Extract from Time Machine

Off-Topic
#1

I have an iMac that was being backed up via TimeMachine to an external USB drive
That iMac is in the shop (long, long story)… and that USB drive is now temporarilly connected to a MBP

My pervious years tax files are in the iMac TM backup… anyone know how I can extract them to the MBP?

I DO NOT want the MBP to wipe out anything in the backup… and so far all I can find is to create a new TM backup for the MBP

#2

These are the basic steps.

  1. Mount drive.
  2. Open [hostname].sparsebundle.
  3. If backups were encrypted, enter password originally chosen.
  4. ‘Time Machine Backups’ drive is now mounted in the Finder. Open it.
  5. Browse Backups.backupdb and drag required files to MBP.
#3

Thanks… now to FIND the files… searchbar doesn’t seem to help much on a sparse bundle

#4

There is an option somewhere to open another backup from the time machine menu or something, then you can browse it as a normal backup. Sorry I am currently laying in a hospital bed and typing this on my iPad so can’t really test it…

#5

Thanks… Found the files… .moved them to the MBP…

#6

Yes, hold down the option key while you click the Time Machine icon in the menubar. Personally, I’ve always gone into the backend and accessed the backups directly in the Finder (as in my post above). The Time Machine interface looks cool, but it’s a little irksome in my opinion. YMMV etc.

#7

One of the reasons I don’t use it, along with it losing files by its backup rotation scheme. I use Drive Sync to a Synology NAS, then it backs itself up every hour to an external drive. On the plus side I can also access the files or backup from any device or from anywhere in the world. Just my experience…

#8