Migrate disk contents from earlier Time Machine backup

[Scotty2078]

Hi —

I have a new iMac running High Sierra and I want to load it with the entire contents of my vintage 2009 MacBook Pro, from a Time Machine backup. But NOT from the latest backup; I want to select an earlier one from maybe a year ago, because I think the MacBook is infected with malware. Migration Assistant doesn't seem to give me an option to do this. And when I launch TM on the new Mac, it doesn't see my old backups, even though they are visible on the TM drive. How? Thanks!

 

[Fishrrman]

Do you still have the 2009 MacBook?
Will it still boot?
If so, have you tried running MalwareBytes on it?

Get MB here:
https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/

IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT
The MalwareBytes app will "prompt you" to pay to the "upgraded" version.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS.
IT WILL RUN FOREVER IN "FREE" MODE.
(all shouting is intentional)

When you launch it, just IGNORE the "turn protection on" button, and click "scan now" instead.
Do this, and it will run forever.
You don't need the paid upgrade.

Run this on the MacBook.
What results do you get?

 

[Longkeg]

You say you’re launching Time Machine on the iMac. Why? You should be launching Migration Assistant (in the Utilities folder) to migrate data. The Time Machine app will only see backups it created on the resident computer. Backups made elsewhere are dealt with by other apps when migrating data or system restoration.

 

[Scotty2078]

Thanks, guys.

Fishrrman: thanks for the tip about MalwareBytes, especially about avoiding the need to register/purchase. Actually I had previously been given the same advice by Mac Support, and I have run the app. It didn't find anything . . . so I'm not really sure there's malware involved, but I do know when the Mac was working and about when it stopped, so it seemed worthwhile to try going "back in time" to before the problem developed and just see if that worked.

Longkeg: Maybe I wasn't clear — I did know to try Migration Assistant first. But it does not offer the option (or at least I couldn't find it) to Migrate any but the most recent TM backup. Since I know that TM DOES offer that option when restoring to the same computer that was backed up from, I thought I'd try that second, and got pretty much the results you described. But one way or another, it seems to me there HAS to be some way to do this . . .

 

[HDFan]

but I do know when the Mac was working and about when it stopped,

How is it not working?