Time Machine Backup Recovery

Question

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and not very tech-savvy.

The problem is as follows: my MacBook Pro (2009) has been acting up for a few days (I have the spinning wheel at startup that turns indefinitely). I tried to figure out the issue and received this message: "You need to repair the partition map because there is a problem with the file system of the EFI system partition."

In short, I think I need to reformat everything. I have a Time Machine backup on a LacieCloudBox. My problem is that the external hard drive (Lacie Cloudbox) has never been formatted by me to hold the TM backup – I didn't know it had to be done and it doesn't seem to have been done by default since I can read documents on my PC from this external hard drive.

However, the TM backup was running regularly until the crash last week. When I try to restart my Mac from TM, I see the backup but cannot access it; I get an error 0 (I think it's due to the original formatting of the external hard drive). I have files that are over 4 GB so that's an issue...

My question is: is it possible to recover this backup to reuse it on my Mac once I've reformatted everything (considering that the data doesn't seem to have been saved on an external hard drive with the correct format)? I can see the backup on my PC (the external hard drive is networked).

So, in summary, is it possible that the backup was made on TM while the external hard drive was not in the correct format (ExFAT???) and that I can still recover it?

Thank you for your help!!!

Eline The novice

*_Francis_* · Answer

Hello,

It is normal for the Mac not to be able to boot from a Time Machine backup. In no case is this possible. A Time Machine backup does not contain a bootable system. However, during the installation or reinstallation of Mac OS X, it is possible to restore your files and data from a Time Machine backup. Normally the system will prompt you automatically at the end of the installation. You just need to accept.

When you designate an external disk for Time Machine, it automatically erases and reformats it to Mac OS Extended, except that if it is a network disk, it is not reformatted to Mac OS. For example, an Apple Time Capsule, which is a network disk, cannot even be "formatted" by the Mac using Disk Utility. On these network disks, when Time Machine is activated, it simply creates a disk image (a virtual disk) in which it stores its backups.

So, if you reinstall the system, you will have the option to restore your data with Time Machine. Sometimes, it’s preferred to do all the updates first, and then only reintegrate the data from a Time Machine backup; this is possible with the Migration Assistant found in the Mac Applications Utilities. See this help:
https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/HT204320

--
Have a good day or Good Night..:).
Francis

elin94360 · Answer

Thank you very much, Francis!!!

So it is normal that I can see the external hard drive from my Mac but that I cannot access it.
If I understand correctly, I can therefore reformat everything, do my updates, and then reintegrate my data.

Thanks again!!

PS: side question, it’s still strange that it crashed like that, for no reason.... Wouldn't it be wise to also change the SSD of my Mac Pro?

*_Francis_* · Answer

Before reformatting, check the validity of Time Machine backups,

To verify that the Time Machine backup is usable for the Mac, simply "enter Time Machine" from the Finder menu bar; this is the safest way to know if these backups are good...

Moreover, also before reformatting, try a disk repair and also a permissions repair.

If the Mac is running Mac OS 10.6 or earlier, the best method is to do it after booting from the installation DVD. See this page:
https://www.commentcamarche.net/faq/15279-entretenir-et-reparer-mac-os-x-10-6-et-versions-anterieures

If the Mac is running Mac OS 10.7 or later, it is best to do it after booting from the recovery partition:
https://www.commentcamarche.net/faq/36405-entretenir-et-reparer-mac-os-x-10-7-os-x-10-8-os-x-10-9-os-x-10-10-lion-mountain-lion-mavericks-et-yosemite

This is to ensure the most correct operation possible, but it must be said that the message

"You need to repair the partition map because a problem has occurred with the EFI system partition file system"

is not very reassuring, and indeed suggests a possible corruption issue with the formatting.

In principle, an SSD is more reliable than mechanical drives, except that earlier SSDs aged less well than current drives and perhaps TRIM was less well managed in previous versions of Mac OS X.
(Note that if a non-Apple SSD is installed, it is imperative to install a third-party Trim enabler ). If you reinstall everything, try to follow the general behavior to see if there is a possible SSD failure; maybe running an Apple Hardware Test can reveal something?
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201257

It is also essential to ensure all software updates are done from the Apple menu, and always check if an EFI update is available for your Mac. (updates are normally included in the automatic search for the latest versions of OSX)

Do a quick check on this page:
https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/HT201518

--
Have a nice day, or good night..:).
Francis

elin94360 · Answer

Thank you very much for all this advice.
Following your remark that "note that if a non-Apple SSD is installed, it is imperative to install a third-party Trim enabler," do I need to purchase the software, install it once the new drive is in place, and that's it (the settings aren't too complicated)?

