To restore your Mac to a previous state, boot into macOS Recovery Mode, connect your Time Machine backup drive, and use the "Restore From Time Machine Backup" tool to select and restore a backup. Optionally, erase the startup disk first for a clean restore.

If you need to recover your Mac to a previous state, restoring from a Time Machine backup is the most reliable method.

The operating environment of this tutorial: MacBook Pro, macOS Sonoma

1. Boot into macOS Recovery Mode

Accessing Recovery Mode is necessary to begin the restore process, as it provides access to the Disk Utility and Restore functions before the main operating system loads.

• Shut down your Mac completely.
• Press the power button and continue holding it until the startup options window appears.
• Select "Options" and click "Continue" to enter Recovery Mode.

2. Connect the Time Machine Backup Drive

The Time Machine backup must be accessible during the restore process. Most backups are stored on an external drive or a network location.

• Attach the external drive used for Time Machine backups to your Mac.
• If using a network backup, ensure your Mac is connected to the same network and select the backup location when prompted.
• Ensure the backup drive appears in the list of available disks in the restore interface.

3. Use the Restore From Time Machine Backup Tool

This built-in utility in Recovery Mode allows you to select a specific backup snapshot and restore your entire system to that point in time.

• From the Recovery Mode menu, choose "Restore From Time Machine Backup."
• Follow the on-screen instructions and select the connected Time Machine drive.
• Browse the timeline to pick the desired backup date and time.
• Choose a backup taken before any data loss or system issues occurred.
• Select the destination drive (usually "Macintosh HD") and confirm the restore.

4. Reformat the Startup Disk Before Restore (Optional)

If the destination drive has issues or you want a clean installation, erasing it first ensures a stable restore environment.

• In Recovery Mode, open "Disk Utility" before starting the restore.
• Select the startup disk (e.g., "Macintosh HD") from the sidebar.
• Click "Erase," choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" as the format, and confirm.
• Exit Disk Utility and proceed with the Time Machine restore as outlined in Step 3.

The above is the detailed content of How to restore a Mac from a Time Machine backup. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!