Issues doing a full system restore from a Time Machine backup

micseydel · 11-06-2009, 09:52 PM

My main issue is that when I boot the computer, it just shows a gray background with the text "You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button until it turns off, then press the Power button again." When I do this, I see this screen again. Below is how I got to this point.

I've partitioned my Macbook Pro to have 5 partitions, with the first one being for OS X. In order to make those partitions, I had to reformat the drive because Disk Utility couldn't shrink the one with OS X on it, even though there would have been 5 gigs of free space still on that partition. I'm doing this so that I can have a triple-boot system.

I backed up the main partition to an external hard drive using Time Machine before wiping everything and putting down the partitions (one for OS X, one for all my files, a Linux swap, one for Ubuntu and one for Windows). The non-OS X partitions can be ignored for this, except for possibly the fact that the partition set-up is different now than from when the backup was made.

Now I've restored the 22GBs of backed up data to the new 27GB partition by booting from the install disk and using Utilities > Restore System From Backup, but now whenever I boot from the hard disk, it just shows a gray background with the text "You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button until it turns off, then press the Power button again." When I do this, I see this screen again.

The backed-up system did not have more than one partition, so I'm wondering if that's the issue. Is there any way that I can modify the Time Machine backup data to make this work?

Previously, I thought the issue was the filesystem, but I've tried using Disk Utility from the boot disk and formatting the partition with two of the OS X options (both journaled, the case sensitive and case insensitive ones) but I'm not going to bother trying the other two because it would take too long and I don't expect they'd work. I also don't know if when Time Machine restores the backup, it formats the drive with previous filesystem anyway.

Additionally, I tried holding Cmd+S at startup, and I've never done it before so I'm not sure what everything means. The last line I get is "System uptime in nanoseconds: 978241576" but it's not like a terminal where I can do anything.

Is there anything I can do to make a full restore work? Should I just reinstall the OS manually and then manually restore the backup without Time Machine?

Las_Vegas · 11-06-2009, 10:30 PM

Was the drive formatted using GUID? If not, you have no EFI partition. There are detailed procedures on the OSX86 Project for building a multi-boot system. BTW: Neither MacOS nor Ubuntu require a Swap partition any longer. It's a much simpler process to let them handle this the new way.

micseydel · 11-07-2009, 12:09 AM

I used whatever OS X has, I have no idea what you mean when you said GUID. After partitioning, I was going to install rEFIT but I wanted to restore my backup before making that install, since restoring would overwrite things. I'm pretty sure it's an EFI partition, because I'm using a Macbook Pro (purchased new in August of 2009). I should have said this but forgot to (originally when I made the title, that was in it, but I wanted to make the title more specific and ran out of characters and forgot to add that very important information in the body).

I also didn't know that Ubuntu doesn't need a swap partition anymore (which is awesome!) or that Mac ever needed one. I started on Macs about two months ago, and had only used Windows and Linux before.

Does it change everything that I'm on a Macbook Pro and not PC hardware?

benwiggy · 11-07-2009, 05:24 AM

If your restored system doesn't work, then you should waste no further time and install afresh from the installer DVD.
You can then restore your apps and user data.

Bear in mind that the OS X system partition needs to have some spare space for swap, on top of the total file size. So if you've got 22Gb of data, you'd want at least 32Gb partition. More, if you plan to save more files there.

micseydel · 11-07-2009, 05:36 AM

I have 2 gigs of RAM, so I have more than double the memory available for swap. After the system is restored, the used space will go down because I'll move some of the files to a different partition.

Are you sure I there isn't something I can do to do a system restore? Maybe modify one file in the backup because of something as minor as it wanting to see a single partition, and letting it know it's OK to see more?

benwiggy · 11-07-2009, 05:50 AM

I'm not sure that 2 x RAM is a reliable formula for the the VM that OS X needs.

You seem to think that the restore isn't working because the partitions are different. I'm not convinced.

micseydel · 11-07-2009, 06:00 AM

Well, in regard to swap I've always heard the 2x rule. For hibernation, you need at least 1x when your RAM is full. In regard to the restore, I don't believe a ton of free space is necessary. I should be able to have a system functional enough to get in there and move things afterward (I'll be removing pictures and documents and things to a different partition).

