# How do I "mount" Time Machine Volume?



## tdemarco (Mar 20, 2012)

Time Machine gives me a way to Browse Other Time Machine Disks, a feature that would make it possible for me to use my MacBook to retrieve material backed up by my iMac -- handy in case the iMac went belly-up.  But when I try to use the feature, TM on the MacBook tells me that there are no other TM volumes visible.  People here tell me that I have to mount the volume first.  When I click Go/Connect to Server/Browse, I can SEE the TM volume; it's called <mydisk>-backup.  But when I double click on it, I get an immediate Connection Failure window.  Clicking on Connect As doesn't do anything.  
My TM volume is on a WD NAS volume, connected to my network by ethernet.
  Thanks in advance for any help you can suggest,

          t.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Mar 20, 2012)

Any way you could do one of the following:

1) Copy the Time Machine backup to a local disk on the computer you're trying to use to browse the TM backup
2) Connect to the WD NAS to the computer via some direct-connection (USB, Firewire, etc.) instead of over the network


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## tdemarco (Mar 20, 2012)

ElDiabloConCaca said:


> Any way you could do one of the following:
> 
> 1) Copy the Time Machine backup to a local disk on the computer you're trying to use to browse the TM backup
> 2) Connect to the WD NAS to the computer via some direct-connection (USB, Firewire, etc.) instead of over the network



Since I can't mount it, how can I copy it?

Since the Western Digital NAS drive has only an ethernet point, how can I connect it via USB or Firewire?

  Thanks for helping,

        t.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Mar 20, 2012)

tdemarco said:


> Since I can't mount it, how can I copy it?


Copy the entire DMG file to a local drive.  Then mount it.



> Since the Western Digital NAS drive has only an ethernet point, how can I connect it via USB or Firewire?


Some NAS drives have both ethernet, and some kind of local connector as well (eSATA, Firewire, USB).  It seems yours does not, so that option is not viable.


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## tdemarco (Mar 20, 2012)

ElDiabloConCaca said:


> Copy the entire DMG file to a local drive.  Then mount it.



Since I can't access the drive through the finder, I know no way to copy it.


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## jbarley (Mar 20, 2012)

tdemarco said:


> I can SEE the TM volume; it's called <mydisk>-backup.  But when I double click on it, I get an immediate Connection Failure window.  Clicking on Connect As doesn't do anything.
> My TM volume is on a WD NAS volume, connected to my network by ethernet.
> Thanks in advance for any help you can suggest,



Instead of double clicking the file try a right-click to see if it brings up a context-menu, if it does, what are the available options?


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## Satcomer (Mar 20, 2012)

Try this. 

1. Click on the desktop.

2. When Finder appears in menu items select the word 'Finder' and then select "Preferences"

3. In the 'General' mini tab make sure all boxes for the hard disk to be mounted.

If that doesn't fix please report back and we will try other steps.


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## tdemarco (Mar 20, 2012)

jbarley said:


> Instead of double clicking the file try a right-click to see if it brings up a context-menu, if it does, what are the available options?



The available options are Open, Get Info, Copy <diskname>, and Show View Options.  Open gives an immediate Connection Failure.  GetInfo opens the command-i window for the selected item, Copy does nothing at all (it's just ignored), and view options give view options.


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## tdemarco (Mar 20, 2012)

Satcomer said:


> Try this.
> 
> 1. Click on the desktop.
> 
> ...



All boxes are (and have always been) marked on.  Still can't mount the volume.


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## jbarley (Mar 20, 2012)

Copy will appear to do nothing, at least until you try a paste.
While we're at it have you tried a simple drag-n-drop to your desktop?


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## tdemarco (Mar 21, 2012)

jbarley said:


> Copy will appear to do nothing, at least until you try a paste.
> While we're at it have you tried a simple drag-n-drop to your desktop?



Paste is greyed out after I do the copy.
Drag and drop doesn't do anything (icon just snaps back to window I'm dragging it from).

MacOS seems pretty serious about denying me access to this volume.  Time Machine works fine as long as my iMac is OK, but there is apparently no way to retrieve from another machine should the backed up machine go down.


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## tdemarco (Mar 23, 2012)

Satcomer said:


> Try this.
> 
> 1. Click on the desktop.
> 
> ...



All the boxes were already checked.  I still can't mount the TM volume.


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## Satcomer (Mar 23, 2012)

Then remember what is the hard drive name that the Time Machine Volume says. Then go to the Hard drive that's on you desktop and open it. Then in the Finder window click on the hard drive icon or the Volume it is connect to (like a router with a USB2 port).  If you can do that then once that Volume with the Time Machine point mounted then open System Preferences->Accounts, Users & Groups and highlight you account name. Then in the 'Login Items' mini-tab click the + button to add that hard drive to your Startup items. This way it will mount as soon as you log into your Mac.

One warning. If you are using a Mac Book Pro adding a drive to mount at startup can slow you startup down fast when it is not present.


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