Is Time Machine that easy or is there an issue...

[cfs]

Hi Forum,

I have always backed my computer up with Time Machine but never had to actually use it.

For those with experience, if I had to purchase a new computer would it be as simple as plug in external HD and watch TM do its thing? Or are there other factors involved?

thanks,

cfs

 

[maflynn]

That's it, apple has made TM quite easy to backup and restore. You have limited options but its quite easy and in fact makes backing up a no brainer and removes all excuses not to do a back up

 

[Tumbleweed666]

Hi Forum,

I have always backed my computer up with Time Machine but never had to actually use it.

What you should do, is once in a while, do a test recovery from TM just to check there are no undiagnosed errors. You dont want to find out (say) that TM hasnt been backing up, or for some arcane reason, everything is corrupted, only when you do your needed recovery

 

[xlii]

I have used the restore feature of time machine several times.

When upgrading my MBP to a larger internal drive.
When using it to 'defrag' my drive so I could put a bootcamp partition on it.

It's never let me down, very easy to use.

 

[cfs]

Thanks All,

so it's not like my new computer has to have the same exact computer or admin name?

thanks,

cfs

 

[NeilSJ]

I have used the restore feature of time machine several times.

When upgrading my MBP to a larger internal drive.
When using it to 'defrag' my drive so I could put a bootcamp partition on it.

It's never let me down, very easy to use.

I've used Time Machine to restore the entire contents of my iMac after the hard disk was replaced - 100% success, very easy.

Having said that, I've since installed Windows 7 via a VirtualBox VM on this machine (because I needed to run Outlook and an SQL Server application that wasn't Mac compatible). Now I really want to wipe my hard disk again and reinstall OSX from scratch, because since I moved to Snow Leopard the computer has been very slow. But I'm having a crisis of confidence, worried that somehow my Windows VM, apps and data won't restore correctly.

Crazy I know.

 

[Daffodil]

Thanks All,

so it's not like my new computer has to have the same exact computer or admin name?

thanks,

cfs

It's up to how you want to use it. You can get it to make your new computer exactly like your old one, or you can just transfer stuff over. The app to use is Migration Assistant, which works like a charm.

 

[Big D 51]

Easy