Time Machine only restored 80% of my files...help!

[urbantea]

Formatted HD and used time machine to restore it. It did most of it, except my mp3s, and a lot of stuff that was on my desktop.

why? and how do I fix this??

[flynz4]

Originally Posted by urbantea

Formatted HD and used time machine to restore it. It did most of it, except my mp3s, and a lot of stuff that was on my desktop.

why? and how do I fix this??

Is there any chance that you had inadvertently deleted those files subsequent to them being backed up? If so... then they may be in Time Machine's history. Look back in time for the files.

Is there any chance that you were double backing up your machine? This is exactly why I always recommend at least dual backup... with at least two different applications. Applications can fail.

/Jim

[justperry]

Are you sure you got the last TM backup and not a one from before you did not have those Mp3"s?

[urbantea]

There were a lot more files than just the mp3s. My entire desktop of folders is not there, ... but everything else is.

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Also when I go into the time machine and view the files, some folders are locked and say that I cannot view them. How do I view those to see if my files are really in there??

[2012Tony2012]

Please...do yourself a favour...stop using Time Machine and start using Carbon Copy Cloner.

[justperry]

Originally Posted by urbantea

There were a lot more files than just the mp3s. My entire desktop of folders is not there, ... but everything else is.

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Also when I go into the time machine and view the files, some folders are locked and say that I cannot view them. How do I view those to see if my files are really in there??

Get info on them, then sharing and permissions and add you as a user with read/write permissions, that is, this is how it works on my older OS X.

[Fishrrman]

"Please...do yourself a favour...stop using Time Machine and start using Carbon Copy Cloner."

Tony sure has that right.

To the original poster:
I realize it may be too late now, but if you had been using CCC to create a bootable clone of your internal drive, you would have been up and running in a few minutes with 100% of your files "right there", in POFF (plain old finder format).

Just yesterday, I responded to a different poster who, having relied on Time Machine, could not "get his files back" in a moment of need.

Time Machine makes backup "look so easy", just connect the drive, flip the switch, and…. it takes care of everything, right?

Easy -- UNTIL you have to get your files back.

CCC, on the other hand, requires a bit more effort to initiate the backup, but once it's done, you'll have a good solid backup that you can BOOT FROM if need be. CCC gives you a better chance at recovery, when you most need it.

[blueroom]

And on the other hand, Time Machine has worked flawlessly for our household.

[flynz4]

Originally Posted by blueroom

And on the other hand, Time Machine has worked flawlessly for our household.

I agree. The OP's problem notwithstanding... I think TM is an important part of any Mac backup strategy if for no other reason... it's excellent versioning.

The only problem that I have seen with TM is when someone went into the sparsebundle and manually manipulated data. I am not suggesting that is what the OP did... I am just stating my own personal direct experience in helping others.

I do recommend at least a dual backup strategy... using two different backup programs... at least one of which is automatically backing up off-site without any human interaction.

/Jim

[urbantea]

Just Perry

How exactly do you do all those things you mentioned, step by step? I'm not a super mac expert but I'd like to open and view all my stuff in the external drive.

[justperry]

Originally Posted by urbantea

Just Perry

How exactly do you do all those things you mentioned, step by step? I'm not a super mac expert but I'd like to open and view all my stuff in the external drive.

In the screenshot below there is an example on a Folder without My permissions, in the info you see Sharing & Permissions, you have to click the lock, a Pop Up Window will appear, enter password and now you can add a User by Clicking on the + box, another window will appear with available Users, click on your User Name and click the select Button.
After this behind the User you added it should read "Read & Write", If this is not the case set it to Read & Write.

[urbantea]

Hi justperry

Okay i just did al that, unlocked it, added my name, added myself to "read and write" but that red thing is still on the folder and when I double click it, it wont open and says I don't have permission...

[urbantea]

nevemrind it works now. hah thanks

[jlc1978]

Originally Posted by flynz4

I do recommend at least a dual backup strategy... using two different backup programs... at least one of which is automatically backing up off-site without any human interaction.

/Jim

I agree - I use TM as a full backup (although I have used CCC in the past as well) with a concurrent sync strategy using:
1) SyncPro (Decimus Software) to sync my documents folder to an external flash drive in real time
2) ForeverSave2 (Total Force Software) to keep prior versions in case I accidentally delete or overwrite a file

I really like Sync Pro because it allows you to setup multiple syncs - locally and across networks and in the event of a failure of my HD I at least have a full set of my documents to use on another machine.