Restoring a Mac from Time Machine Backups, Part 2

As I described in Part 1, I fried my work 17" MacBook Pro laptop (I guess splashing coffee onto a computer is not good for it). My work gave me a new 17" laptop, and fortunately I had complete Time Machine backups of my old computer. This blog post will go through the steps of restoring the backup onto the new computer. Here are the 3 top-level steps:

• Prerequisites and Preparation
• Installing Mountain Lion and Restoring the Backup
• Post-Installation

Prerequisites and Preparation

My situation was somewhat complicated by a couple of facts, the first being that the new computer was running Snow Leopard, but my old computer (and therefore the backups) was running Mountain Lion. So I was going to have to first upgrade the system to Mountain Lion, and then apply my backups.

New computers come with a hidden recovery partition that you can boot from, and then install. Since this computer was running Snow Leopard I didn't have a recovery partition. I should have been able to just download Mountain Lion from the App Store, but a second complication was that I wasn't able to log into the computer. So the first step was to use a second computer to get a copy of Mountain Lion and install it on a bootable USB drive. The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) wrote an excellent post on this process, so rather than try to write my own, feeble version, go read that article, then come back here for the rest of the steps.

Installing Mountain Lion and Restoring the Backup

1. Plug the USB drive created above into the new computer.
2. Start the computer, and immediately press the alt/option key until a list of boot devices is displayed. Select the USB drive.
3. You will see the OS X Utilities screen. Pick Reinstall OS X and click Continue.
4. Follow the prompts to install OS X Mountain Lion.
5. There were a number of steps during the installation. The first was the preparation for installation and took approximately 7 minutes. It then rebooted and began the actual installation, which took less than 15 minutes. Finally I received the Installation Successful message and it again rebooted.
6. At this point I had a good Mountain Lion install (just like what you would have buying a brand new computer). Now I needed to restore my backup. I removed the USB Recovery stick and connected my external disk that contained my Time Machine backups. Once the computer came up I answered the Welcome/Registration, Keyboard and Wi-Fi network questions. I was then given the Transfer Information to This Mac prompt. I chose From Another Disk and clicked Continue. I then chose the Time Machine disk as the Source and clicked Continue. On the next screen (Transfer Your Information), I kept all 4 choices selected (Users, Applications, Settings, Other files and folders), and clicked Continue. It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes to restore 166GB of data. Once the restoration was complete I had to answer a couple last questions and then the process was complete!

Post-Installation

I did have to re-enable a number of functions, including my iMessage credentials. I also had to reconfigure Dropbox and Google Drive. As a developer, I use Java quite a bit and discovered that Java had not been restored. This was easily resolved; the first time I typed java from a Terminal window it prompted me to install it.

At work we maintain all our source code in Version Control Systems (VCS) like Subversion and CVS. All I had to do was start Eclipse and re-check out my projects to get the latest code.

Restoring a Mac from Time Machine Backups, Part 1

We've all heard how important it is to backup our computers, but I have a real-world experience to demonstrate why it's important, and the advantages of using a backup system like Apple's Time Machine.

A couple months ago at work, my French Press, completely full of hot, ready-to-drink coffee, got knocked over and spilled all over my desk, splattering coffee and grounds onto my open MacBook Pro. It immediately powered off as the liquid created a short circuit. I quickly unplugged the computer and tilted it sideways to try to get the coffee and grounds off and from getting deeper into the system but I was quite sure the damage had been done.

After cleaning up I made a Genius Bar appointment for later that evening. At the Apple store, I explained the situation to the helpful Genius. I think the combination of the strong smell of coffee, the grounds that were still falling out of the USB port and inside the lid, and the liquid along the back panel convinced her that the system was likely beyond repair. She said that they could send it out to their repair location, where all the major components would likely be replaced to the cost of $1200. Given I could buy a brand new computer for that price, I thanked her for her time and left.

