Time Machine Restore

[skinnyj]

I have a Macbook that is about 2.5 years old. In the past few weeks it seems to have been running a little slower, so I wanted to do a restore. However, I do not want to restore it to its exact form, as one would after a HD crashes. Rather, I just want to clean install the OS, and then restore apps, music, documents.

I did an erase using Disk Utility last night prior to installing Snow Leopard. Thirty minutes later, I had a brand new computer. When I plugged in my external, it took a while but it did install my apps. The problem is none of them seem to work when I click on them due to "access" errors. Furthermore, when I later tried to restore my documents I was having trouble getting Time Machine to even see read them from past folders. Instead I was just seeing empty folder after empty folder.

Please advise.

 

[r0k]

I have a Macbook that is about 2.5 years old. In the past few weeks it seems to have been running a little slower, so I wanted to do a restore. However, I do not want to restore it to its exact form, as one would after a HD crashes. Rather, I just want to clean install the OS, and then restore apps, music, documents.

I did an erase using Disk Utility last night prior to installing Snow Leopard. Thirty minutes later, I had a brand new computer. When I plugged in my external, it took a while but it did install my apps. The problem is none of them seem to work when I click on them due to "access" errors. Furthermore, when I later tried to restore my documents I was having trouble getting Time Machine to even see read them from past folders. Instead I was just seeing empty folder after empty folder.

Please advise.

Navigate to your home folder. Right or Option click it and pick get info. Then pick permissions. Make sure to give yourself all permissions and remember to select the checkbox to apply the changes to everything underneath. You should then be able to see all your stuff. You can do the same with applications. Make sure you at least have read and execute permissions on everything underneath applications. I've heard of people having permission issues after using migration assistant to move to a new machine and this technique is what I've seen suggested as the remedy.

 

[skinnyj]

Thanks for the help. I will definitely try this when I get home. Just to clarify, what is the migration assistant? Is that just another term for Time Machine?

I have restored from Time Machine backup in the past and had no problems. However, this time I just want to restore select applications, documents, photos, music, etc. and not everything. I think there was some detritus clogging things up.

 

[MrMoore]

The migration assistant is an utility in Mac OS X to copy settings from one Mac to another. Ususally it is used when you purchase a new Mac and want to transfer your data to a new computer.

When running the assisant you can specifiy restoring from a Time Machine backup.

http://macs.about.com/od/leopard105/ss/migratevol.htm

 

[r0k]

Thanks for the help. I will definitely try this when I get home. Just to clarify, what is the migration assistant? Is that just another term for Time Machine?

I have restored from Time Machine backup in the past and had no problems. However, this time I just want to restore select applications, documents, photos, music, etc. and not everything. I think there was some detritus clogging things up.

Migration assistant pops up when you install OS X or buy a new Mac. It offers to migrate your settings from another Mac via usb or firewire or from a Time Machine backup.