As for why the restore isn't working, I meant the partitions being different as an example of something that would require a small and precise fix. You seem convinced that Time Machine and OS X have failed me and wasted a ton of my time, as well as them having mislead me into thinking I could do this more quickly with Mac software than I could have by copying and pasting (had I known this would suck, I would have backed up less than half the data, saving time, and not come here or gone through a lot of other issues either). I also don't see any evidence you have that it can't be fixed. Saying "afresh" and then expressing skepticism of my speculation doesn't make you an expert on the topic.

benwiggy · 11-07-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by micseydel


	I also don't see any evidence you have that it can't be fixed. Saying "afresh" and then expressing skepticism of my speculation doesn't make you an expert on the topic.

1. It is entirely possible that you should be able to restore your OS from a TM backup, if it's to the same machine. However, you've tried that, and it doesn't work for you.

2. There may well be, as you suggest, some small system preference, setting, or component which it might be possible to edit, that might fix your problem.
However, what that is, I don't know. In the absence of any other information, finding such a file might take up a lot of your time.

3. Doing a clean install ("afresh") from your installer disk will either: a) work; or b) not work.
If it works, then alls well that ends well.
If it doesn't, then you'll know that there is a problem with your partition, or perhaps even the hardware itself.

micseydel · 11-07-2009, 01:48 PM

It doesn't working for me and that's why I came here. You offered a solution to my problem that is not my preference, and that I didn't need to come to a forum to get.

And I figured most people wouldn't know how to fix this as I'm requesting, which is why I came to a specialized forum. I don't expect everyone who doesn't know the answer to respond.

I know the fresh install will work because I though I had reinstalled OS X to use Time Machine to do a restore, before I realized it could be done from the disk. I should have included that information.

Now I'm running out of time before I need a functional computer (not the one I'm typing on right now) so I'm going to tinker with the terminal and then probably install OS X "afresh" and work from there wasting hours instead of letting the computer do the work, but it's because I'm running out of time, not because I didn't know it was a solution.

Las_Vegas · 11-07-2009, 03:39 PM

Simply creating multiple partitions will not allow multi-boot into Windows and Linux. You need to create a hybrid partitioning scheme. Boot Camp does this, but only creates two partitions for a dual boot.

As I pointed out before, the OSX86 project has a how-to to create a hybrid partitioning for multi-booting. I recommend reverting back to a single partition, restore OS X and use Boot Camp to reduce OS X to a smaller size. Then use the procedure's from OSX86 Project to manually split up the Boot Camp partition into more than one (This is done with a lot of math using both partitioning utilities from Terminal).

Yes, rEFIt would work nicely for managing this setup.

micseydel · 11-07-2009, 08:03 PM

I'm using a tutorial from http://seriouslytech.blogspot.com/20...ows-7-and.html . I'm not sure what you mean about just partitioning not doing it, but as per the instructions from that link, I'm not using Boot Camp for partitioning for this. If I was just doing Windows, that'd be great, but I'm not so yeah.

I checked out the OSX86 project and found that it was mostly about installing OS X on PCs, and not making triboot systems on Macbook Pro's. (See: http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/in...u_and_Vista%29 )
The tutorial I'm using also doesn't require any terminal or math stuff.

Back to the point of what I'm having my issue with...

I tried making just one partition and restoring the backup, and found the same error. The partitions were not the problem. The backup probably was corrupt (at least in regard to the system).

Now, what I've done is reinstall Snow Leopard manually and use the Migration Assistant with my Time Machine backup. This was easier than I expected, but still not as convenient as I initially expected. There have been no problems with this restoration method.

Since that problem is solved, I will now go off to use that blog post to make my system how I want it. This isn't relevant to this forum post - this forum post is DONE.

My solution was to install the operating system manually, and use the Migration Utility to restore my data. That simple.

benwiggy · 11-08-2009, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by micseydel


	The backup probably was corrupt (at least in regard to the system). Now, what I've done is reinstall Snow Leopard manually and use the Migration Assistant with my Time Machine backup. My solution was to install the operating system manually, and use the Migration Utility to restore my data. That simple.

....which was what I originally suggested, and got grief for.

You're welcome.

micseydel · 11-08-2009, 03:59 AM

You got grief for it because I didn't learn a thing from you. You counter productively could have prevented someone who could have answered my question properly from doing so by giving me an answer that I would have ended up doing with or without your useless commentary.

