Deleting a single file from Time Machine back-ups.

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Deleting a single file from Time Machine back-ups.

I'm using time machine on a macbook pro, running High Sierra. There is an option to delete all backups of a file from Time Machine backups. That option is displayed among the user options menu of Time Machine while one has entered Time Machine.

The option seems to work sometimes and not others. I ordinarily put crucial info into a file on my desktop until I've memorized it. Then I want it removed. It typically contains info such as login passwords, account numbers, etc., so not something I would want to fall into other people's hands under any circumstances, and no longer needed as a reference.

But sometimes after choosing the option to remove all back-ups of a file, the file isn't removed. And the option to remove it disappears.

Anyone have an idea what is going on?

MacBook Pro

Posted on Feb 3, 2023 1:46 PM

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Answer 1

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Dwain Wilder Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 7, 2023 12:22 PM in response to Dwain Wilder

I ran the disk utility First Aid on both my Time Machine and system disks. No problems found.

I did find that in a later session I was able to successfully delete all backups of the file I needed to remove. So it seems there are conditions regarding Time Machine's capability that aren't published anywhere I've been able to find.

Perhaps Time Machine's backup display interface is showing files that the system automatically created and stored while the backup disk was not connected. These will be picked up by the next explicit backup to the Time Machine's assigned backup disk. I can see that copies were deleted before and including today at 2:00AM, at which time the computer was off. Scheduled backups automatically stored without the Time Machine disk mounted are the only instances of the folder that have not been completed.

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