How can I proceed when restoring from a Time Machine backup that’s too large for a new Mac?

Asked Nov 01 '21 at 16:56

Active Nov 01 '21 at 23:46

Viewed 38 times

I have an old Mac Mini from 2012, with a 1 TB disk (not the original disk) configured as a Fusion drive. It is backed up to an external 2 TB Time Machine drive.

I have just bought a new Mac Mini, and when I try to migrate from the Time Machine drive to the new Mac, it fails, telling me that the destination disk is not large enough.

Confused, since the source and destination disks should be the same size.

Anyone know how to get around this?

edited Nov 01 '21 at 23:46

IconDaemon

19,234

asked Nov 01 '21 at 16:56

Darren Matheson

How large disk do you have in the new Mac Mini? - How full was the the original Mac Minis disk? – jksoegaard Nov 01 '21 at 17:10
The new Mac is a 1 TB sisk. The old Mac was about ⅔ full. – Darren Matheson Nov 01 '21 at 17:19
Can you take a few screenshots from the process and include them in your question? – jksoegaard Nov 01 '21 at 17:20
No because I restarted the process with only my data, and it’s working. But I want to understand why no applications etc and 24 GB left when my documents are migrated. – Darren Matheson Nov 01 '21 at 17:24
I was about to answer on the backup selection ,but I see you have an issue with “restoring” and not pruning the initial backup. – bmike Nov 01 '21 at 17:44
If I login to the new Mac and look at the most recent backup on the timemachine drive, it’s 1.3 TB. How can a backup from a 1 TB drive be this large? – Darren Matheson Nov 01 '21 at 18:25
Oh, forgot … not using standard timemachine to backup. Using a third-party app to schedule backups. – Darren Matheson Nov 01 '21 at 18:46
Decided to try a reinstall. Couldn’t get into recovery mode. No combination of keys works. Tried to a activate FileVault. Nope, that didn’t work. – Darren Matheson Nov 01 '21 at 19:57
I have contacted Apple Support, and a ‘senior advisor’ is going to call me back. – Darren Matheson Nov 01 '21 at 20:35
@DarrenMatheson You probably bought an M1 Mac Mini, where none of the key combinations work. Instead you hold on the power button on startup. – Jongwoo Lee Nov 02 '21 at 06:50

How can I proceed when restoring from a Time Machine backup that’s too large for a new Mac?

0 Answers0