Since it was a work computer, they gave me an identical 17" Mac Book Pro. And this is where I finally get to the point of this blog post! Using Apple's Mountain Lion Recovery process and my Time Machine backups, I was able to copy my backup to the new system and get it to an identical state as my old computer in just a few hours. If you're interested in the details, check out Part 2 of this series on the process.

The point of this post is to show that accidents happen. Having backups can give you peace of mind that when an accident does happen, whether simply deleting the wrong file or a catastrophic event, you will be prepared. With utilities like Time Machine and iCloud, Apple has made it convenient and easy to have up-to-date backups of your Mac, iPhone, iPod or iPad. If you have one of these devices there really is no reason to not be doing backups! If you have questions on setting up Time Machine, using iCloud or enabling backups, leave a comment below or email me.

UPDATE:
After I got home from the Apple store (on the day the coffee was spilled), I removed the bottom case of the computer and let it sit overnight to dry out. About a week later, I decided to see what would happen if I tried turning it on. Amazingly, it came up! I ran a disk check and some other basic diagnostics and everything checked out fine. I used the computer for a day or so, and everything seemed fine. I thought the fan was louder than I remember, and was coming on more frequently. I also tried to load a disc in the CD/DVD player, but it never loaded. So while there may be a couple minor issues, I have to say I was surprised to see that it survived. I think computers and other devices like phones are getting better at handling moisture, if properly treated - getting it out of the water and shutting the device down immediately, removing the battery (if possible) and letting it dry for a long enough time. For phones, putting them in an airtight container filled with rice does work - leave it in the rice for at least 4 days, and hopefully when you take it out you'll have a working phone.

iOS 7 Release - Will You Upgrade?

iOS 7 comes out tomorrow, Wednesday, September 18! If you're like me (and both Sam and Julia who have iPhones), you'll be waking up early tomorrow to download it (actually, don't worry about waking up early, it likely won't be out until around noon). It's almost like Christmas arriving early! To start the download, go to Settings -> General -> Software Update. This should give you a button to download and update the software.

But although with all the excitement around "the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone", there are a few reasons some of you may want to wait before upgrading.

The first reason is stability. Apple and third party developers have been testing the heck out of the new software for months, but even still, until it gets into the hands of millions of users, it's likely some things have been missed. Most likely they will be small issues, but there could be something major lurking. Or it could be with an app that you're very dependent on. In the past, Apple has done a point release within a couple of weeks of a new iOS version, so you may want to wait until that occurs.

© Apple

Even if the operating system is stable, some apps may have problems. Not only has the user interface changed dramatically, a lot of the components "under the covers" have also changed, and not all apps have been updated for the new version. Some of these apps may work poorly, and with all the UI changes they may look horrible. App developers have been working on early-release versions of iOS 7 to be ready for the release but some may not be there yet.

The iOS 7 UI will look dramatically different than iOS 6. The bright colors, flat look and thin typography seem to be a polarizing event, with people either loving it or hating it. All the features and functions will still be there, they just might be in different locations. Actions that used to be launched by clicking a button may now be launched by text. If you are not fond of change, it may take time to get used to the new look.

Another issue - if you do upgrade and then either run into issues, or just don't like the new look, you may not be able to go back to iOS 6. The last I checked, Apple had not provided a way to downgrade. So once you upgrade, you better plan on sticking with it.

Remember, if you have an iPhone 3GS or earlier, you won't be able to upgrade to iOS 7. The same goes for the original iPad plus all iPods except for the latest 5th generation. In addition, it's possible the new operating system won't perform well on older devices like the iPhone 4 and iPad 2. If you have one of these devices you may want to wait at least a few days and see if there are any reports of problems.

If, after all these warnings, you boldly move ahead and upgrade to iOS 7, you'll definitely want to make sure you've backed up your phone to either iCloud or your computer. You can check the status of backups on your phone by going to Settings -> iCloud -> Storage & Backup. This screen will tell you if you're backing up to iCloud or your computer, and when your last backup was performed. You will also need free space on your device, probably around 2-3GB. You can check your disk usage by going to Settings -> General -> Usage.

