Time Machine problem

I've got a bit of a Time Machine problem. Basically I backed up my MacBook just after Christmas so I could do a fresh install of OS X and when I was choosing a new username I chose one different to the one I previously used on my MacBook. Now I'm unable to access any folders under my old username in previous Time Machine backups because I don't have "sufficient access privileges".

Is there a workaround?

Dunno. Create a new user with the original name, and restore it from the Time Machine backup?

I'm not too well up on OS X permissions, but shouldn't one admin account be able to access another?

I'm no expert either - hence my rather tentative suggestion. As far as I know, one admin account can't access another's files unless the other account's file and folder permissions have been changed to allow it. Of course, an Admin user can change permissions on any user's files, but that requires you to authenticate again using your Admin password, and I don't know whether doing so would work retrospectively on a time machine archive.

Try starting up from the system dvd and try copying the files that way.

Hi. I'm not familiar with Time Machine but have a look at:

http://www.hornware.com/sharepoints/

which should enable you to change access permissions. (I think...)

Good luck,

t t

Give me some time and I'll come up with step by step instructions which should work to fix the problem (unless someone else beats me to it)

Edited by caffn8me (Wed 04-Feb-09 14:15:48)

OK - here's what I would suggest.

As has already been mentioned, recreate a new user account on the machine with the old username.

When you've done that, login as that old username and restore from Time Machine.

Next, logout and login as your new username (which must have admin rights)

Then got to Finder > Utilities and open up Terminal.app

At the command prompt type in;

Text
1 2	cd .. ls -al

This will give you a listing of all user directories including the one you've just restored.

Let's say your old username is Fred and your new username is Fred1

You will have a folder in the users' directory called Fred.

You need to change the ownership of everything in Fred to Fred1.

You do this as follows;

Text
1	sudo chown -R Fred1 ./Fred

This will prompt for your current user password.

Once that's been done you should be able to access all the old user files from the new account.

Edited by caffn8me (Thu 05-Feb-09 09:26:17)

open up Console.app

Terminal?

Oops - yes, I meant Terminal.app - Apple has funny nomenclature compared to the rest of the Unix world. Well spotted!