For now, I can only boot my Mac from a bootable USB drive that I created with Mavericks. But all actions are very, very slow... It lags a lot. I will see if I can perform the operations you described this way (I have no other choice: I cannot access my Mac's desktop otherwise)....

*_Francis_* · Answer

Trim Enabler is free by default; if you spend 12.50 euros, you will get the so-called Pro version... I must say I am unaware of the exact additional features activated in the Pro version. I think that when you install it, you will get more information. What is certain is that you need to install a Trim software if the SSD disk is not the original Apple one, as the Trim function is only supported by OSX on original disks.

There are quite a few articles (and tutorials) on the internet that discuss the topic, for example:
http://www.macg.co/matériel/2013/08/commande-trim-le-meilleur-ami-du-ssd-77052
http://www.tomshardware.fr/articles/Mac-Trim-SSD,2-60.html
https://www.journaldulapin.com/2013/10/08/activer-le-trim-proprement-sous-mac-os-x/
https://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-check-and-enable-trim-on-a-mac-ssd--mac-60738

Personally, I haven't had the opportunity to put it into practice..

If you have a USB installation drive for Mavericks, you can install Mavericks on an external drive; a simple little portable drive formatted as Mac OS extended with GUID schema is enough. It will then be much easier to manipulate the internal disk on the Mac since an external disk is much faster in read/write than a USB key.
If your drive is just a bootable key but not an installation key, you can try to make a bootable external drive using the Restore function of Disk Utility; you drag the USB key into the Source area and the external disk into the Destination area. It should work. (the content of the disk will be lost).

--
Have a good day or good night..:).
Francis

eline94360 · Answer

Hello Francis,

Thanks again: I will check the links.
I did all the manipulations last night and great: my Mac is back to life!
I am going to buy more memory. The issue with the partition is resolved.

However, my major problem is that when I use the migration assistant to recover my Time Machine data, the system finds the backup folder, but when I try to retrieve it, it tells me that it is empty....
In Disk Utility, I can see my backup. I have the following information:

For the disk image:
Disk description: Apple disk image SparseBundle Total capacity: 987.59 GB (987,591,528,448 bytes)
Connection bus: Disk image Unit write state: Read/write
Partition map scheme: GUID partition table
Disk image path: /Volumes/admin/Claudia's MacBook Pro.sparsebundle

For the subfolder (this is the backup copy)
Mount point: /Volumes/Time Machine Backup Copies
Capacity: 987.25 GB (987,247,554,560 bytes)
Format: Mac OS Extended (case-sensitive, journaled)
Available: 723.2 GB (723,195,387,904 bytes)
Privilege compliance: Yes Used: 264.05 GB (264,052,166,656 bytes)
Number of folders: 4,270 Number of files: 43,066

What can I do?

Thank you for your help and have a good day!

Eline

*_Francis_* · Answer

Hello,

Please do not make any backups using Time Machine for now, to avoid any incorrect handling. I don't see why the system considers your backup to be empty.. in the meantime, please do a simple test:
From the menu bar, go to Enter Time Machine, and navigate through your folders (Pictures, Documents, etc...) to see if everything is there.

If you select, for example, the Documents folder, and click Restore, what does it say?

--
Have a good day, or good night..:).
Francis

Eline · Answer

Hello Francis,  I will take a look this evening and let you know if I have everything. Thanks again and have a great day  Eline

*_Francis_* · Answer

OK - in the meantime...

On OS X 10.9, your personal library is hidden by default. It can be very useful to make it visible in order to manually set up various useful things, addresses, calendars, etc...

So, do it like this:

Go to your directory, the folder that bears your name, right-click to request "Show View Options," and there check the appropriate box:

(one click on the image will enlarge it)

--
Have a good day, or good night..:).
Francis

Eline · Answer

Sure, thank you! I'll do that tonight and keep you updated. Have a good day!  Eline

Eline94360 · Answer

Hello Francis

When I click on the MacBook Pro image, I get the following message: "Unable to open the following disk images (with the name of my MacBook)
Reason: "no mountable file systems"

I think it's a lost cause...

