BigSur Time Machine

[macdave1]

New to the Mac world with Mac mini m1. Toying with trying the Monterey beta.
Used to do win insider all the time.
Made a Time Machine backup to usb thumb drive, it shows in finder.
However the public beta access utility pkg does not see it. Whats wrong?

 

[Slydude]

Maybe I'm a bit dense, but I don't quite understand what you are trying to do. Are you trying to install the beta for the first time. If so, that's not done through Time Machine. Follow this process:
1. If this is Mac has important data, back up your Mac.
2. Go to the Apple site and enroll in the Public Beta if you have not done so already. That page will outline the steps for you.

Once I enrolled in the beta program, the Monterey beta shows up in the Software Updates preference pane. No interaction with Time Machine is required to complete the installation unless you use Migration Assistant to migrate your data.

 

[macdave1]

Well one is urged to make a backup before updating to the beta
So my question is why it is not seen by the beta pkg.

 

[chscag]

Well one is urged to make a backup before updating to the beta
So my question is why it is not seen by the beta pkg.

Assuming you have already installed the beta on your M1 Mac Mini, have you entered Time Machine in Monterey (macOS 12) and identified the USB drive as your Time Machine backup?

As a point of information since you're a new Mac user, we recommend making a backup of your current macOS using cloning software. (Restoring an M1 is a bit more complicated than restoring an Intel machine.)

We also do not recommend installing the beta on your working machine.

 

[macdave1]

I guess I was not clear. Because the beta pkg did not see that I had backed up, to me that is a bug so I did not proceed to install the beta. Your point about restoring an M1 is part of the reason.
so how do clone it?
I'm 77 so only one app is critical and its data is backed up elsewhere

 

[chscag]

I guess I was not clear.

That's okay, you clarified what you did.

The beta is not going to be able to "see" the backup until it's installed and the installed version of Time Machine is invoked. I believe you may be thinking about what Windows does. Keep in mind that macOS is not Windows.

Cloning software is what we recommend to do a backup prior to installing a newer version of macOS. The two apps we recommend are: Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper.

However, and this is just my advice to you.... take it for what it's worth. Since you are a new Mac user and have a newer type Mac (M1 Mini), it's not a good idea to run beta software. The full release of macOS Monterey will happen sometime later this year (probably in the Fall). At that time all the bugs should be gone (maybe) and it will be safer to install.

But, the decision is yours. And don't worry about your age, you have plenty of company in our forums.

 

[macdave1]

You are most likely quite right about windows. Had already decided to be patient and wait.