giffer
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Q: how do I restore a stickies note I accidentally deleted?

running on a MacBook Pro, early 2013

OS X 10.9.5 (13F34)

 

any help appreciated...

Posted on Nov 17, 2014 4:20 AM

by Roger Wilmut1,Solvedanswer
Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1
Level 9 (78,278 points)
iTunes
A:

It's very simple. I should start by creating a new folder on your Desktop.

 

Open the Library folder in the Finder (see the note above about its being invisible).

 

Then go to the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and choose 'Enter Time Machine'. Wait the TM display to open. Navigate backwards to just before you deleted the note. Locate the database file. Control-click it and choose 'Restore StickiesDatabase to...'.

 

You will be asked to choose a location: navigate to your new folder and click OK. The restored file will appear in your new folder, from where you can replace the existing one (which you could move out first).

 

Or you can just click the 'Restore' button at bottom right of the TM display and in the dialog which follows choose to replace the original file directly.

Posted on Nov 17, 2014 4:53 AM

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giffer

Q: how do I restore a stickies note I accidentally deleted?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Roger Wilmut1,Helpful

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Nov 17, 2014 4:25 AM in response to giffer
    Level 9 (78,278 points)
    iTunes
    Nov 17, 2014 4:25 AM in response to giffer

    I'm afraid deleted is deleted unless you have a Time Machine backup which includes the folder at (user)/Library/StickiesDatabase (note this is the Library folder within your Home folder, not the one at root level of the hard disk).

     

    (Apple have hidden the user’s Library folder in Lion and above to casual viewers, in an attempt to stop new Mac users messing their machines up. To access it, in the Finder go to the ‘Go’ menu and hold down the Option (Alt) key; the Library folder will appear as a choice. In Mavericks you can make it permanently visible - open your Home Folder the from the Finder's View menu, choose show View Options and check Show User Library.)

  • by giffer,

    giffer giffer Nov 17, 2014 4:24 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 17, 2014 4:24 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    and a restore from back up?

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Nov 17, 2014 4:25 AM in response to giffer
    Level 9 (78,278 points)
    iTunes
    Nov 17, 2014 4:25 AM in response to giffer

    If you have a full backup which includes that folder then you should be able to restore from there.

  • by giffer,

    giffer giffer Nov 17, 2014 4:26 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 17, 2014 4:26 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    thanks, I didn't see the rest of the answer.

    will try.

  • by giffer,

    giffer giffer Nov 17, 2014 4:28 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 17, 2014 4:28 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    I've never done a restore from Time machine, so I'm very afraid!!!

    :-)

  • by Roger Wilmut1,Solvedanswer

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Nov 17, 2014 4:53 AM in response to giffer
    Level 9 (78,278 points)
    iTunes
    Nov 17, 2014 4:53 AM in response to giffer

    It's very simple. I should start by creating a new folder on your Desktop.

     

    Open the Library folder in the Finder (see the note above about its being invisible).

     

    Then go to the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and choose 'Enter Time Machine'. Wait the TM display to open. Navigate backwards to just before you deleted the note. Locate the database file. Control-click it and choose 'Restore StickiesDatabase to...'.

     

    You will be asked to choose a location: navigate to your new folder and click OK. The restored file will appear in your new folder, from where you can replace the existing one (which you could move out first).

     

    Or you can just click the 'Restore' button at bottom right of the TM display and in the dialog which follows choose to replace the original file directly.

  • by giffer,

    giffer giffer Nov 17, 2014 5:09 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 17, 2014 5:09 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    done!

    thank you!

  • by Mary London,

    Mary London Mary London Dec 4, 2014 11:28 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 4, 2014 11:28 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    BEAUTIFUL!!  And phew!

     

    Thank you - this seems to work in Yosemite (10.10.1) too.

     

    Really appreciate all you and others do on here.  Has saved me hours of pain.