I backed up my MacBook to a USB external hard drive so as to update my OS from El Capitan to Big Sur using the time machine. I followed the process in where it asked me to erase all files, as I had already backed them up. Now that I am done and have Big Sur up and running, I reconnect the USB external hard drive but can't find where my backed-up files are so as to reinstall them in my Mac Book. Can any body help me ? Thank you
this recent discussion seems to cover that exact issue:
I backed up my old Mac on a G-drive. How… - Apple Community
if there are more questions after you look at that, please post again here.
Thank you again. It worked very well. I didn’t recover the applications nor the system as I was concerned that my computer may not have enough space and because I thought that the applications appeared already in the computer. However, now I can’t find the files for the garage band. Do you think I should also recover the applications? Wouldn’t recovering the system send me back to before the Big Sur OS? Thank you.
You can re-download Apple applications like garage band from the Mac App Store. You generally get the latest version or the version that matches your macOS.
I did before the back-up recovering but when I open the garage band app. it only shows the one recording I made before the recovering and not the ones I had originally backed-up. Thanks.
MacOS is a Multi-User system, even if you only choose to create just one user.
all your files are inside your userid, NEVER stored with the Application itself.
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