How to restore from a backup

Whether you lost a single file or you are setting up a brand new computer, restoring from a backup is the part that pays off all the time you spent making backups in the first place. The steps look different on every device, but the idea is the same: tell the backup tool which version to put back, and let it copy.

Restore on Mac using Time Machine

Restore one or more files

1. Plug in your Time Machine drive (or be connected to your Time Machine network drive).
2. Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar (top of screen). If you do not see it, open System Settings > Control Center > Time Machine > Show in Menu Bar.
3. Click Browse Time Machine Backups.
4. You see your current Finder window with arrows on the right. Click the up arrow or the timeline to go back in time.
5. Find the file you want. Click it.
6. Click Restore at the bottom.

The file appears in its original location. If you have a different version of the file there now, Mac asks whether to replace, keep both, or skip.

Restore an entire Mac

1. Turn off your Mac.
2. Apple Silicon Mac: hold the power button until "Loading startup options" appears. Click Options > Continue.
   Intel Mac: hold Cmd + R while powering on.
3. Sign in if asked.
4. Choose Restore from Time Machine Backup.
5. Plug in your Time Machine drive when asked.
6. Pick the backup date.
7. Wait. A full Mac restore typically takes 2 to 6 hours.

For more on Time Machine setup, see our Time Machine setup guide.

Restore on Windows

Restore individual files using File History

1. Plug in your File History drive.
2. Open the folder where the missing file used to live (or its parent folder).
3. Click the Home tab in File Explorer.
4. Click History (Windows 10) or open Settings > Backup > More options > Restore files from a current backup (Windows 11).
5. Browse to the time when the file was there. Use the arrows at the bottom.
6. Right click the file, choose Restore to, and pick the location.

Restore individual files from OneDrive Version History

If you saved files in OneDrive, you have version history for 30 days.

1. Open onedrive.com in a browser.
2. Right click the file you want to restore.
3. Click Version history.
4. Pick the version, click Restore.

Restore the entire Windows PC

1. Boot into Windows Recovery: hold Shift while clicking Restart in the power menu. Or boot from a Windows installer USB.
2. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Image Recovery.
3. Plug in your backup drive.
4. Pick the most recent image and follow the prompts.
5. Wait. A full restore takes 2 to 8 hours depending on data size.

If you do not have a system image but only file backups, you will need to reinstall Windows from a USB installer (microsoft.com/software-download/windows11), then restore files separately after.

Restore an iPhone or iPad

Restore to a new iPhone from iCloud Backup

1. Turn on the new iPhone. Follow the setup screens.
2. When you see "Transfer Your Apps & Data," choose From iCloud Backup.
3. Sign in with your Apple ID.
4. Pick the most recent backup.
5. Stay connected to Wi-Fi and a charger. Restore takes 1 to 4 hours.

Restore to a new iPhone from a nearby old iPhone (Quick Start)

1. Turn on the new iPhone next to your old one.
2. A Quick Start prompt appears on the old phone.
3. Tap Continue. Hold the new phone's camera over the swirl image on the old phone.
4. Choose Transfer from iPhone for a wired-speed move (faster than iCloud and includes everything).
5. Keep both phones near each other and plugged in until it finishes.

Restore an existing iPhone from iCloud (start fresh)

1. On the iPhone: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
2. After it erases, go through setup.
3. Choose From iCloud Backup.
4. Pick the backup, sign in, wait.

Make sure you have at least one recent backup first. Check it: Settings > your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup. The date and time of the last backup show at the bottom.

Restore an Android phone from Google backup

1. Set up the new phone, or factory reset the old one.
2. On the "Copy apps & data" screen, tap Next.
3. Choose Can't use old device?
4. Sign in with your Google account.
5. Pick the backup you want.
6. Choose which apps and data to restore.
7. Wait. Apps download in the background after first boot.

Restore from cloud backup services (Backblaze, iDrive, Carbonite)

If you used a cloud backup service, each has a slightly different restore flow but they share a pattern:

1. Sign in to the service's website.
2. Click Restore.
3. Browse or search your backed up files. Pick a date if you need an older version.
4. For small recoveries: download a zip directly to your computer.
5. For huge restores (whole drive): order a USB drive in the mail (Backblaze and iDrive both offer this). Faster than downloading hundreds of GB.

Avoid these common restore mistakes

• Restoring on top of important new files. A full restore replaces everything. Copy anything new you have made since the last backup to a USB stick first.
• Restoring from a backup that is too old. Check the date before starting. If you have multiple backups, pick the most recent that does not contain the problem (a virus, deleted file, etc.).
• Not having internet or power. Big restores can take all day. Plug in and stay online.
• Restoring before you check if you actually need to. Sometimes a "missing" file is just in a different folder. Search first.

What if I do not have a backup?

If you do not have a backup but lost files, do this immediately:

1. Stop using the affected drive or device. New writes can overwrite deleted file remnants.
2. Check the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac). Many "deleted" files are still there.
3. For Word and Excel: open the app, File > Open > Recent > Recover Unsaved Workbooks (or Documents).
4. For Gmail: see our recover deleted Gmail guide.
5. For drives that are physically failing: stop using the drive. Hand it to a recovery service like DriveSavers if the data is critical. Do not run "recovery software" on a clicking drive, it makes things worse.

After a restore: check these things

• Email accounts signed in
• iCloud / Google sync turned back on
• Browser passwords and bookmarks present
• Recent photos showed up
• Printer reinstalled if it stopped working
• Apps that need separate logins (Microsoft 365, Adobe, Quickbooks) signed in
• Then make a fresh backup. Your restored device is the new baseline.