Have a nice day and thank you again for your help

Eline

*_Francis_* · Answer

Hello,

You should not click on the disk image from the Finder, that's not how to recover your data...

- You need to go to the menu bar, click on the Time Machine icon, drop down this icon to select the line "Enter Time Machine"... then in Time Machine, select the date you want to go back to in order to recover your folders, choose what you want to restore, and click "Restore"...

--
Have a good day, or good night..:).
Francis

Eline94360 · Answer

Okay, thanks. I'll give that a try... Have a nice day!

Lionelyon · Answer

Hello everyone, I'm just doing a little bump on this post.
I have a more or less similar problem and I don't know where to start, I even called the LaCie and Apple hotline without success.
It's quite simple, I back up my Mac on a cloud box via Time Machine, everything works well locally, and when I try to access my backup remotely (as I'm often on the move), I go through the Mac command "connect to server (+K), and there, I come across a xxxxx.sparsebundle file (which is supposed to open with Disk Mounter) and of course, it doesn't open! I’ve tried quite a few alternatives (FileZilla / Cyberduck / iBackup / Apple Disk Utility...) to no avail...
If you could help me, that would be great! Thanks in advance!

*_Francis_* · Answer

Hello,

a sparsebundle file is a disk image whose size "adapts" to the content placed inside it. Normally, it is the OS X system that opens such an image with a simple double-click (the "DiskImageMounter" application specific to OS X is then activated)

That being said, this is not at all how Time Machine backups are retrieved. Especially when it comes to a backup made on a network disk.
You need to "Enter Time Machine" from the menu bar icon, navigate through the dates and files, select your file, and request to Restore it.

You should never manually modify the content of the Time Machine backup.

Best regards

--
Have a nice day :-) - Francis
“Working group: A group of people incapable of doing anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

*_Francis_* · Answer

However, you did not take into account an important point: 
I back up an iMac on a cloudbox with Time Machine, and I wish to access this backup via a MacBook Pro remotely.

This detail had not been specified....

It is quite possible that the system denies access due to rights issues, since this backup belongs to a specific user on a specific Mac. Possible, but not certain. But we can imagine it would be a bit too simple if Pierre, Paul, or Jacques could access a backup belonging to Jules or Juliette....

However, it may also be that the type of backup itself is causing the problem. Indeed, when I used to back up with Time Machine on a network-type disk, even locally, opening a sparsebundle image was always problematic. I was making these backups on a Time Capsule disk. Network disks have a particular format (a PC can put its files there, just as a Mac can), and in this case, the sparsebundle file is a disk image formatted in Mac OS on a disk with a different format.
Opening this file has always been slow and difficult. I can’t remember the details to achieve that...
Today I back up on a regular disk.

So I cannot say with certainty whether the issue is related to rights issues or the type of backup on a network disk...

--
Have a good day :-) - Francis
“Working group: A group of people unable to do anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

lionelyon · Answer

It all seems quite complex... If you managed it in the past, do you think you can find the right procedure again? Honestly, I’m placing all my hopes on you! Thank you in advance.

*_Francis_* · Answer

I need to start the Mac under another user or another system (which is perfectly possible), and run a Time Machine backup on my Time Capsule (which is also "perfectly possible"), so as not to touch my current Time Machine settings.

So, it's possible, but not immediately - it takes the time for a first backup on this Time Capsule from another user or system, before returning to my session and testing...

Useful question for testing: which version of Mac OS are you using?

--
Have a great day :-) - Francis
“Working group: A group of people incapable of doing anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

*_Francis_* · Answer

Of course, I'm not going to save everything. In any case, if I do my initial backup from a boot under 10.6, the backup will be almost empty, as my 10.6 disk is just for testing. I'm currently on Sierra.

So, to be continued...

--
Have a nice day :-) - Francis
“Working group: A group of people unable to do anything on their own who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

*_Francis_* · Answer

I just did some tests..

I saved on my Time Capsule, local network then, from my Mac running Mac OS 10.6, just the Users folder, almost empty.

