Nowadays it is very easy to keep the files and important data that we have on our computer safe. On Macs, manual copies can be made by copying files to external storage devices or to cloud services such as iCloud, however the most widespread and complete way to do it is with Time Machine. That is why in this article we tell you how you can restore macOS with Time Machine .
If you just want to recover some data
The reasons why you want to restore a backup to your Mac can vary widely. If the reason is caused by wanting to recover an element deleted by mistake, you should know that it may not be necessary to completely restore the computer . Precisely one of the star features of Time Machine is to honor its name and function as a time machine, allowing you to view the files on your computer in times past. Depending on the size of the disk you use to store the copies, the time you can go back may be more or less long, since older copies are automatically eliminated.
If the file you want to recover was on your Mac in the last few hours, it will most likely still be in Time Machine. To check it, follow these steps:
- Open Time Machine. You can do it from l
to the upper menu bar or by searching directly for the tool in System Preferences. - Go to the date and time you are sure you have the file (s) in question. You can do it using the arrows in which to scroll from hour to hour or with the time line on the right to go to a specific date more quickly.
- Go to the folder where the files were saved.
- Locate the files, select them and secondary click to choose the option “Restore to”.
- Now choose the destination folder.
Recover data from Time Machine on another device
Although on a Mac it is possible to access the backups in a much more visual way, the truth is that it is not the only device that can be accessed to find deleted files. In fact, if for some reason you cannot recover the files from your computer, you will be able to access the content of the Time Machine disk from other devices such as an iPad or a Windows PC . The way to do it is by connecting the disk in question to that computer and when you open it you will see how all the copies are ordered by folders based on the date and time they were made, being able to manage these files as if they were a normal element, transferring it to the destination computer in a simple way.
Restore full macOS backup
If you definitely want to restore the entire operating system completely with the last copy of Time Machine made, you will have to follow these steps:
- Completely shut down your Mac.
- Connect the external storage device where you saved your Time Machine backups.
- Turn on your Mac and instantly hold down the Command + R keys .
- Release the keys when the Apple logo or any other indication that macOS Recovery has started appears.
- The macOS Utilities window will now appear with various options and you will have to click on ” Restore from a Time Machine backup”.
- Follow the guidelines that are indicated on the screen and when you are asked for the source of the restoration, select the disk on which you made the copy.
- On the destination disk choose the partition where you want to restore the system.
You may be prompted for the administrator password during the process if the disk is encrypted or if you have enabled FileVault. The duration of this process cannot be determined, as it will ultimately depend on the speeds the external drive is capable of reaching and the weight of the backup. It is important not to disconnect the disk from the computer until the process is complete. Once it is finished you will see that you have the Mac as you left it when you made the copy with Time Machine.