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time machine restore specific hidden directory

I have 2 time machine backups being made of my Macbook. They both say their earliest backups are May last year. I need to restore a hidden directory of my home folder (.platformio) from last December which should be on both disks. When I go in to Time Machine and select that directory, I can only go back about a week. I have left it looking for a few hours and still no luck.

a) Should I be able to retrieve a hidden directory?

b) Should it be reasonably quick (less than an hour) to find that backup?

c) Is there a way to specify which disk to search?

It would be nice to be able to create a request to find a specific object at a specific date.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Apr 25, 2021 7:06 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 25, 2021 7:49 AM

AndrewCSP wrote:

I have 2 time machine backups being made of my Macbook. They both say their earliest backups are May last year. I need to restore a hidden directory of my home folder (.platformio) from last December which should be on both disks. When I go in to Time Machine and select that directory, I can only go back about a week. I have left it looking for a few hours and still no luck.
a) Should I be able to retrieve a hidden directory?
b) Should it be reasonably quick (less than an hour) to find that backup?
c) Is there a way to specify which disk to search?
It would be nice to be able to create a request to find a specific object at a specific date.


Unhiding files/folders Shift Command . ( three keys: shift command period)


Go back in time through the TM interface...


If you hold the Option key and click the TM icon in the upper right menu bar—Browse Other Backup Disk

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1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 25, 2021 7:49 AM in response to AndrewCSP

AndrewCSP wrote:

I have 2 time machine backups being made of my Macbook. They both say their earliest backups are May last year. I need to restore a hidden directory of my home folder (.platformio) from last December which should be on both disks. When I go in to Time Machine and select that directory, I can only go back about a week. I have left it looking for a few hours and still no luck.
a) Should I be able to retrieve a hidden directory?
b) Should it be reasonably quick (less than an hour) to find that backup?
c) Is there a way to specify which disk to search?
It would be nice to be able to create a request to find a specific object at a specific date.


Unhiding files/folders Shift Command . ( three keys: shift command period)


Go back in time through the TM interface...


If you hold the Option key and click the TM icon in the upper right menu bar—Browse Other Backup Disk

time machine restore specific hidden directory

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