Time Machine vs. Migration Assistant

[vett93]

I wanted to revert my Mac Pro to an earlier date and it included down grading Mac OS from 11.1 to 11.0.1. After booting up the Mac to Recovery mode, I chose Time Machine backup from an external backup drive. However, it asked me to use Migration Assistant to revert back. After doing that, I found the OS was still at 11.1. Is this correct?

I thought that I should be able to use Time Machine to revert the machine back to earlier dates. Did I do something wrong?

 

[chscag]

I don't think you did anything wrong, but that the MA is not able to revert you back. All the MA does is move data.

You should be using either Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper to make your backups as both of those apps would allow you to revert back to a previous version.

 

[vett93]

Does this mean that Time Machine is not able to revert the Mac back to an earlier date?

 

[Apple_Robert]

You can downgrade with Time Machine. CCC is much quicker at the process of backing and restoring, in my opinion. As long as your backup drive has space, you can revert back to the first Time Machine backup, should you ever need to. Just make sure to go into TM settings and change it to save all backups.

* Note - Can't do this with a M1.

 

[vett93]

If I can down grade with Time Machine, why did it show a message asking me to use Migration Assistant to complete the recovery?

 

[Phil77354]

. . . Just make sure to go into TM settings and change it to save all backups. . .

?? I don't see that as something that can be selected (in Preferences, Time Machine). Doesn't Time Machine always save backups as long as the disk you are using has space?

 

[chscag]

If I can down grade with Time Machine, why did it show a message asking me to use Migration Assistant to complete the recovery?

Don't know why it did that. I have never seen that message appear when using Time Machine. However, as stated, Time Machine has the ability to take you back to a previous version. Of course that may depend on which Time Machine backup you choose to use.

 

[halofan56]

I wanted to revert my Mac Pro to an earlier date and it included down grading Mac OS from 11.1 to 11.0.1. After booting up the Mac to Recovery mode, I chose Time Machine backup from an external backup drive. However, it asked me to use Migration Assistant to revert back. After doing that, I found the OS was still at 11.1. Is this correct?

I thought that I should be able to use Time Machine to revert the machine back to earlier dates. Did I do something wrong?

It moves your data, settings and files via transfer. You re-install the OS, during the setup of the OS, it asks you if you want to transfer data from a backup or continue as a factory fresh install like when you first got it.

 

[vett93]

It moves your data, settings and files via transfer. You re-install the OS, during the setup of the OS, it asks you if you want to transfer data from a backup or continue as a factory fresh install like when you first got it.

Thanks. But I am not trying to re-install the OS. I am trying to recover from a backup one month ago. I want to use the same OS, apps, and data from that backup.

 

[Weaselboy]

Does this mean that Time Machine is not able to revert the Mac back to an earlier date?

Not the OS... no.

Prior to Big Sur you could option key boot to a TM disk and from there erase then internal drive then scroll back in time to a restore date with the old OS version, and restore. That would allow you to roll back to an older macOS version.

That feature is gone in Big Sur. You now use Internet Recovery to restore the OS then import from Time Machine during system setup. The TM import will just bring in your account with apps and data and won't bring in the OS.

 

[halofan56]

Thanks. But I am not trying to re-install the OS. I am trying to recover from a backup one month ago. I want to use the same OS, apps, and data from that backup.

If I am understanding you correctly, you would have to re-install the OS from scratch, and move the data via MA from an earlier snapshot. MA only transfers data.

 

[vett93]

Not the OS... no.

Prior to Big Sur you could option key boot to a TM disk and from there erase then internal drive then scroll back in time to a restore date with the old OS version, and restore. That would allow you to roll back to an older macOS version.

That feature is gone in Big Sur. You now use Internet Recovery to restore the OS then import from Time Machine during system setup. The TM import will just bring in your account with apps and data and won't bring in the OS.

Got it. Thanks. I recalled that I could do that in Catalina. Your explanation makes sense.

With Big Sur and Internet Recovery, does it allow one to restore older versions of OS? Say, I am on 11.1 now. Can I restore to 11.0.1 or 10.15.x?

 

[Weaselboy]

If you do a Option-Command-R boot, that recovery option will get you the latest released version compatible with your Mac.

Then Shift-Option-Command-R will get you to the version that came with your Mac.

Short of making a bootable installer, I don't know of a way to get to versions in between those two.