You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
I have a 2Tb Apple Time Capsule.
i have a lot of files stored here including about 3,000 music tracks.
it is showing only a few files in the finder but it shows there is just 65 gb space left.
This means quite a few of my files have become hidden ( they are not in the trash or have been compressed).
So where are they and how can I recover them.?
I recommend as per my previous post you immediately archive the TC.
Plug a USB HFS+ formatted drive of 2TB or larger into the USB port of the TC and begin archive. It can take up to 24hours to complete and will create an exact copy of what is on the TC.
This can then be plugged directly into the computer which allows much greater control over the file structure than a network accessed drive that is actually controlled by the TC firmware.
I must admit these days I would likely open SSH to the TC and directly copy the files to the computer via terminal.
I am guessing BTW that you are logged into the computer using the same full admin rights user as created the folder and moved the files to this location!!
Big Sur updates could have changed security settings .. this is not unknown.
Have you used standard device password access for file sharing and not with accounts?
What model is your TC?
The other method I suggested is one I have used myself and recommended over and over here. Assuming as per Bob's post the files are not just hidden but actually have permissions issues.. the older version of airport utility allowed change of permissions. If you don't have a windows computer / laptop yourself.. invite a so equipped friend to drinks.. with laptop in tow.. load the 5.6.1 version airport utility.. go to disk, file sharing.. ignoring all errors to get there.
Change the Guest access to read and write. Then click the update button.. this will take a minute or so at most.. and files will now become available if there is a permissions issue. Very Likely!!
If you find nothing.. then you need to consider that files have accidentally been deleted and need to run some recovery software.. which is a more complicated and far more expensive proposition. (Hence why backups are required at all times and Time Capsules are UNSUITABLE for Storage).
I am not sure of your technical abilities but ssh access directly to the TC firmware.. is possible. I can help you with opening SSH.. but it is something I would only recommend if you have technical ability.
i have a lot of files stored here including about 3,000 music tracks.
Stored in what way?
If you mean they are in Time Machine backup.. then to recover you need to recover the backup.. you cannot access the files directly.
If you directly copied the files from your computer to a folder on the TC.. and then subsequently upgraded your Mac OS it is possible you have a permissions issue. In that case you may need to give us more info.
What OS is your Mac running now?
What OS was your Mac running when the backups were made.
Can you get hold of a windows computer or a Mac running any OS up to High Sierra.. or Mojave.. Catalina is perhaps a step too far. You can still download airport utility 5.6.1 and this will allow you to fix the permissions.
If you have no backup.. ie a second copy of all the files on the TC then my recommendation would be to do an archive of the TC immediately. That will give you the best chance of recovering those files.
This means quite a few of my files have become hidden ( they are not in the trash or have been compressed).
Please post some screen shots of the contents of the Time Capsule hard drive as they appear to you at this time.
Files do not normally hide themselves automatically nor do they compress themselves automatically.
To display any hidden files, open the Time Capsule hard drive.....(named "Data" unless you have renamed the drive)
Hold down the Command Key and the Shift Key and the Plus (+) key and the Period (.) key at the same time
Hidden files now will appear as translucent
Run the same key sequence if you want to to hide the files again
Thank you for responding. I am using Big Sur and did not update the system prior to the files disappearing.
I did not back the files up to Time Machine. I just dragged them and dropped them into the file named Music. ( which has disappeared. )
Other music files are showing, but they were not placed into the Music files. Other files are showing, but not the music files which comprise the bulk of the hard drive
The Music files contained in Music were listed as Artist, Album, and songs.
Thank you for your advice. I am currently backing up the TC to an external HDD and once that is done, I will see what comes next.
As far as I know, no-one else accesses my iMac and my TC.
I can only think of the fact that last week, I transferred a few Music folders across to the Music file from my WD My Cloud since it is a 3.00 version and I was advised that support was closing next year.
I had intended to shift the Music file after I had culled a few dead songs and albums out of the file over the Christmas break, but that did not eventuate.
I may give some recovery software a go at a friendly computer store near me once the back up is complete.
Thank you for all the help everyone. Have a Merry Christmas .
Thanks for the the tip. I followed that but it didn't reveal the missing Music File.
Apple Time Capsule
