Restoring files from another machine's backup

I'm in exactly the same boat - I've set up the new Mac to use time machine on the readynas, authenticated with the ReadyNAS account, but when I hold option and "Browse other backups", no backups appear. There should be two there, one from the crashed mac and one from an existing Mac still using the time machine.

Any help?

What version of Mac OS X on the new Mac?

What version of RAIDiator on the NAS?

Are you using the Time Machine instructions found here: Easy Time Machine Setup with the ReadyNAS

10.7.2 on the old mac, 10.7.2 on the "attempting to restore to machine". 3rd Mac with 10.6.8 also using ReadyNAS as time machine backup. The 10.6.8 machine continues to work without issue, but when I choose the "browse other backups" on it, it only sees its own backup. the "new" 10.7.2 machine sees no backups when "browsing other", even though I've connected it to the ReadyNAS using the "ReadyNAS" username and password.

ReadyNAS NV+ with RAIDiator 4.1.9

Yes, used the "Easy Time Machine Setup with the ReadyNAS" to do the initial setups. Previous 10.7.2 and 10.6.8 were easy setups, and never had any errors backing up. Have used time machine on both of them to recover single files with no issues. The machine I'm attempting to restore to never used time machine, it was just a "cruise web and play itunes" machine. Trying to use it now as a stop-gap measure to restore the crashed machine, hoping to hold out on buying a new Mac until Ivy Bridge iMacs and Mac Minis show up.

Either way I need access to the time machine backup/restore. Being able to restore single files is all well and good, but my main reason for using time machine with the readynas was exactly this - the ability to recover my data to a new / different Mac in the event of a catastrophic failure.

Is your Mac connected to your network via wireless? If so, try connecting via ethernet.

Do you still have this issue on 4.1.10?

Have you tried contacting NetGear tech support for assistance? If you haven't, do.

Please post your case number.

It is wireless right now, normally I use ethernet for everything but I didn't have a cable long enough for where I moved the recovery iMac. I picked one up today and will attach it when I get home from work.

I'm a little leary of trying 4.1.10 considering what the 4.1.9 update did to my readynas. After 4.1.9 none of my AFP shares would show or mount, and once I did get them up the permissions had been screwed up. That was a full day of fixing, and with my current computer issues I don't want to take the chance of another round of that on top of everything else.

I'll have to wait to open a ticket till I get home and can get my serial/MAC address. It's an original NV, so well out of warranty. Are online support tickets free for issues like this, or will there be a cost?

Ah, then I think your support would be this forum.

Do note that some wireless routers aren't compatible with wireless Time Machine backups (or need an option changed for them to work) so checking if an ethernet connection works will help isolate the cause of the issue.

So, I didn't have a lot of time to mess with it this weekend, but did narrow down a few things.

1) Connecting via Ethernet makes no change.

2) If you launch a fresh install on a Mac, and choose to do a restore rather than a fresh install at the initial installer screen, it can see the ReadyNAS time machine no problem, and sees my backup there. Unfortunately, I was not doing full system backups due to space constraints, I was just backing up the user folders to preserve important user created content. So, I can't do a restore there, since it wasn't a full system backup.

3) If I then go ahead and do a fresh install on the "recovery" Mac, on the first reboot after install when it asks if you want to create a new account, import an account from an exiting Mac or from a Time Machine backup, if I choose Time Machine backup, it sees my ReadyNAS, authenticates to the ReadyNAS no problem, but then sees no backups, so I can't restore my user data (i.e. all my mail, itunes, iphoto, etc, that was in the User folder).

4) If I cancel out of the restore option, create and log in with a new account, and configure Time Machine under the new account, I'm back to the boat I was in when I started - the Mac sees the ReadyNAS time machine, but holding "option" and selecting "browse other backups" gives an empty list.

So I'm not sure if this is a ReadyNAS bug, or what. TimeMachine backups on my ReadyNAS for other Macs are viewable when browsed from the Lion Installer, but not from within the OS itself once installed. So I know all the data I need is on the ReadyNAS, I just can't get at it.

I need to to the same thing - restore some files from a previous Time Machine backup on my ReadyNAS to a new machine.

When I select "Browse Other Backup Disks" I see nothing. When I go to Time Machine preferences and click "Select Backup Disk..." I see my ReadyNAS and can select it.

What to I need to do to see my old backup and browse it? Is there a way to mount the Sparsebundle? Any help much appreciated!

What version of RAIDiator?

mdgm wrote:
What version of RAIDiator?

RAIDiator 4.2.22

I got it working by mounting the sparse bundle as described in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=57466&p=324321&hilit=mount+the+.Timemachine+share#p324321

But it would still be nice if this work around wasn't necessary. Any thoughts?