Time Machine only show Desktop

manniken,

I had this same question up until 30 seconds ago. Time machine works by trying to predict what you are looking for based on the program, or window you are currently viewing. Try this. Open up the finder and navigate to your itunes folder. Once you have found the folder go down to the dock and click the time machine icon. An exact replica of the finder window you were viewing will appear, and all of the windows behind it will be of the previous backups in that same window. There seem to be several applications that work like this also. This is why the desktop appears when you just click on time machine while you are not viewing anything else. It thinks you are looking for something you removed off of the desktop. Hope this helps!

{quote:title=TJ Joyce wrote:}There seem to be several applications that work like this also.

{quote}

That's the best way to get back specific files from any program that acts like a database, like AddressBook, Mail, iTunes, etc.

To get back a specific email, you launch mail, then TM. TM will open a window showing your mail boxes and messages, you go back in time until the message you want appears in the list, click on it and then the Restore button. TM will create a new folder at the bottom of your mailboxes named "Time Machine" and a sub-folder named "Recovered Messages". It took me awhile to find the recovered message because I just thought TM would put it back in the mailbox I deleted it from.

If you used any other method, you would have to know where the program's files are located and do a bulk restore which would replace many other messages, songs, or vcards that you don't want back.