Then I went back to OS X 10.12, and there... I opened everything without difficulty, even from another user. Quite the irony.

So, my previous tests that were so difficult must have come from the fact that the sparsebundle image was probably very heavy. I do remember that it was endlessly spinning without arriving... probably due to the disk image size, roughly 500 GB, the capacity of that old Time Capsule, while now, the last backup weighs nothing.

The only thing I had to provide was the network password linked to this Time Capsule..

then

finally, none of this is secure...

basically, I should try a normal opening with DiskImageMounter... and let it take its time ...

--
Have a nice day :-) - Francis
“Working group: A group of people incapable of doing anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

*_Francis_* · Answer

Image27.sparsebundle? Image27 is indeed the name of the iMac from which the backup originates?  -- Have a Nice Day :-) - Francis “Working group: A group of people unable to do anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

*_Francis_* · Answer

I sometimes received this message "no displayable file system", when the system considered that a disk image was corrupted. What needs to be done is to make a new backup with the iMac, then not try to open it locally, but from the Macbook and remotely at first.  Another attempt to be made is to put on this Time Machine disk, from the iMac, a new disk image of type sparsebundle, next to the backup image, created with Disk Utility, just for testing. So, create this disk image from the iMac, put some innocuous files inside, unmount the disk image, and then try to open it from the Macbook remotely.  -- Have a nice day :-) - Francis “Workgroup: A group of people unable to do anything on their own who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

*_Francis_* · Answer

That's surprising because the disk image, once transferred to the Mac, let's say directly on the desktop, should be accepted by the Terminal.   For example, if I take a disk image located in my Downloads folder:    I will perform the operation with the sparsebundle image I created last night on my Time Capsule...  -- Have a nice day :-) - Francis “Work group: A group of people unable to do anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

*_Francis_* · Answer

Indeed, it won't work on a sparsebundle image. This image does indeed contain a directory.  I did another test, I renamed this sparsebundle image to .dmg instead of .sparsebundle... it mounts without any issue, it would be a test to perform from the remote Mac on the test sparsebundle image... (it works on the local network at my place)  Have a nice day :-) - Francis “Workgroup: A group of people who are unable to do anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

iGone69 · Answer

I'm trying it out, only MEGA problem, if it works by renaming the .dmg file, I would need to copy a 500GB image of data "remotely" to be able to fit it into the backup! lol because of course, I can't rename the extension on the mounted backup drive..... I'm fed up!

iGone69 · Answer

I have access YES, but I cannot rename the file...

*_Francis_* · Answer

And why? A problem with file permissions?  When you select the file, then request to read its information, you can see at the bottom of the window the read and write permissions.      Have a nice day :-) - Francis “Working group: A group of people unable to do anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

iGone69 · Answer

so...  LOCALLY: I can rename it without any problem (even though it's unnecessary since the .sparsbundle opens correctly)  REMOTELY: I cannot rename it, when I check the properties, in Sharing and Permissions it says "you have custom access"

*_Francis_* · Answer

I also have this line "you have personalized access", but below we see the write and read rights, as there are no restrictions, I can rename the file:      -- Have a nice day :-) - Francis “Working group: A group of people unable to do anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

*_Francis_* · Answer

The parent folder is the folder that contains the sparsebundle disk image.  For me, although I am at the root of my Time Capsule, I have this structure,    where we can see that for me, with my test backup made yesterday, the parent folder is "Francis Capsule," which itself is contained in the Airport Time Capsule path of Francis...    -- Have a Good Day :-) - Francis “Work group: A group of people unable to do anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

*_Francis_* · Answer

Here is a copy of my settings and the help screen here: https://www.lagentesoft.com/bm_instructions/index.html    here, I have given everyone all the powers :)  -- Have a nice day :-) - Francis “Task group: A group of people unable to do anything by themselves who collectively decide that nothing can be done!” WCh

iGone69 · Answer

Yes, I did it, the permissions are still checked there, but I have the same problem as usual in remote mode, as soon as I click on the sparsebundle image: "no mountable file systems."

iGone69 · Answer

yes sorry "montable" ;) as I told you, I will try formatting and starting from scratch... You never know, right! I'll keep you updated Francis, thanks for everything.

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