Oxford Physics Time Machine Backups

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A Time Machine backup service is available to all Apple Macintosh systems in Physics. The service will backup the entire contents of the local hard disk on your system. Desktop systems will have Time Machine automatically, to enable Time Machine on laptop systems please connect your system to the Physics wired network and then enable it via the Self Service application

PLEASE NOTE: The first backup can take several hours so we strongly recommend that your system stays on the wired Physics network until the first backup is complete. Once the backup has started, you can see how long until the backup finishes in either the Time Machine menu (on the menu bar at the top of the screen) or in System Preferences > Time Machine. While it is possible to interrupt the first backup, we recommend that you let it finish since it takes longer for the initial backup process to complete each time you disconnect your system from the Physics network.

What to do if the Time Machine backup has failed

  1. Wait until the next scheduled backup as the issue may only be temporary.
  2. Restart your system as there maybe a stuck process on your system.
  3. Check your backup, while holding down the Option key on your keyboard, click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choose Verify Backups. If Time Machine finds an issue with your backup, it displays a message with details. Follow the onscreen instructions.
  4. You may be prompted to restart the backup, if so click Restart Backup.
  5. If you are still having issues then email itsupport@physics.ox.ac.uk

How To Restore Files.

  1. Go in Finder to the file on your internal hard disk that you wish to restore.
  2. Choose "Enter Time Machine" from the Time Machine menu in the menu bar at the top of the screen, or click the Time Machine icon in the Dock.
  3. Use the timeline on the edge of the screen to see the files in your Time Machine backup as they were at that date and time.
  4. Use the on-screen up and down arrows to jump to the last time the contents of the window changed. You can also use the search field in a window to find a file, then move through time while focused on changes to that file.
  5. Select a file and press Space Bar to preview the file and make sure it's the version you want.
  6. Click "Restore" for the selected file, or Control-click the file for other options.

How To Do A Complete Reinstall And Restore Of Your System.

If your system is a desktop, please contact IT Support to do a complete restore as there may be other users' data stored on the local hard disk.

  1. Make sure your system is on the Physics wired network.
  2. Do a complete reinstall of macOS on your system using Recovery Mobe.
  3. Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
  4. Click Continue. and enter the details for an administrator account on the system you are trying to restore to.
  5. When asked how you want to transfer your files, choose "Transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk."
  6. Click Continue.
  7. Click "Other Server..."
  8. Enter the location of your Time Machine backup. If you are not sure, see the description further down the page. It will be something likesmb://timemachine2.physics.ox.ac.uk/hostname
  9. When prompted, enter the backup username and password, if you are unsure what this is email itsupport@physics.ox.ac.uk
  10. Click OK.
  11. Select your Time Machine backup disk.
  12. Select the information to transfer, then click Continue to start the transfer. If you are migrating data from one system to another we strongly recommend that you do not copy Computer and Network Settings.
  13. If you have a lot of content, the transfer might take several hours to finish.

Retention of Time Machine Backups

Time Machine backups will be held on the server while you have a valid Physics account or if the backup hasn't completed for six months.

Categories: Apple