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Time Machine: Continuing where you left on when changing your Mac

T

tekilla

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 11, 2008
95
0
Hi all,

I've just received my new 13" MBP to replace an original UMBP (given to my Dad).
I'd like to plug my Time Machine disk in and carry on where I left off but realise this won't work as the MAC address would've changed.

I found this article on macosxhints.com http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080128003716101 has anyone tested this and know it to work?
Is there an easier / Apple recommended way to re-pair your Mac with your existing Time Machine disk?

I've done some searching and couldn't find what I was looking for so hopefully someone can help.

Many thanks,
James.
 
Anyone?

I forgot to mention that this is of course keeping my original HDD and installing it in the new MBP.

Thanks.
 
If it didn't give you the option to restore the machine from a Time Machine backup when you first booted it, you should be able to do so by booting from the system restore discs.
 
Start Migration Assistant (it's in /Applications/Utilities) and select your Time Machine drive as the source.
 
you all are missing what the OP is asking. he's not asking about how to do a restore, but how to continue using the same backup disk on a new machine without losing the old backups (Time Machine will overwrite it).

i'm afraid i don't have any idea other than that link you have though . . . good luck.
 
emailsfh said:
you all are missing what the OP is asking. he's not asking about how to do a restore, but how to continue using the same backup disk on a new machine without losing the old backups (Time Machine will overwrite it).

i'm afraid i don't have any idea other than that link you have though . . . good luck.
Click to expand...

Correct!

Sorry, I possibly didn't explain it very well to begin with.
New MacBook, old HDD, same Time Machine disk. As it's done on the MAC of the system board, it'll just create a new schema rather than continue my old Time Machine history which will make restores non-existant.

I can try the stuff on the link above but sure I did that before when I changed Mac's a few years back and it didn't work.

Thoughts on a postcard please.
 
emailsfh said:
you all are missing what the OP is asking. he's not asking about how to do a restore, but how to continue using the same backup disk on a new machine without losing the old backups (Time Machine will overwrite it).
Click to expand...
I think people understood what he was asking... he wanted to pick up where he left off. If he gets his new mac, he can restore from the existing time machine backup. Then... time machine backups will continue as normal and he'll be picking up where he left off. easy.
 
tekilla said:
Correct!

Sorry, I possibly didn't explain it very well to begin with.
New MacBook, old HDD, same Time Machine disk. As it's done on the MAC of the system board, it'll just create a new schema rather than continue my old Time Machine history which will make restores non-existant.

I can try the stuff on the link above but sure I did that before when I changed Mac's a few years back and it didn't work.

Thoughts on a postcard please.
Click to expand...

Snow Leopard has changed how Time Machine works when you change your logicboard or get a new Mac. If you are using the internal disc from your old machine then it will be straightforward.

Just plug your Time Machine drive in and go to preferences and select the Time Machine drive and exclude whatever you want to exclude.

Time Machine will start counting down to the first backup. Just after it starts the backup there will be a pop-up that will ask whether you want to start a fresh set of backups or whether you want to go on using the existing backups. It will warn you that if you take the "add" option then the backups will not be readable from the old Mac - fine.

If you take the "add to existing" option it will churn away for a long time and it may seem to be creating a completely fresh backup (I think it is...) but after a while it will only have done an incremental backup.

After the first backup you will be able to go back in time to the backups on your old machine as if nothing had happened.

I changed my MacBook a few months ago and it is working fine. The only strange thing is that you don't get the option to use the existing backups until the backup starts.....

This is what you wanted to hear isn't it.....????
 
Purchased a New HDD for my macbook 13 inch Leopard

I purchased a new 320 GB HDD for my macbook and I want to know if by restoring from my time machine back up, I will get all the applications and files to the new HDD. As far as I know I would need to put the ew HDD to my mac, Install Leopard and restore from my time machine backup. Can someone tell me if this process is the correct one?
 
voyage420 said:
I purchased a new 320 GB HDD for my macbook and I want to know if by restoring from my time machine back up, I will get all the applications and files to the new HDD. As far as I know I would need to put the ew HDD to my mac, Install Leopard and restore from my time machine backup. Can someone tell me if this process is the correct one?
Click to expand...

Yes, Migration Assistant will pull EVERYTHING that you want/need from TM onto your brand new Mac.


OP: Why are you cracking open your new MBP to put in your old HDD? Why not just do what I described above by migrating your info from your TM backup?

Is the old drive bigger than new model? You still have to give your Dad a hard drive. I mean, why does he get the new one? I'm confused.

Seems like a somewhat risky proposition to use an old drive in a brand new machine due to age of the drive...not to mention the potential speed boost a fresh hard drive/install would bring you. :confused:
 
mstrze said:
Yes, Migration Assistant will pull EVERYTHING that you want/need from TM onto your brand new Mac.


OP: Why are you cracking open your new MBP to put in your old HDD? Why not just do what I described above by migrating your info from your TM backup?

Is the old drive bigger than new model? You still have to give your Dad a hard drive. I mean, why does he get the new one? I'm confused.

Seems like a somewhat risky proposition to use an old drive in a brand new machine due to age of the drive...not to mention the potential speed boost a fresh hard drive/install would bring you. :confused:
Click to expand...

MSTRZE - my *old* drive is a Western Digital Scorpio Black, 7,200 which I find lightening quick compared to the stock Seagate 5,400. It's also a 320gb as opposed to the 250gb that the MBP shipped with.
No risk involved at all, check the PDF on the Apple site, it has full instructions on how to change the disk an DIY RAM upgrades.
 
logana said:
Snow Leopard has changed how Time Machine works when you change your logicboard or get a new Mac. If you are using the internal disc from your old machine then it will be straightforward.

Just plug your Time Machine drive in and go to preferences and select the Time Machine drive and exclude whatever you want to exclude.

Time Machine will start counting down to the first backup. Just after it starts the backup there will be a pop-up that will ask whether you want to start a fresh set of backups or whether you want to go on using the existing backups. It will warn you that if you take the "add" option then the backups will not be readable from the old Mac - fine.

If you take the "add to existing" option it will churn away for a long time and it may seem to be creating a completely fresh backup (I think it is...) but after a while it will only have done an incremental backup.

After the first backup you will be able to go back in time to the backups on your old machine as if nothing had happened.

I changed my MacBook a few months ago and it is working fine. The only strange thing is that you don't get the option to use the existing backups until the backup starts.....

This is what you wanted to hear isn't it.....????
Click to expand...

You sir, are a legend of the highest order (and of my own Scottish blood too). Thanks very much, will give it a crack tonight.
 
tekilla said:
You sir, are a legend of the highest order (and of my own Scottish blood too). Thanks very much, will give it a crack tonight.
Click to expand...

why thank you - but I did get help from the following sticky on Apple discussions.....

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2057525

check out the part at B5 "would you like to reuse the backup......."

This only works on Snow Leopard but would appear to be Apple acknowledging that people do change Macs from time to time and want to continue using their existing Time Machine backups.
 
Worked a treat, much easier than doing it on Leopard.

Thanks for your help.
 
Glad it all worked out.

My situation was the same as yours in that I transferred my hard disc from my old MacBook to my new MacBook.

Now we need somebody to try it with a fresh install on a new machine......
 
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