After that last point, this next one may sound strange, but once you do that final backup you might want to shut backups off for a couple of days. There is a very small risk that after upgrading some app or data gets corrupted. If that data gets backed up, you might find yourself without a good backup to restore. The risk of shutting off backups is that you forget to re-enable them, so I recommend setting yourself a reminder.

With all that said, whether you like iOS 7 or not, there's not a lot you can do about it. Apple is very good at "encouraging" people to upgrade to the latest and greatest. But you have some control over when you upgrade. I'd love to hear if you're upgrading immediately or if you're going to wait. And once you do upgrade, what do you think of the new operating system? Sound off in the comments below!

Apple 2013 Fall Presentation Overview

Apple held their fall presentation yesterday (September 10, 2013). The presentation focused on iOS 7 and 2 new iPhone models, the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s. Most of the features had been leaked prior to the presentation so there weren't too many surprises, but there were a couple. So let's go over each of these topics! I'd like to point out that not all features will be available on all devices.

iOS 7
Apple considers the latest operating system for iPhones, iPads and iPods the most significant release since the original iPhone. iOS 7 introduces a much cleaner and flatter user interface with new colors and typography. Plus, there are a number of great, new features. Macworld has written an extensive FAQ on iOS 7 but here's a summary of a few of these features:

• AirDrop -Will let you quickly share photos, contacts and other information with other nearby iPhone users without having to connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
• Control Center - Swiping up from the bottom of the screen will give you quick access to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and audio controls, plus apps like flashlight, calculator and the camera.
• iTunes Radio - A new, free streaming Internet radio service. It will include over 200 stations, and you will be able to create your own stations by combining selections from the existing stations and music from your library.

iOS 7 will ship on the new iPhone 5c and 5s, and will be available for the following devices on September 18:

• iPhone 4 and above
• iPad 2 and above
• iPad mini
• iPod 5th generation

iPhone 5c

© Apple

The iPhone 5c is basically the same as the iPhone 5 with a choice of colored plastic backs and slightly upgraded camera. You will have a choice of 5 colors - white, blue, red, yellow and green. Plus, Apple is getting into the phone case business and offering cases for $29 that come in 6 colors - black, white, blue, red, yellow and green. The cases have holes in them that allow the phone's color to show, giving you the opportunity to mix-and-match colors.

You can preorder the 5c this Friday, September 13, or buy it in stores on the 20th. The 5c will cost $99 for the 16GB model and $199 for 32GB, with a 2 year contract.

iPhone 5s

© Apple

The 5s is Apple's high-end phone. It comes with a 64bit A7 processor and Apple claims you can get up to 2X the performance of the iPhone 5. Battery life has also been improved: 10 hours talk time, 250 hours standby, 10 hours web browsing, 40 hours music playback. Apple also continues to make impressive improvements to the camera app. The camera now includes digital image stabilization, a 10 fps burst mode, a 120 fps slow motion mode and automatic exposure adjustment while taking panoramic photographs. The camera sports a f/2.2 aperture and 15% larger sensor, both which will greatly help in low light situations. There is also a Dual LED color flash ("True Tone") which will offer better white balance and color matching. Engadget wrote a good piece highlighting more of the camera improvements.

Apple has changed up the colors for the 5s; you can get the phone in Space Gray, Silver, or Gold. And like the 5c, Apple is offering cases (leather for the 5s) for $39, in black, blue, red, yellow, brown and beige.

One of the big features of the 5s is Touch ID, a fingerprint sensor built into the home button that can be used to unlock your phone and to make iTunes purchases. I believe this is just the start of how Apple is positioning the iPhone to become a secure, payment device.

Apple is not taking preorders for the 5s; the phone will be available for purchase beginning September 20th. Prices are the same as the current iPhone 5: $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB, all with a 2 year contract.

Apple has discontinued selling the iPhone 5, although it's still available at Amazon and other retailers. Apple will also offer the 8GB iPhone 4s for free (with a 2 year contract).

So, will you be buying a new iPhone? If so, I'd love to hear which one and which color! Sound off in the comments below!