"Restore" encrypted Time Machine backup to new Mac?

[Mactabulous]

Searching the web has not yielded any relevant results for me, thus I'm posting here in hope of shedding some light on the matter.

I currently own a 15" MBP. This machine is backed up to a NAS, using encrypted Time Machine backups. In a few days time, my new MBA will arrive. My thought is to "restore" the new MBA with the encrypted backup from the previous Mac. While I have successfully "restored" backups from old machines to new ones earlier, these backups were not encrypted as is the case now.

As long as I can connect to the Time Machine server on my NAS and supply the correct encryption password previously set, I assue I will be able to "restore" my new MBA with the old MBP backup without issues, or are there limitations to the encrypted backups that prevent me from using this procedure somehow?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[hfg]

If you still have your old MBP, it might be quicker to restore your files from it directly during the new MBP installation when you reach the Setup Assistant screen. A FireWire cable connection may be faster than a ethernet connection for this.

You will also have the option of using your TM backup to migrate your system at this same point, but I have found it to be much slower, especially from a NAS (and I wasn't using encryption on the backup).

I would not do a TM Restore to the new machine, especially if the OS X versions are different!


Good luck....


-howard

 

[Mactabulous]

Thanks for the input. Currenly I do not own a Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adapter required for migration (MBP to MBA), but I do have the Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter. Although it's slower, this is a process in which I'll just leave my newly aquired MBA to sit idly, as time is not an issue at hand.

Would restoring an encrypted backup be even slower than a non-encrypted backup?

OS versions should be identical (latest ML). If not, I'll make sure they are before proceeding. If I use Firewire instead of Ethernet/Time Machine, I would still have to generate a new and complete Time Machine backup anyway, right? If so, that would take roughly the same amount of time as restoring directly from Time Machine. With that scenario I'll have to wait for Firewire migration AND then do a full Time Machine backup.

Am I getting this right?

 

[Weaselboy]

Am I getting this right?

IMO your are overly complicating this. Connect the new machine to wired ethernet with the TB adaptor you have. Start the new machine and after setting the time zone and language Migration Assistant will start. Point MA to the networked TM backup and enter the password when prompted to unlock the drive. Have a beer.

 

[Mactabulous]

Just one?! WFT! Make that six (at least)!

I'll go for the Time Machine/Ethernet solution. My basis for "overcomplicating" things were due to the Firewire suggestion, which is a good suggestion, while at the same time raising a couple of other questions. Relevant in my opinion. Complicated, no doubt!

Thanks

 

[Mactabulous]

Right! Encrypted backups can not be used to "restore" to a new machine. The encrypted backups are simply not listed as available sparsebundles when connecting to Time Machine. Only non-encrypted backups are listed. That's an onion in the ointment, for sure.

 

[Weaselboy]

Right! Encrypted backups can not be used to "restore" to a new machine. The encrypted backups are simply not listed as available sparsebundles when connecting to Time Machine. Only non-encrypted backups are listed. That's an onion in the ointment, for sure.

From here.

If that does not work, try this in Terminal to mount the encrypted disk.

hdiutil attach /Volumes/path/to/your/backups/yourbackup.sparsebundle

 

[hfg]

Thanks for the official clarification Weaselboy.

Having encrypted Time Machine backups would not be of much use if you couldn't restore after a catastrophic system crash ... one of the main reasons you keep backups in the first place!

 

[Mactabulous]

Thanks Weaselboy, and agreed hfg!

Instead of struggling with it, I went out and bought a Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adapter. Within an hour I was up and running. However, now I'll have to wait for a full Time Machine backup to complete anyway. I guess I can't have cake and eat it too…

Surely holding on to that guide for future reference! Thanks again