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Time Machine; I've changed machine but want to continue with same backup

R

Radioman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 3, 2006
200
0
UK
I recently changed MBPs and restored from Time Machine.

Now I want to continue using the backup disk with about 6 months worth of backups on, but it wants to start again saying that there's not enough space for the initial backup.

I can't see any way around this in the TM help, but I don't want to start afresh and delete all those old backups.

Surely there's a way of making Time Machine think the computer is the old one?

Would be most grateful of any advice.
 
I looked into this as well. I just (yesterday) restored a new machine from a Time Machine backup of my previous machine. As soon as the new machine started its backups it created a new folder on the Time Machine drive to start its own backup history.

I'm not sure there's a way to get it to resume on a backup from another machine.
 
kbarnette said:
I looked into this as well. I just (yesterday) restored a new machine from a Time Machine backup of my previous machine. As soon as the new machine started its backups it created a new folder on the Time Machine drive to start its own backup history.

I'm not sure there's a way to get it to resume on a backup from another machine.
Click to expand...

Sad if true, it seems a shame to just throw away 6 months of backups.

I wonder if Apple Care might be able to help? I always gulp before ringing them as it can be a painful process and if the problem isn't on their cue cards it can take some time...
 
Try making sure that your computer name (in Sharing Preferences) is the exact same thing as the previous machine. In theory it should make it work, but in practice who knows. It's worth a shot though.
 
kap91 said:
Try making sure that your computer name (in Sharing Preferences) is the exact same thing as the previous machine. In theory it should make it work, but in practice who knows. It's worth a shot though.
Click to expand...

Good thinking, but I tried this and though the name was identical Time Machine still seemed to know that it was a different machine. It immediately creates a new backup folder on the TM drive and called it '[computer name] 2' :rolleyes:

This is preposterous! There MUST be a way of making TM think the machine is the same for the purposes of backup :mad:
 
... And another thing; you'd have thought that Time Machine would be be able to guess that if you have restored your system from a backup that you may just have replaced your computer and might want to continue with your backup :mad:

Can you tell I am getting mad? :p
 
You should still be able to access the old backups, from TS1338:

"If you want to view your previous backups, Control-click or right-click the Time Machine icon in your Dock or Option-click the Time Machine menu extra and Choose "Browse Other Time Machine Disks," then select your previous backup volume. You will enter the Time Machine where will you be able to browse your previous back ups and restore files"
 
Shuttleworth said:
You should still be able to access the old backups, from TS1338:

"If you want to view your previous backups, Control-click or right-click the Time Machine icon in your Dock or Option-click the Time Machine menu extra and Choose "Browse Other Time Machine Disks," then select your previous backup volume. You will enter the Time Machine where will you be able to browse your previous back ups and restore files"
Click to expand...

Many thanks indeed for finding this.

This is largely what I want, the only problem is that it still wants to do a full backup so I will need to migrate all the data to a larger disk which is a PITA. But if that's what Apple say then I guess I am stuck with it.
 
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