Selective time machine restore ?

[brownricetofu]

So I am going to need to set up my new MacBook air (or rmbp, haven't decided yet) using a time machine backup. All I really want to duplicate exactly is my iTunes collection- anyway to just migrate that (preserve playlists and everything) and nothing else?

Also I am coming from a 2006 MacBook running snow lepard- is it even possible to use a snow leopard time machine backup with a new laptop running lion?

 

[killmoms]

If you just want to do things by hand, that’s easy—set up your user as normal on your new MBA, then mount the Time Machine volume and browse the “Latest” folder like it was your actual HDD. From there you can just copy your iTunes folder from your previous machine to the Music folder on your MBA (and the iTunes plist from ~/Library/Preferences if you want) and you’re good to go.

Being an oldie familiar with PCs from my youth, there’s still a paranoid part of my brain that insisted on doing clean OS installs and hand-copying over just the bits I wanted to preserve (App Support folders, preferences, and then re-installing big applications). I’ve mostly gotten over it now though.

Good luck!

 

[brownricetofu]

If you just want to do things by hand, that’s easy—set up your user as normal on your new MBA, then mount the Time Machine volume and browse the “Latest” folder like it was your actual HDD. From there you can just copy your iTunes folder from your previous machine to the Music folder on your MBA (and the iTunes plist from ~/Library/Preferences if you want) and you’re good to go.

Being an oldie familiar with PCs from my youth, there’s still a paranoid part of my brain that insisted on doing clean OS installs and hand-copying over just the bits I wanted to preserve (App Support folders, preferences, and then re-installing big applications). I’ve mostly gotten over it now though.

Good luck!

Thanks this is super helpful- I am totally in the same boat and am paranoid about bogging down my new air with all the crap thats on my machine as is.

If I did just want to move everything over from my macbook to my new air though, would it even be possible given that I am running Snow Leopard and the Air would be Lion?

Thanks!

 

[robgendreau]

No, you can't (or shouldn't) move "everything." It's a different operating system and different hardware. Setup Assistant gives you some choices on what to move, or you could just do the manual move of the iTunes library as already noted. Manually migrating is a PITA even if you are competent enough to know what will work and what won't.

 

[brownricetofu]

No, you can't (or shouldn't) move "everything." It's a different operating system and different hardware. Setup Assistant gives you some choices on what to move, or you could just do the manual move of the iTunes library as already noted. Manually migrating is a PITA even if you are competent enough to know what will work and what won't.

Ok, so setup assistant will allow me to move apps and things like my itunes library from my time machine backup to the new mac?