New Install - Selective Restore From Time Machine?

[salvatore]

I have a 2011 MBP with Lion 10.7.3 and the standard 250GB 5400 RPM drive. I plan on upgrading to a 256GB SSD, and I'm curious if I can do a clean install and then selectively restore files from Time Machine? I've been using TM on this box for several months and can readily restore files from it, so I know the backups are there and usable.

Is it possible to simply attach the new installation to the previous TM backup and start restoring things as I need them? Or must I do a complete restore?

.sal

 

[GGJstudios]

I have a 2011 MBP with Lion 10.7.3 and the standard 250GB 5400 RPM drive. I plan on upgrading to a 256GB SSD, and I'm curious if I can do a clean install and then selectively restore files from Time Machine?

Yes, you can selectively restore even individual files or folders. You don't have to restore everything.

 

[rayward]

Yes, you can selectively restore even individual files or folders. You don't have to restore everything.

I am going through the same process (HDD failure gave me the impetus/opportunity to do a clean install of Lion). How do I access the old Time Machine backup from the new Lion installation?

TIA

 

[GGJstudios]

I am going through the same process (HDD failure gave me the impetus/opportunity to do a clean install of Lion). How do I access the old Time Machine backup from the new Lion installation?

TIA

This should help: Mac 101: Time Machine

 

[rayward]

This should help: Mac 101: Time Machine

Thanks. This helps, but...

What if I want to be more specific on what I migrate? Can I reconnect to the existing TM backup, and then restore items if and when they become necessary?

For example, I have an old Parallels installation, which is a clone of my last PC from years ago. I don't need any of the data on it, and I haven't updated Parallels for so long that it won't run on Lion/Intel. I don't want to bring that forward as part of a full migration, and I didn't see that the assistant would give me the option to control which files/applications are restored.

What I would like to be able to do is ad hoc restores as described above and then, once enough time has passed that I happy that I've got everything I need going forward, blast the old TM backup and start a new one. If I can simply point Lion at the old TM backup, that would be ideal, but I worry that it will erase the old backup if I do that.

 

[rayward]

Just pulled this from Teh Google

While Time Machine gained a couple new features in Lion, I've just stumbled across one (so far as I know, undocumented) new piece of functionality in Apple's backup software that will have a lot of users cheering: You can now use a previous Time Machine disk with a new computer and inherit the entire backup history of the older machine. And it doesn't even require a flux capacitor.

Pretty easy to follow instructions: open TM Preferences; elect to use a previous disk; and elect to "inherit backup history". Hey presto!

 

[rayward]

A quick follow up:

There are some comments on the MacWorld article linked above where many have not seen the same behaviour from Lion regarding inheriting TM backups. Add me to that list. I have not been able to get to that option, and so cannot inherit my current backup on my clean install of Lion.

Instead, opening TM itself (rather than its preferences), gives you the option to use any TM backup available. I have been able to do this, and restore documents and applications from my existing backup. It's not as neat, as it requires you to reconnect to the old backup each time you want to access it, but at least its doable.

What I will do now is restore everything I need from the old backup, blast it (reformat my NAS), and start afresh with a clean new backup. This is what I intended to do anyway, but not being able to inherit the old backup means that I will have to accelerate the restoration of files/apps because I don't want to go too long without starting a new backup.

 

[ixodes]

Yes, you can selectively restore even individual files or folders. You don't have to restore everything.

So true. A feature I've enjoyed, and been dependent on since Time Machines very early days. It's been quite handy, fast and efficient.

Sadly, iCloud will not allow selective restore, a drawback that I'm still surprised by. I'd like to think that Apple might change this to allow us more freedom, but I'm not counting on anything.