file system is well organized, and unnecessary stuff like browser cookies and mail attachments are disposed of when appropriate. It runs on a schedule, and allows you some deep granular control over which settings and systems are optimized. Run CleanMyMac X on a routine schedule, and you know all of your backups will help your Mac run smooth after you boot to them.

Conclusion

Backing your Mac up is really important; everyone should do it on a routine basis. Time Machine is a great option, but also very basic. It can be time consuming when you’re restoring from a backup, too.

Many may prefer Get Backup Pro, which allows for a lot more control, and compresses backups far more than Time Machine. When used with CleanMyMac X, you’ll always know your backups are clean, organized, and free of any weird settings or bloatware you forgot about.

Those trying to use Time Machine to recover lost files should try Disk Drive first. More often than not, you’ll find your files quickly with Disk Drive, saving you a ton of time with backups.

All three of these apps are available for free as part of a seven day trial of Setapp, the world’s best suite of productivity apps for your Mac. When your trial is through, continued unlimited access to the full Setapp catalog of nearly 200 Mac apps is only $9.99 per month, or $19.99 for families with up to four Macs. What are you waiting for? Give Setapp a try today!

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