After my MacBook Pro started behaving strange (everything slow, freezing etc.), I decided to restore the previous setting from the properly made Time machine backups, where it worked ok. I tried twice - from two different backups. It went on restoring all the time and in the last moment always ended with some error. Really strange and frustrating. Why almost nothing works with Apple things nowadays ?
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Time machine restore does not work - error
- Thread starter Micka88
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If you search this forum there are an awful lot of Time Machine issues reported, and it seems to me it isn't something to rely on too much. I do use it on my Macs, but solely so I can look back for the occasional file I may regret deleting, or for an early version of a document I've since spucked up. But have TM as my disaster recovery lifeboat? No.
To restore a Mac I don't think you can beat a Carbon Copy clone, I've done that numerous times with 100% success, it is what I bet on. Even so, I have two clones, just in case.
To restore a Mac I don't think you can beat a Carbon Copy clone, I've done that numerous times with 100% success, it is what I bet on. Even so, I have two clones, just in case.
OP wrote:
"I tried twice - from two different backups. It went on restoring all the time and in the last moment always ended with some error. Really strange and frustrating. Why almost nothing works with Apple things nowadays ?"
Well, folks, here's one more example of time machine failing a Mac user in "a moment of need".
OP... if you had been using either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper as your backup utility ... you wouldn't be having these problems.
My suggestion is to go forth and be wiser in the future. Change your ways:
Give either CCC or SD a try.
Then get back to us with your impressions...
"I tried twice - from two different backups. It went on restoring all the time and in the last moment always ended with some error. Really strange and frustrating. Why almost nothing works with Apple things nowadays ?"
Well, folks, here's one more example of time machine failing a Mac user in "a moment of need".
OP... if you had been using either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper as your backup utility ... you wouldn't be having these problems.
My suggestion is to go forth and be wiser in the future. Change your ways:
Give either CCC or SD a try.
Then get back to us with your impressions...
Sorry to hear it failed you but I am another that will advocate for Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper. I have never used TimeMachine for exactly the reason why you posted.
Unfortunately, I've personally observed these issues becoming somewhat more common since around the time macOS moved to APFS but Time Machine remained HFS+, although I am not sure if that is related or not. I do not have a great solution here, as Time Machine issues seem very difficult to diagnose and fix, but there are a few things I can think of trying if you have not already. (I am assuming you have already performed First Aid on both the Mac's local drive and the Time Machine Disk.)
One option is to first make a Carbon Copy Clone of your current (malfunctioning) OS on the local Mac drive to a completely separate drive. Then at that point you have a few options. One option is a fresh install of the operating system followed by another attempt to perform a Time Machine restore with Migration Assistant. There are no guarantees this works, hence the need of a clone backup of your current disk (so you don't lose your files.) It will necessitate you to reinstall some software if it is successful, and more if it is not (i.e., if it fails, it will be like setting up the system when new...but this should resolve your issue provided it is not related to hardware failure.) However, if this is successful and the problem you are experiencing is induced by a specific app or setting, it could be copied over.
You can attempt to repair the Time Machine backup with an application like DiskWarrior to try to fix potential directory corruption that may prevent a successful restore. Again, no guarantee of any success.
You can also run a SMART check of both your Mac's drive and the backup to drive, to see if either are physically failing--sometime this can cause freezing behavior or could prevent a successful restore.
You can run Apple Diagnostics to check for other component failure on your Mac.
At the end of the day, I hate to say it but the most likely solution is the longer one of a fresh OS install, manually reinstalling software, and then transferring your files over from a clone or a backup of user files. Moving forward, a large hard drive with multiple partitions for multiple complete (and bootable) clone backups at different points in time is often a more reliable backup solution should complete restores be desired.
One option is to first make a Carbon Copy Clone of your current (malfunctioning) OS on the local Mac drive to a completely separate drive. Then at that point you have a few options. One option is a fresh install of the operating system followed by another attempt to perform a Time Machine restore with Migration Assistant. There are no guarantees this works, hence the need of a clone backup of your current disk (so you don't lose your files.) It will necessitate you to reinstall some software if it is successful, and more if it is not (i.e., if it fails, it will be like setting up the system when new...but this should resolve your issue provided it is not related to hardware failure.) However, if this is successful and the problem you are experiencing is induced by a specific app or setting, it could be copied over.
You can attempt to repair the Time Machine backup with an application like DiskWarrior to try to fix potential directory corruption that may prevent a successful restore. Again, no guarantee of any success.
You can also run a SMART check of both your Mac's drive and the backup to drive, to see if either are physically failing--sometime this can cause freezing behavior or could prevent a successful restore.
You can run Apple Diagnostics to check for other component failure on your Mac.
At the end of the day, I hate to say it but the most likely solution is the longer one of a fresh OS install, manually reinstalling software, and then transferring your files over from a clone or a backup of user files. Moving forward, a large hard drive with multiple partitions for multiple complete (and bootable) clone backups at different points in time is often a more reliable backup solution should complete restores be desired.
Did you try reinstalling the OS? Sometimes that fixes things. As above, never rely on TM as your only backup.
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TM can be only 1 of these backups.
"can this "Carbon copy" completely restore the computer to the given past date during the clean installation ?"
CCC can "restore" the Mac to the same state the Mac was in when the last CCC cloned backup was run.
A CCC "cloned backup" is exactly that -- a "clone", an exact copy of the source volume.
You can plug in the CCC backup and boot and run from it, and will look INDISTINGUISHABLE from the source drive -- you won't be able to tell the difference (assuming you boot from the clone immediately after running the backup).
CCC is FREE to download and try for 30 days.
All you need is a spare drive big enough to hold everything.
Just "give it a try", and you will immediately understand "how it works".
If you don't like it, just erase the drive and use it for something else.
CCC can "restore" the Mac to the same state the Mac was in when the last CCC cloned backup was run.
A CCC "cloned backup" is exactly that -- a "clone", an exact copy of the source volume.
You can plug in the CCC backup and boot and run from it, and will look INDISTINGUISHABLE from the source drive -- you won't be able to tell the difference (assuming you boot from the clone immediately after running the backup).
CCC is FREE to download and try for 30 days.
All you need is a spare drive big enough to hold everything.
Just "give it a try", and you will immediately understand "how it works".
If you don't like it, just erase the drive and use it for something else.