The only result of my coming to this forum has been lost time and anger toward you for being a cocky bastard.

benwiggy · 11-08-2009, 08:10 AM

Glad you got your system working.

All the best.

11-06-2009, 09:52 PM	#1
micseydel Prospect Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 22	Issues doing a full system restore from a Time Machine backup My main issue is that when I boot the computer, it just shows a gray background with the text "You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button until it turns off, then press the Power button again." When I do this, I see this screen again. Below is how I got to this point. I've partitioned my Macbook Pro to have 5 partitions, with the first one being for OS X. In order to make those partitions, I had to reformat the drive because Disk Utility couldn't shrink the one with OS X on it, even though there would have been 5 gigs of free space still on that partition. I'm doing this so that I can have a triple-boot system. I backed up the main partition to an external hard drive using Time Machine before wiping everything and putting down the partitions (one for OS X, one for all my files, a Linux swap, one for Ubuntu and one for Windows). The non-OS X partitions can be ignored for this, except for possibly the fact that the partition set-up is different now than from when the backup was made. Now I've restored the 22GBs of backed up data to the new 27GB partition by booting from the install disk and using Utilities > Restore System From Backup, but now whenever I boot from the hard disk, it just shows a gray background with the text "You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button until it turns off, then press the Power button again." When I do this, I see this screen again. The backed-up system did not have more than one partition, so I'm wondering if that's the issue. Is there any way that I can modify the Time Machine backup data to make this work? Previously, I thought the issue was the filesystem, but I've tried using Disk Utility from the boot disk and formatting the partition with two of the OS X options (both journaled, the case sensitive and case insensitive ones) but I'm not going to bother trying the other two because it would take too long and I don't expect they'd work. I also don't know if when Time Machine restores the backup, it formats the drive with previous filesystem anyway. Additionally, I tried holding Cmd+S at startup, and I've never done it before so I'm not sure what everything means. The last line I get is "System uptime in nanoseconds: 978241576" but it's not like a terminal where I can do anything. Is there anything I can do to make a full restore work? Should I just reinstall the OS manually and then manually restore the backup without Time Machine?

11-06-2009, 10:30 PM	#2
Las_Vegas League Commissioner Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 5,845	Was the drive formatted using GUID? If not, you have no EFI partition. There are detailed procedures on the OSX86 Project for building a multi-boot system. BTW: Neither MacOS nor Ubuntu require a Swap partition any longer. It's a much simpler process to let them handle this the new way. __________________ Las_Vegas -- Ts'i mahnu uterna ot twan ot geifur hingts uto. -- Sometimes I wonder… Why is that Frisbee getting Larger? …and then it hits me. -- Disposable thumbs make me specialer than most animals…

11-07-2009, 06:00 AM	#7
micseydel Prospect Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 22	Well, in regard to swap I've always heard the 2x rule. For hibernation, you need at least 1x when your RAM is full. In regard to the restore, I don't believe a ton of free space is necessary. I should be able to have a system functional enough to get in there and move things afterward (I'll be removing pictures and documents and things to a different partition). As for why the restore isn't working, I meant the partitions being different as an example of something that would require a small and precise fix. You seem convinced that Time Machine and OS X have failed me and wasted a ton of my time, as well as them having mislead me into thinking I could do this more quickly with Mac software than I could have by copying and pasting (had I known this would suck, I would have backed up less than half the data, saving time, and not come here or gone through a lot of other issues either). I also don't see any evidence you have that it can't be fixed. Saying "afresh" and then expressing skepticism of my speculation doesn't make you an expert on the topic. Last edited by micseydel; 11-07-2009 at 06:11 AM.

11-07-2009, 03:39 PM	#10
Las_Vegas League Commissioner Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 5,845	Simply creating multiple partitions will not allow multi-boot into Windows and Linux. You need to create a hybrid partitioning scheme. Boot Camp does this, but only creates two partitions for a dual boot. As I pointed out before, the OSX86 project has a how-to to create a hybrid partitioning for multi-booting. I recommend reverting back to a single partition, restore OS X and use Boot Camp to reduce OS X to a smaller size. Then use the procedure's from OSX86 Project to manually split up the Boot Camp partition into more than one (This is done with a lot of math using both partitioning utilities from Terminal). Yes, rEFIt would work nicely for managing this setup. __________________ Las_Vegas -- Ts'i mahnu uterna ot twan ot geifur hingts uto. -- Sometimes I wonder… Why is that Frisbee getting Larger? …and then it hits me. -- Disposable thumbs make me specialer than most animals…

