setting up new (to me) laptop; restore from Time Machine not working

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Level 1

4 points

setting up new (to me) laptop; restore from Time Machine not working

I'm trying to migrate to a new (to me) laptop by restoring from my Time Machine backup, but it's not working. Here's an outline of the problem.

Command+R boot up.
Connect to local network.
Choose option to restore from backup.
System finds my Time Capsule, and I choose to "connect."
System requests password.
I provide password, and... NOTHING. No error response or anything. Eventually the "connect" button becomes active again with no results. Clicking it again is just an endless loop of this step. If I enter the wrong password, it does give me an error. It's only the correct password that results in this behavior.

I have tried rebooting both the laptop and the Time Capsule multiple times with the same results.

Has anyone else run into this or something similar that might help me to troubleshoot this? I'm at a complete loss. I thought about trying to make a support appointment, but I cannot take my home network to the Genius Bar.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Dec 11, 2021 3:56 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Bob Timmons

Community+ 2024

Level 10

168,734 points

Dec 11, 2021 4:45 PM in response to RPGuy

Command + R would only be applicable if you have a Mac with an older operating system that is also the same Mac that made the backups.

If you have by chance erased the hard drive on the Mac and reinstalled the operating system again, then in effect, you have a "new" Mac.

Please clarify what you mean when you describe your Mac as new (to me).

If the "new" Mac did not make the backups, you must use Migration Assistant on the "new" Mac to transfer data from a Time Machine backup back over to the new Mac. More info in this Apple Support document:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203981

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Answer 2

Dec 15, 2021 5:56 PM in response to RPGuy

If there is no operating system installed on the Mac, then you will first need to reinstall the operating system. See this Apple Support document:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

Note......you may likely have to reinstall the operating system that the former user was using, so you might want to find out what OS was installed on the Mac at the time that you received it.

Once the operating system has been reinstalled, you can access Migration Assistant as follows:

Open Finder (that "smiley face" on the dock) > Open Applications > Open Utilities > Open Migration Assistant

or

Click on the magnifying glass icon at the very top of the Mac's screen and type in Migration Assistant, then press Enter on the keyboard

You will be asked for the administrator password for the Time Capsule to access the backups of the "old" Mac.

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Answer 3

Dec 20, 2021 6:17 PM in response to RPGuy

Did you try Shift-Option-Command-R at start up? That command sequence is supposed to reinstall the operating system that was originally on the Mac, but I don't have an older Mac here to test and verify.

It is possible that someone on the AirPort support forum for Apple routers.....(the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule).......might be able to help, but also unlikely that they will see your post, since it is now appears to really be a question about how to reinstall the Mac operating system on a laptop.

Once the operating system is reinstalled, you can use Migration Assistant to transfer data from a Time Machine backup of your "other" Mac.

If you have verified from the original owner that Sierra was originally installed on the laptop, I would try posting in the support forum for Sierra linked below.

macOS Sierra

Not sure if Apple Support could help on this issue, but if they could, it would probably be well worth the expense to get some expert assistance.

Good luck!

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Answer 4

RPGuy Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 15, 2021 5:12 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Someone gave me their older laptop when they upgraded, and they cleared the drive, including the OS. (It's still considerably newer than the 2012 model I've been using.) So, in response to your question it's not the same laptop that made the backup. I think you answered my question anyway though, and I appreciate your ability to puzzle out my needs.

Now I just need to figure out how to get the newer laptop to a point that I can run the migration assistant. I guess that means I'll need to reinstall some level of the Mac OS, and hopefully I can do that with the licenses I already have.

Sorry for the slow reply. Somehow I never saw a notification.

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Answer 5

RPGuy Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 20, 2021 1:45 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Yup, I follow all of this.

Unfortunately I've now moved on to the next hurdle: "no bag entry" when I try to reinstall the OS. Apparently this is a common error on Sierra installs when they cannot reach an Apple server to validate your license.

I checked that the servers were up and running and verified that my Wifi has internet access which sent me to the next suggested fix, a wired ethernet connection. Since the "new to me" laptop is a newer model with only USB-C ports, I've had some hardware challenges, delaying me until I could get a USB-C ethernet dongle. Unfortunately this still didn't work. Next up: create a USB installation drive. Once again, I need new hardware to interface via USB-C, so I'm waiting for that to be delivered. I hope that works, because I haven't been able to find any other suggested resolutions.

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Answer 6

RPGuy Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 21, 2021 3:00 PM in response to Bob Timmons

It looks like Shift+Option+Command+R is now (almost) the same as just Command+R. I think it forces using web recovery or something like that, but ultimately you end up at the same recovery screen either way.

I'm now downloading a Catalina installer and will set that up on an installation USB drive later today or tomorrow. I figured I should skip to Catalina because that's the version I'm running on the laptop I want to migrate data from. If that installation fails for some reason, I'll post a new discussion in a more appropriate category.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP! I'm gonna' go ahead and mark your first response in this thread as "solved my question."

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Answer 7

Dec 21, 2021 3:10 PM in response to RPGuy

You may need to first install the original operating system that was initially installed on the Mac when it was new......then......upgrade to a more recent operating system.

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setting up new (to me) laptop; restore from Time Machine not working

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