Time Machine file restore froze system, mini M4Pro

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Level 1

4 points

Time Machine file restore froze system, mini M4Pro

I tried to restore a single file from one of yesterday's hourly backups. I got as far as selecting the file, clicking restore and that was as far as it got. All I could do after that was move the mouse pointer. Clicking cancel or restore buttons did nothing, keyboard presses did nothing.

I resorted to pressing the power button, and then selecting Reboot but nothing happened

Another power button press and selection of Shut Down also resulted in no action.

I then pressed the power button to force a shutdown.

Rebooted and tried the same restore, from a different day, with the same result.

Mac mini, macOS 15.1

Posted on Nov 22, 2024 1:08 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 22, 2024 2:08 AM in response to fromdelsmac

Use Disk Utility to verify and repair your Time Machine disk. Corrupt backups can cause these freezes.

If this doesn't help, you can take the steps below.

Safe Mode Restore: Boot your Mac into Safe Mode (let me know if you need help with this). Try restoring the file, as this mode disables unnecessary processes.
Create a Fresh Backup: If the above steps don’t work, consider starting with a new Time Machine backup to avoid further complications. You can also do disk cloning or create a disk image backup.

Let me know if you need any additional help.

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Answer 2

fromdelsmac Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 22, 2024 4:16 AM in response to MacDataSaviour

No reported problems with Disk Utility.

Safe mode reboot using Start up your Mac in safe mode – Apple Support (UK) instructions.

Froze again. Used option+Command+Esc to force quit to close Time Machine.

Normal reboot.

I'm going to erase the back up disk and start again.

Thanks for your advice.

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Answer 3

fromdelsmac Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 22, 2024 5:01 AM in response to fromdelsmac

Well I erased the disk, did the first back up and tested it.

I duplicated a file, renamed the duplicate, deleted the original, used Time Machine to restore the file from back up.

It froze the system. Used Option+Command+Esc to force quit Time Machine. It left behind the Finder window at the folder I selected with the backed up file, so I could restore from that if I needed to.

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