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11-07-2009, 12:09 AM	#3
micseydel Prospect Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 22	I used whatever OS X has, I have no idea what you mean when you said GUID. After partitioning, I was going to install rEFIT but I wanted to restore my backup before making that install, since restoring would overwrite things. I'm pretty sure it's an EFI partition, because I'm using a Macbook Pro (purchased new in August of 2009). I should have said this but forgot to (originally when I made the title, that was in it, but I wanted to make the title more specific and ran out of characters and forgot to add that very important information in the body). I also didn't know that Ubuntu doesn't need a swap partition anymore (which is awesome!) or that Mac ever needed one. I started on Macs about two months ago, and had only used Windows and Linux before. Does it change everything that I'm on a Macbook Pro and not PC hardware?

11-07-2009, 05:24 AM	#4
benwiggy MVP Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,047	If your restored system doesn't work, then you should waste no further time and install afresh from the installer DVD. You can then restore your apps and user data. Bear in mind that the OS X system partition needs to have some spare space for swap, on top of the total file size. So if you've got 22Gb of data, you'd want at least 32Gb partition. More, if you plan to save more files there.

11-07-2009, 05:36 AM	#5
micseydel Prospect Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 22	I have 2 gigs of RAM, so I have more than double the memory available for swap. After the system is restored, the used space will go down because I'll move some of the files to a different partition. Are you sure I there isn't something I can do to do a system restore? Maybe modify one file in the backup because of something as minor as it wanting to see a single partition, and letting it know it's OK to see more?

11-07-2009, 05:50 AM	#6
benwiggy MVP Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,047	I'm not sure that 2 x RAM is a reliable formula for the the VM that OS X needs. You seem to think that the restore isn't working because the partitions are different. I'm not convinced.

11-07-2009, 01:48 PM	#9
micseydel Prospect Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 22	It doesn't working for me and that's why I came here. You offered a solution to my problem that is not my preference, and that I didn't need to come to a forum to get. And I figured most people wouldn't know how to fix this as I'm requesting, which is why I came to a specialized forum. I don't expect everyone who doesn't know the answer to respond. I know the fresh install will work because I though I had reinstalled OS X to use Time Machine to do a restore, before I realized it could be done from the disk. I should have included that information. Now I'm running out of time before I need a functional computer (not the one I'm typing on right now) so I'm going to tinker with the terminal and then probably install OS X "afresh" and work from there wasting hours instead of letting the computer do the work, but it's because I'm running out of time, not because I didn't know it was a solution.

11-07-2009, 08:03 PM	#11
micseydel Prospect Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 22	I'm using a tutorial from http://seriouslytech.blogspot.com/20...ows-7-and.html . I'm not sure what you mean about just partitioning not doing it, but as per the instructions from that link, I'm not using Boot Camp for partitioning for this. If I was just doing Windows, that'd be great, but I'm not so yeah. I checked out the OSX86 project and found that it was mostly about installing OS X on PCs, and not making triboot systems on Macbook Pro's. (See: http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/in...u_and_Vista%29 ) The tutorial I'm using also doesn't require any terminal or math stuff. Back to the point of what I'm having my issue with... I tried making just one partition and restoring the backup, and found the same error. The partitions were not the problem. The backup probably was corrupt (at least in regard to the system). Now, what I've done is reinstall Snow Leopard manually and use the Migration Assistant with my Time Machine backup. This was easier than I expected, but still not as convenient as I initially expected. There have been no problems with this restoration method. Since that problem is solved, I will now go off to use that blog post to make my system how I want it. This isn't relevant to this forum post - this forum post is DONE. My solution was to install the operating system manually, and use the Migration Utility to restore my data. That simple.

11-08-2009, 03:59 AM	#13
micseydel Prospect Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 22	You got grief for it because I didn't learn a thing from you. You counter productively could have prevented someone who could have answered my question properly from doing so by giving me an answer that I would have ended up doing with or without your useless commentary. The only result of my coming to this forum has been lost time and anger toward you for being a cocky bastard.

11-08-2009, 08:10 AM	#14
benwiggy MVP Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,047	Glad you got your system working. All the best.