Restoring Only The OS From Time Machine?

[bushido]

hi,

i want to wipe my cousins macbook pro but she is still running lion i think 😱 could i delete her harddrive and then restore only the OS (Yosemite) from my time machine backup?

it would take forever to download the OS itself on my parents internet connection

 

[snaky69]

hi,

i want to wipe my cousins macbook pro but she is still running lion i think 😱 could i delete her harddrive and then restore only the OS (Yosemite) from my time machine backup?

it would take forever to download the OS itself on my parents internet connection

That's not how Time Machine works.

Unfortunately what you want to do is not possible with a Time Machine backup. If you do want to clean install Yosemite, your only option is to download and install it.

 

[simonsi]

You could, however, restore your drive to hers, then remove/logout/delete your stuff...

Better way though would be to download the installer from the App store and use DiskmakerX to make a bootable USB key, then use that to wipe and install the OS on her machine, then restore her files from her backup, or you should make one beforehand.

 

[bushido]

we dont actually want to restore anything from her macbook. she wants to start from the beginning, we manually did a backup of her photos and documents.

i think i remember reading a certain OS requires to update to another certain OS first before i can go to Yosemite? probably cuz its missing the MAS.

also what would you do ... update to yosemite, then wipe the hdd and download yosemite once again using internet recovery with the updated recovery?

or should i wipe her hdd, restore to lion and then update to yosemite

 

[simonsi]

we dont actually want to restore anything from her macbook. she wants to start from the beginning, we manually did a backup of her photos and documents.

i think i remember reading a certain OS requires to update to another certain OS first before i can go to Yosemite? probably cuz its missing the MAS.

also what would you do ... update to yosemite, then wipe the hdd and download yosemite once again using internet recovery with the updated recovery?

or should i wipe her hdd, restore to lion and then update to yosemite

I would do, and have done, what I said above...

 

[Nermal]

Yep, download it yourself and use the createinstallmedia tool to make a bootable USB install drive. Then just boot from it and install the OS.

 

[simonsi]

OP - you can find how to use the createinstallmedia tool in Terminal here, personally I just use DiskmakerX as it works perfectly well and has a decent GUI.

 

[JTToft]

OP - you can find how to use the createinstallmedia tool in Terminal here, personally I just use DiskmakerX as it works perfectly well and has a decent GUI.

- Agreed, it's a nice app. Though earlier today I needed to create a Mountain Lion installer, and it didn't work with the latest version of DiskMaker X, even though it's supposed to be supported. I downloaded an earlier version, which worked fine.

Weird.

 

[glenthompson]

i think i remember reading a certain OS requires to update to another certain OS first before i can go to Yosemite? probably cuz its missing the MAS.

also what would you do ... update to yosemite, then wipe the hdd and download yosemite once again using internet recovery with the updated recovery?

or should i wipe her hdd, restore to lion and then update to yosemite

To upgrade to Yosemite you have to be on Snow Leopard or higher so no problem there.

If she wants a completely clean install then make a good backup, erase the drive, then install Yosemite. You can then migrate her stuff from the backup. Don't forget about her application too.

 

[Nermal]

personally I just use DiskmakerX as it works perfectly well and has a decent GUI.

It's obviously improved since I last tried it - back in the ... 10.8? days it had a clunky GUI. Combine that with not knowing exactly what it's doing in the background you can understand why I prefer to stick to the official Apple tool.

But to each their own 🙂