yashmaanjs wrote:
So, you saying, if I restore a backup in this current state. Where, multiple backups are in trashes. I won't succeed. Is that what you mean?
I didn't mean "restore from a backup". I meant to return the Time Machine drive to a functional state. I don't know if you would be able to restore from it or not.
The problem is that folders on your Time Machine backup are not like normal folders. If you attempt to treat them as normal folders, by deleting them or copying them, you will find out how they are different. Each folder contains every single file on your computer. So if you put 12 such folders in the trash and try to delete them, it will take the same amount of time it would to delete every file on your Mac - 12 times over. Even worse, Time Machine has some very funky permissions, as you have discovered. You may not be able to do anything with these files, even as root.
The only way to get rid of them would be to eject the Time Machine drive. But those file will still be in the trash any time you reconnect. You can keep doing research for a few more days, try additional terminal tricks, you name it. Maybe you will succeed eventually. Maybe not. I would never rely on this drive for backups anymore. So why not just erase the drive and be done with it in 30 seconds?
Now might be a good time to consider having multiple backups. Get yourself a new backup drive and make a new backup. Then erase the old one and start making two backups for twice the security.
