How to restore files under Big Sur from an older Time machine backup?

[hickup1234]

I am up at MacOS 11 and now need to access files turned into a backup in 2014 with a much earlier OS version. Now unlike earlier, I am unable to use the backup via the normal backup option, nor can I mount the backup to search files in it via the Finder.

Is there any other way that I can get to the files? Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

-Which model Mac currently, and which model/OS X version was the backup from?
-What type of backup - Time Machine, CCC/SuperDuper! clone, manual?
-What kind of external device is the data on?

C

 

[hickup1234]

Thank you! I now have a MacBook Pro (2017) with Big Sur, the backup covers the period 2014 to 2017, created on MacBook Pro (2013) with successive OS versions. This is a Time Machine Backup on a Time Capsule. Is this what you refer to as clone?

 

[rich_mark]

Restore the files that were backed up with Time Machine on Mac

• On your Mac, open the Time Machine
• Choose Apple menu > System Preferences
• Click Time Machine, then select “Show Time Machine in menu bar”
• Use the arrows and timeline to browse the local snapshots and backups
• Select one or more items you want to restore (these can include folders or your entire disk), then click Restore.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, thanks.

Do you have any of the older Macs that were backed up to the Time Capsule, or that are running older versions of OS X/macOS? The reason I ask, is that I would hate for you to lose any of the data stored on the Time Capsule due to the troubleshooting steps we may try.

Time Machine is an Apple-specific form of incremental backup, which is not bootable. Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) and SuperDuper! create bootable clones backups of your drive, with which you can actually startup your Mac with.

Since it is a Time Machine backup on a Time Capsule, I assume you were using it via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and not connected via USB. I wonder what would happen if you connect to the Time Capsule using Time Machine in System Preferences. Or, is that one of the issues?

There are other ways of connecting to the Time Capsule, but I want to make sure you don't lose any data.

C

 

[jimborazza]

Hey there, was this ever resolved? I have the same issue.

I have a time machine backup from 2018->2019 that I need to retrieve some files from but when I try to mount the file I get an error saying "no mountable file system"

Interestingly there is a second Time Machine file from an older model MacBook Pro on the same drive (which is a time capsule) and it mounts AOK.

The iMac image doesn't appear to have the .backupbundle extension that the MacBookPro image does.

Apple Support suggested it is due to the image being captured on a 32bit OSX and now I am on 64bit.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.