Time Machine Restore Experiences

[chefwong]

I generally start clean on new laptops
Logic Board was replaced so I restored off a TM backup.

TM is not like (carbon copy) - aka, direct mirror restore

It appears it -extracts- applicable components and merges it into whatever the OS is.
When I did my TM restore, I left all boxes checked.


In using the laptop for the following 3 days after, I now realize it's not a *mirror* restore.
For example, under Privacy and Security, Accessibility.....I'm redoing permissions for the apps that were restored back ,etc

 

[splifingate]

I've never been able to successfully restore from a TM backup.

Always Scratch for me

 

[chefwong]

Was that from a NAS TM backup:restore.....
Those IME are super reliable and direct connect TM IMO.

Back in the days, I did Carbon Copy a lot.....but between dropbox and whatnot, it's easy staring fresh on a new computer.

 

[splifingate]

Was that from a NAS TM backup:restore.....
Those IME are super reliable and direct connect TM IMO.

All my nasty TM efforts ended long before I got a NAS.

Back in the days, I did Carbon Copy a lot.....but between dropbox and whatnot, it's easy staring fresh on a new computer.

Yes; I'm a fan (and user) of SD! . . . I like parachutes

But, yeah . . . with all my backup data, it takes me maybe a few hours to get a scratch install up, and satisfactorily running.

 

[gilby101]

All my nasty TM efforts ended long before I got a NAS.

Probably ended in the good old days when TM used HFS+. A different world with APFS. Super reliable and, unless one needs extra configuration (I suspect you do), easier to use than CCC (or SD).

TM is not like (carbon copy) - aka, direct mirror restore

If you use CCC as recommended it is, just like TM, not a clone/mirror.

 

[Ben J.]

In using the laptop for the following 3 days after, I now realize it's not a *mirror* restore.
For example, under Privacy and Security, Accessibility.....I'm redoing permissions for the apps that were restored back ,etc

This happens with CCC too. After a restore, some permissions must be re-enabled. Happens every time. It's part of macOS security.

I haven't used TM in over a decade, but I use CCC all the time, and I have never had a problem with restore.

Remember, since macOS 11; when you restore from a backup to the startup drive, you're restoring the "Macintosh HD - Data" volume only. The "Macintosh HD" volume cannot be backed up and restored, it can only be created by apple's macOS installers. This means you can never use a restore to restore to a different version of macOS. Apple Support: Signed system volume.

 

[VitoBotta]

I am always amazed by the number of people who say they had problems restoring TM backups. I have had to restore data many times, and also used TimeMachine many times to migrate to a new Mac, and it has never failed me.

 

[splifingate]

Probably ended in the good old days when TM used HFS+. A different world with APFS. Super reliable and, unless one needs extra configuration (I suspect you do), easier to use than CCC (or SD).

Ha! Right

The few (two) times I needed to recover from a TM Backup, such failed.

I'm not saying that I did everything right, and AAPL did everything wrong . . . just that it. Failed.

My wisdom

I source my own backups, these days.