Using Time Machine

Please help me in the simplest language you can, I'm learning. My Macbook Pro (only three years old) died five months ago, would cost $800 to fix it so I bought a new one in early October. I was diligent in backing up everything on an external hard drive using the Time Machine feature. Now that I have my new computer I have been unable to use the external hard drive to put my iphoto library, movies, etc. on my new computer. Is there a place I can go to to find simple steps to show me how to do this? I've tried "Entering Time Machine" and the items appear. When I highlight something and try to click "restore" in the bottom right, nothing happens at all.

Also, just tonight when I was trying to do this my ENTIRE iphoto library disappeared on my new computer. When I try to open iphoto I get a big blank screen that states, "What photo library do you want iphoto to use?" There is no other library. Where are my photos that were on my new computer? Where is my iphoto program? I'm having so much trouble, I want to cry. The nearest Apple store is three hours from me. Please help. Thank you so much.

Go into your Applications folder and open Utilities. There you will find the Migration Assistant. That will bring all your backups from your time machine to your computer. HTH

Time Machine Backups verses Time Machine Restore

I am new to Macs but I had to do something similar. After Reformatting My Entire Hard Drive, I plugged in my Time Machine Back Up and set up my computer from a specific date and time on my Time Machine. After I did that, I was then able to start using the Time Machine to make future Back Ups on that same computer. Maybe you can save your current info on a removable flash drive, then reformat your entire hard drive, and then set up your new computer from your old Time Machine Back Ups. I'm sure there are YouTube videos that can walk you through this process.

Toodles said:

Please help me in the simplest language you can, I'm learning. My Macbook Pro (only three years old) died five months ago, would cost $800 to fix it so I bought a new one in early October. I was diligent in backing up everything on an external hard drive using the Time Machine feature. Now that I have my new computer I have been unable to use the external hard drive to put my iphoto library, movies, etc. on my new computer. Is there a place I can go to to find simple steps to show me how to do this?

Click to expand...

1. Buy another external hard drive.
2. Place your iPhoto Library, movies etc on it.
3. Stop messing around with your Time Machine drive. It is doing important work, don't muck about with it for no reason.

(4.) Of course, now that you've put your media files on an external drive ... how are those going to be backed up?

chas_m said:

1. Buy another external hard drive.
2. Place your iPhoto Library, movies etc on it.
3. Stop messing around with your Time Machine drive. It is doing important work, don't muck about with it for no reason.

(4.) Of course, now that you've put your media files on an external drive ... how are those going to be backed up?

Click to expand...

Sorry @chas_m but I think you misunderstood what @toodles wants to say. He has a new machine and wants to transfer all files from his old machine which was backed up my TM. So old computer's TM external hd was used to restore on his new computer.

@toolles,
TM hd on your old computer will create confusion if you will plug to another computer and restore what is inside. Use migration assistant.

TM hd on your old computer will create confusion if you will plug to another computer and restore what is inside. Use migration assistant.

Click to expand...

No it won't if done correctly. The idea is to use the TM backup from the old machine to the new machine before creating an account on the new machine. This method works well and is actually one that Apple recommends in addition to directly using Migration Assistant.

If you're thinking system files or kexts will be overwritten by the old backup, they won't. Applications, documents, and the user account will be restored. I've used this method myself on several Macs and it works well. As a matter of fact, I much prefer it to the Migration Assistant.

chscag said:

No it won't if done correctly. The idea is to use the TM backup from the old machine to the new machine before creating an account on the new machine. This method works well and is actually one that Apple recommends in addition to directly using Migration Assistant.

If you're thinking system files or kexts will be overwritten by the old backup, they won't. Applications, documents, and the user account will be restored. I've used this method myself on several Macs and it works well. As a matter of fact, I much prefer it to the Migration Assistant.

Click to expand...

Nice additional info. Can you please tell me how? Thanks.

-Lanz

Am I the only one who noticed that the original post is from February?

Mini_mi said:

Am I the only one who noticed that the original post is from February?

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hahaha. I just noticed it.

Lets hope he got his problem sorted then.